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| During the late portions of the 19th Century and the early part of the 20th Century small communities like Wawanesa supported a large number of businesses that are no longer characteristic of such small towns. Wawanesa had a jeweller, a clothing store, a photograph studio, harness shops, and a butcher shop. The town also supported several grocery stores while today only one survives. | |||||||||||||||||||
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| With the railroad, Wawanesa had become a community able to service nearly all of the needs the local people and, far from having a monopoly on their respective goods, each store often had competition in one form or another. | |||||||||||||||||||
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| The business district of Wawanesa thrived during the early parts of the 20th Century, but the force of progress that had enabled Wawanesa to expand continued to cause new changes. The advent of the highway and affordable vehicles made transportation to and from Wawanesa much easier. Farmers were able to transport grain farther with their own vehicles, and the rise of trucking services made the railroad less important.
People were able to shop for many things in Brandon and benefit from its greater selection and sometimes better prices. These developments forced many businesses in Wawanesa to close. Today the business section of Wawanesa is considerably smaller than it was at the turn of the century. Many people shop for groceries and other items in Brandon and many products are not available in Wawanesa. |
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| The story of the decline of Wawanesa’s commercial district seems rather gloomy, but the community itself has not diminished. The population has reained steady since the early days and Wawanesa is becoming a popular location for people to live while working in Brandon. New lots are being developed in the centre of town and projects for more seniors' housing are underway. Quick access to Brandon, the factor that eliminated many of Wawanesa’s businesses, is now becoming one of Wawanesa’s greatest assets. People can live in a beautiful small town and be within twenty five minutes of any urban conveniences that they desire. | |||||||||||||||||||
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