Most visitors to the
little village of Wawanesa,
Manitoba – population 550,
and located 50 km south east
of Brandon – might find it
difficult to believe that it
is both the birth place and
Head Office & Prairie Branch
of one of Canada's largest
property and casualty
| insurers, The Wawanesa Mutual
Insurance Company.
The town and insurance
company that bears its name
were built on vision and hard
work. In 1889, the pioneering
Story family arrived at the
high banks of the scenic
Souris River valley and
decided that they would never
| find a more beautiful spot to
settle. The little village
was originally named
"Sipiweske", believed to mean
"light through the trees" in
the Cree language. The Storys
were an enterprising and
progressive family, and built
the town's first general
store. Many other businesses
| and homes soon followed. The
farming families who began
arriving in 1879 were eager
to support services close to
their farms. The village was
booming.
Mr. Story had a larger
brick general store with
living quarters above built
in 1898, and it still serves
|