The area was first settled in 1901 by Paul Henderson, younger brother of Jack Henderson, hangman of Louis Riel.[1] Subsequent to Paul Henderson's death from exposure in 1903, other settlers followed; in 1906 the village was incorporated and named "Earl Grey" after Albert Grey, 4th Earl Grey, Canada's Governor General at the time.[2]
Currently, the town has two churches (Christ Lutheran Church [ELCIC] and a United Church), one Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, several old-age homes, a hotel, a curling rink, and a veterinary clinic. A small statue of a grain elevator is displayed in the downtown area, a commemorative tribute to the village's once-thriving grain economy.
The public school was downsized to a Kindergarten-Grade 8 school in the 2003–2004 school year, before closing completely in 2007.[3]
History
Earl Grey incorporated as a village on July 27, 1906.[4]
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Earl Grey had a population of 229 living in 120 of its 134 total private dwellings, a change of -6.9% from its 2016 population of 246. With a land area of 1.35 km2 (0.52 sq mi), it had a population density of 169.6/km2 (439.3/sq mi) in 2021.[7]
In the 2016 Census of Population, the Village of Earl Grey recorded a population of 246 living in 118 of its 121 total private dwellings, a 2.8% change from its 2011 population of 239. With a land area of 1.31 km2 (0.51 sq mi), it had a population density of 187.8/km2 (486.4/sq mi) in 2016.[8]