Alexander, Manitoba facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alexander
Alexander Location in Manitoba
Country	Canada
Province	Manitoba
Region	Westman
Census Division	No. 7
Population  (2021 Canadian census)
• Total	321
Time zone	UTC−6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Postal Code	R0C 0E0
Area code(s)	204

Alexander, Manitoba is a small community located in the Rural Municipality of Whitehead. You can find it right on Highway 1, just west of the city of Brandon. Brandon is the closest city to Alexander, and the local school is part of the Brandon School Division.

History of Alexander

Alexander has a long and interesting history. It started as a busy spot for trains and mail.

Early Days and Name Changes

In 1882, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) created a stop here. It was a place where trains could load and unload goods and passengers. A post office also opened, first called Pulteney. The first postmaster, James Frederick Walker, built a small hotel, home, and store. The post office was in the middle of this building. His family ran the post office until 1949.

In 1885, the area was renamed Alexander Station. Then, in 1891, it became simply Alexander. There are two ideas about how it got its name:

• Some say the CPR named it after an early settler named Alexander Speers.
• Others believe it was named after the middle name of Canada's first Prime Minister, John A. Macdonald.

Grain Elevator and War Monument

Around 1916, a large wooden building called a grain elevator was built in Alexander. This elevator was used to store grain from local farms. It was first run by Paterson Grain and later by Manitoba Pool Elevators. Sadly, it was destroyed by fire in 1990.

On July 23, 1922, a special monument was put up in Alexander. It was built by a group called the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire. This monument honors the people from the Alexander area who died while serving in the military.

The Alexander Post Office building was one of the oldest privately owned post offices in Manitoba that was always in use. It became a protected historic site in 1993. However, in 2023, the old post office building was taken down and a new home was built in its place.

Churches in Alexander

People in Alexander have gathered for religious services for a long time.

• The first Anglican church services were held from 1884 to 1887 in the waiting room of the CPR train station. Later, they used the local Presbyterian church.
• A special wooden church building for Anglicans was built in 1900. Services continued there until 1974. In 1975, a stone monument was placed in front of the church. The building was later changed into a private home.
• A church for the Presbyterian community was built in 1889.
• In 1919, the Presbyterian church joined with the local Methodist church. They formed a United church. The old Presbyterian building was used for services, and the Methodist building was sold.

Alexander School History

The Alexander School District officially started in October 1884.

• The first schoolhouse was built in 1886. It was a small building, about 18 by 26 feet, and cost $600.
• As more students came, a second classroom was added in 1892. This was a brick building with three rooms, costing $2,930.
• Ten years later, a bigger two-story brick school building was built.
• In 1945, Alexander School welcomed more students when nearby Dalton School and Assiniboine School closed.
• By 1960, high school students from Alexander started taking buses to Brandon for their classes. This meant only students in grades 1 to 8 stayed at Alexander School.
• In 1967, the Alexander School District became part of the larger Brandon School Division. The two-story school building was taken down in the 1980s.

Population Information

In the 2021 Census, Statistics Canada counted the people living in Alexander.

• Alexander had a population of 321 people.
• These people lived in 119 homes out of 131 total homes.
• The population changed a little from 2016, when it was 334 people. This was a decrease of about 3.9%.
• The land area of Alexander is about 1.38 square kilometers.
• This means there were about 232.6 people living in each square kilometer in 2021.