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| | Edwin - "Rich
in Prairie History"
The settlement southwest of
Portage
la Prairie dates from 1891. It was first
called Fox district, named after Jerry Fox, storekeeper and stationmaster of
Burnside. The first school constructed of logs opened its door in 1895, S.D.
#735. The site chosen was 2 1/2 miles north of the village. The store and post
office was built in 1905, by Mr. W. Brass. The postal outlet has been in
continuous service since that time. The C.N.R. railroad arrived
June 1, 1907, and the village was re-named Edwin, for Mr.
Edwin James, manager of the Canadian Northern Railroad. The Edwin Co-operative
Pool Elevator was built in 1928, and the railroad was taken up in 1979. The
elevator, that sentinel of the prairie landscape remains. The area is rich in
its agriculture, its history, including Long Plain First Nation, and the people
who keep the district alive, with gatherings at the community centre, on the
site of the original log school. The pioneer spirit lives on with the residents
who today call the
village
of
Edwin, home.
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