B R E M N E R
Following the survey of Rupert's Land, the first wave of British and Scottish settlers arrived in the area in the early 1880s. The locality is named after James Charles Chatterton ("Charlie") Bremner, a Scottish immigrant from Glasgow who arrived in 1885 and staked a homestead claim in what was then the North-West Territories. Aided by an inheritance, he expanded his agricultural footprint into a grand farm he called "The Mount".
A local post office opened on March 30, 1908, serving the burgeoning rural population. In 1912, Charlie Bremner constructed an expansive, 5,400-square-foot Craftsman-style brick home. This grand structure stands today as Strathcona County's first municipally designated historic resource.
Charlie Bremner faced financial struggles during the economic downturn of the late 1920s and passed away in 1928. The farm and historic house were subsequently purchased by William and Nellie Schroter, whose family successfully farmed the land for decades.
For a time, Bremner functioned as a small rural hub featuring local services, including a service station opened by Martin Reynolds in 1938. However, the landscape changed dramatically in the mid-20th century. Major transportation infrastructure, specifically the construction of Highway 16 (the Yellowhead Highway) and major interchanges in the 1960s, resulted in the old hamlet core being paved over or dismantled. The Bremner Post Office eventually closed on January 31, 1973. The town was named after Charlie Bremner, a local farmer.
*
1938
Service Station owned by Martin Reynolds. Destroyed by fire in 1945 or 1946.
Rebuilt and remained until torn down in mid 1960s to make way for the Yellowhead Highway.