In the most western edge of the Rural Municipality of Reynolds is a settlement commonly known today as Richer East. This settlement, previously known as La Coulee St. Onge (Brokenhead) was established by a group of Saulteaux Indians. The name "Brokenhead” originated from a fight that took place between two
Indians resulting in a blow to ones head; hence the name "Brokenhead”. The first pioneers began to settle in this area around 1895. Here the pioneers struggled to maintain a way of life. A community began to develop with a store, a chapel and saw mills.
Moving into the eastward direction, the settlements of Hadashville, Prawda and McMunn were established around 1900 by immigrants arriving from Europe. Their dream was to find better land and to free themselves from undue hardships encountered in Europe. Much to their dismay they arrived in an area comprised of both swamp and thick forests.
Spruce Siding, originally known as Sadlow, is a historic rural community located east of Winnipeg in the Rural Municipality of Reynolds. Established in the early 1910s by Ukrainian immigrants, the settlement was named after the Sadlowski family and later renamed for the spruce trees in the area and the railway siding built along the Greater Winnipeg Water District (GWWD) line.
At the heart of the community stood the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church, built in 1920–21 by local settlers. Its iconic onion dome and traditional design reflected the deep faith and cultural pride of the community. A nearby cemetery, first used in 1917, still stands as a quiet reminder of the early pioneers who shaped the area.
Education was also a central value in Spruce Siding. The Spruce School, a one-room schoolhouse operated under the Birch River Municipal School District, served the children of local farm families until its closure in 1962. The building was later converted into a private residence, though remnants of its educational past remain.
Another cornerstone of the community was the Spruce Siding Post Office, which opened in 1924 and operated for nearly 45 years. Staffed by local residents, it served as a vital connection between the settlement and the wider province until its closure in 1969.
Though much of the original infrastructure has disappeared, the legacy of Spruce Siding lives on through local memory, historical records, and efforts to preserve its story. The community remains a meaningful part of the region’s Ukrainian heritage and rural history.
The settlement of East Braintree began in 1913 with the onset of the construction of the Greater Winnipeg Water District railway and aqueduct.
The names of these small communities originated from people’s surnames or villages from another country.
Hadashville was named after the first postmaster, Charles Hadash. Prawda was named by a school teacher and postmaster Mr. Andrusko. The name Prawda, which means truth, was given by him on the recollection of a town by the same name in Ukraine. McMunn was named after the first postmaster James A. McMunn. East Braintree was named after Victor Watson who came from Braintree, Mass. To avoid mistaken mail deliveries, Ottawa requested the addition of the word "East” to Braintree, hence the name East Braintree.
With the determination and stamina of the pioneers, these small communities began to flourish rapidly each supporting a post office, store(s), schools; and, some community church(s) and a nursing station. Eventually in time, garages, restaurants, motels, hotels and community clubs were constructed. These tight knit communities began forming clubs and hosting their own annual events such as agricultural fairs.
As time advanced, some of these communities today are comprised solely of residences. But as we enter into a new century, the beauty of nature has not changed in any way throughout these communities. Today the RM of Reynolds continues to thrive as a great place to live, work and raise a family.
