Alexander has something for everyone. That’s the slogan of the municipality that is home to the Francophone community of St. Georges. Nothing could be closer to the truth. The easy-to-access municipality boasts parks, beaches, forests, industries and rural and urban amenities just an hour away from Winnipeg. Locals like to boast that St. Georges is a little bit of paradise carved out by the wind and the Winnipeg River.
An economic and tourism driver
The Rural Municipality of Alexander is at the junction of several highways and covers an area of 1,568 square kilometres in a region covered with forests, lakes and rivers. It should therefore come as no surprise that the municipality is at the heart of Manitoba’s forestry (pulp and paper) and hydroelectric industries. Other areas of activity include agriculture (sod farms and wild rice harvesting), commercial fishing on Lake Winnipeg and the Winnipeg River, and mining.
The variety of its natural surroundings really give the location its charm and make tourism a key industry for the municipality. Every summer, the population soars from 3,000 to roughly 20,000 people who come to explore its many natural and man-made attractions.
If you like water sports, this is the destination for you! There is plenty of fishing, sailing, boating and swimming in the summer. Winter activities include walking and hiking, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. Each season has its own secrets and treasures that draw nature lovers to Alexander. With its beaches stretching along Lake Winnipeg and the Canadian Shield boreal forests in the Bird River region, there is truly something for everyone.
The area also has an abundance of wildlife such as elk, deer, foxes, coyotes, bears and snowy owls.
St. Georges, Francophone gem of Alexander
St. Georges is located in the heart of the Rural Municipality of Alexander and is its only Francophone community. Founded in 1903, the town is proud of its Francophone origins and celebrates them every day via its French language school, the Allard library, the Châteauguay cultural committee, its fall and crèche (nativity scene) festivals, and a host of other activities.
Nestled between water and forests, this little slice of paradise is the perfect place for residents to raise a family. The town’s new Cap Doré residential housing development continues to grow.
St. Georges’s heritage is a source of pride for local residents, and has been showcased at the Winnipeg River Heritage Museum since 1970. Crafts, farm machinery, utensils, documents and photographs are just some of the artifacts on display. While a fire burned the original museum building to the ground in 2014, many artifacts were saved. Thanks to the community’s hard work and determination, St. Georges is looking forward to opening its new history museum in the near future.
Alexander by the numbers
3,333 residents in 2016
500 St. Georges residents
510 bilingual (French-English) residents
91.3% of residents are homeowners
The area’s main industries are agriculture (19.5%), followed by construction (16.2%) and real estate (13.5%).
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