Settled around 1824 as Grantown, it is the second oldest settlement in Manitoba.[3]
History
The area of current-day St. François Xavier, commonly known as White Horse Plains (La Prairie du Cheval Blanc), was home to several distinct First Nations, such as the Cree and the Dakota. The lands in the area supported numerous buffalo and other game animals.[4]
Around 1824, Cuthbert Grant, who had recently led the Métis in the Battle of Seven Oaks, arrived in the area and was soon joined by many Métis families. The settlement was thereby founded, and named Grantown after Grant.[5]
The Métis have since had a noticeable role in the municipality and throughout the province.
The St. François-Xavier post office was opened in 1871 and closed in 1975.[9]
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, St. Francois Xavier had a population of 845 living in 272 of its 278 total private dwellings, a change of 27.6% from its 2016 population of 662. With a land area of 3.39 km2 (1.31 sq mi), it had a population density of 249.3/km2 (645.6/sq mi) in 2021.[10]
Notable people
Notable people buried at the St. Francois Xavier Roman Catholic Church and Cemetery include:[11]