Early Post Offices in Manitoba

by Harold Wilding and Don Fraser

Manitoba Pageant, Spring 1975, Volume 20, Number 3

This article was published originally in Manitoba Pageant by the Manitoba Historical Society on the above date. We make this online version available as a free, public service. As an historical document, the article may contain language and views that are no longer in common use and may be culturally sensitive in nature. Please direct inquiries to webmaster@mhs.mb.ca. Help us keep history alive!

Postal marking used in the Red River Settlement
during the period when William Ross was postmaster (1855-56)

On February 28, 1855 the Governor and Council of Assiniboia authorized the creation of a post office at Red River with William Ross as the first postmaster. Little is known about postmasters and the location of post offices in the Red River Settlement (Fort Garry) between 1859 and 1870. In March, 1862 a post office opened at St. Andrews, and in December, 1868 one was opened at St. Norbert. The Canadian government took over the north-west and the “postage stamp province” of Manitoba was formed. Mail was under the jurisdiction of the Manitoba Government. An additional post office opened in August 1870 at Lower Fort Garry and in December, 1870 at Kildonan. In July 1871 Manitoba and the Northwest Territories were officially brought within the Canadian Postal Service. Thirty-six post offices had opened in Manitoba by 1874. The following is a list of these with the official dates of opening.

* indicates that the post office was already in operation as indicated above prior to its official opening date.

1871

Baie St. Paul—July 1
Burnside—September 1
Eagles Nest—August 1 (Peguis 1876)
*Fort Garry—January 1 (Winnipeg 1876)
Headingly—July 1 (now Headingley)
High Bluff—July 1
*Kildonan—July 1
*Lower Fort Garry—July 1
Mapleton—July 1
Marquette—September 1
Middle Church—July 1 (now Middlechurch)
Pembina—July 1
Pigeon Lake—September 1
Pointe du Chene—July 1
(Ste. Anne 1874 & Ste. Anne des Chenes 1890)
Poplar Point—July 1
Portage la Prairie—July 1
Ridgely—September 1
Ste. Agathe—July 1
*St. Andrews—July 1
(St. Andrews North 1894 & Lockport 1902) [1]
St. Francis Xavier July 1
St. James—July 1
*St. Norbert—July 1
St. Peters—July 1 (Dynevor 1876)
West Lynne—July 1 (Emerson 1879)
Whitemud River—September 1 (Westbourne 1874)

1872

Indian Mission—October 1
Park’s Creek—May 1
Oak Point—October 1
St. Laurent—October 1
Palestine—April 1 (Gladstone 1879)

1873

Cook’s Creek—October 1
St. Vital—September 1
Rockwood—October 1 (Stony Mountain 1881)
Springfield—October 1

1874

Scratching River—January 1 (Morris 1881)
Woodside—July 1

1. A second St. Andrews P.O. was established in 1894 but it was located some distance from the original St. Andrews.

Page revised: 20 July 2009