It is widely believed that the first Jewish farm colony in Manitoba was founded at this site in 1903. Named for its founder, Jacob Bender, who immigrated from Nikolaiev in Ukraine, Bender Hamlet occupied the north-west corner of Section 36, Township 19, Range 1 west of the Principal Meridian, in the Rural Municipality of Armstrong. Here in village fashion, nineteen families built their homes, a synagogue, and a school to maintain their religious and cultural life. Social isolation, poor soil, and falling cattle prices led to the decline of the community. Gradually families left and by 1927 the colony was abandoned.
A small cemetery, lot demarcations, and building foundations remain on the site. A monument made from stones used to mark the lot lines, erected in October 1986 and dedicated in June 1987, lists pioneer families who lived at Bender Hamlet. A sign was erected nearby by the Manitoba Heritage Council, however, as of June 2021 it has been removed.
Bender Hamlet (1916) by W. J. Sisler
Source: Archives of Manitoba, Bender Hamlet 2, N9615
Bender Hamlet School (1916)
Source: Archives of Manitoba, Bender Hamlet 13, N25560
Bender Hamlet commemorative monument and plaque (July 2010)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Bender Hamlet commemorative monument (June 2021)
Source: George PennerSite Coordinates (lat/long): N50.68398, W97.47344
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Bender Hamlet Cemetery (RM of Armstrong)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Bender School No. 1449 (RM of Armstrong)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Abandoned Manitoba
Bender Hamlet, Manitoba Heritage Council Commemorative Plaques
We thank George Penner and Jock Lehr for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and S. Goldsborough.
Page revised: 18 July 2022
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