This year marks the 100th birthday of the municipality of St. James, a community which was settled on Treaty One Territory, and on the traditional homeland of the Métis Nation. <\/p>\n
The municipality of St. James has a rich and interesting history which goes all the way back to 1850, when the Hudson’s Bay Company granted land along the Assiniboine River to create the Parish of St. James.<\/p>\n
By the 1870s, St. James was being described as “the finest locality in the province.” It boasted a school, a flour mill, a post office, many stores, a brewery, and a small Anglican church which still stands in the same spot today. The fifth premier of our province, John Norquay, was one of the first to teach at the local community school.<\/p>\n
As the years went on, the population of St. James grew exponentially as more settlers came from eastern Canada and abroad. Neighbourhoods began to be built around some of the landmarks in the area such as the Deer Lodge Hospital, the St. James Anglican Church, and Linwood School.<\/p>\n
In later years, the community would become home to one of the largest aerospace clusters in the country with a regional airport, a Canadian Air Force base and a number of aerospace firms and manufacturing businesses which offered good, family supporting jobs to members of the community.<\/p>\n
Today, the community of St. James remains a wonderful place to live and raise a family. It is also fast becoming a much more diverse and culturally rich place, and it makes me incredibly proud to see this diversity reflected in our schools, in our community centres and in our local businesses.<\/p>\n
I want to thank all of those who have helped to make St. James what it is today but I also want to extend a special thank you to the many extraordinary community leaders and volunteers who continue to work at improving life in our community for current and future generations. Thanks to their efforts, St. James will remain one of the best places in Manitoba to live and raise a family for the next 100 years to come.<\/p>\n
Should you have any questions or comments regarding this article, or if there is anything we can do to support you or your family, please don’t hesitate to reach out.<\/p>\n
We can be reached by phone at 204-792-8779, or by email at adrien.sala@yourmanitoba.ca<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n