Manitoba

Encyclopedia : M : MA : MAN : Manitoba

For other uses, see (disambiguation)}}}.

Its capital and largest city (containing over one half the provincial population) is Winnipeg. Other important cities and towns include Brandon, Thompson, Dauphin, Swan River, Churchill, The Pas, Selkirk, Portage la Prairie, Gimli, Flin Flon, Steinbach, Morden, and Winkler.

A person from Manitoba is called a Manitoban.

Geography

Manitoba is located in the longitudinal centre of Canada, although it is considered part of Western Canada. It borders Saskatchewan to the west, Ontario to the east, Nunavut and the Hudson Bay to the north, and the American states of North Dakota and Minnesota to the south.

The province has a coast along Hudson Bay, and contains the eleventh-largest fresh water lake in the world, Lake Winnipeg, along with other large lakes: Lake Manitoba, and Lake Winnipegosis. Manitoba's lakes cover approximately 14.5% or 94,241 km² of its surface area. Lake Winnipeg is the largest lake within the borders of southern Canada, and is one of the last remote lake areas with intact watersheds left in the world. Large rivers that flow into the east side of Lake Winnipeg's basin are very pristine, with no major developments along them. Many pristine islands can be found along the eastern shore of this grand lake. There are thousands of lakes across the province[Statcan] - Manitoba lakes. Important watercourses include the Red, Assiniboine, Nelson, Winnipeg, Hayes and Churchill Rivers.

Most of Manitoba's inhabited south, near or in Winnipeg, lies within the prehistoric bed of Glacial Lake Agassiz. This south central part of the province is flat with few hills. However, there are many hilly and rocky areas in the province, along with many large sand ridges left behind by glaciers. Baldy Mountain is the highest point at 832 m above sea level (2,727 ft) and the Hudson Bay coast is the lowest at sea level. Other upland areas include Riding Mountain, the Pembina Hills. Much of the province's sparsely-inhabited north and east lie within the irregular granite landscape of the Canadian Shield, including Whiteshell Provincial Park, Atikaki Provincial Park, and Nopiming Provincial Park. Birds Hill Provincial Park was originally an island in Lake Agassiz after the melting of glaciers.

The climate in Manitoba is typical of its mid continent location and northerly latitude. In general, temperatures and precipitation decrease from south to north. Summers are generally warm to hot and winters very cold. Both spring and autumn are contracted seasons. As Manitoba is far removed from the moderating influences of both mountain ranges and large bodies of water (all of Manitoba's very large lakes freeze during the winter months), and because of the generally flat landscape in many areas, it is exposed to numerous weather systems throughout the year including prolonged cold spells in the winter months when arctic high pressure air masses settle over the province. This has resulted in the capital of the province being nicknamed "Winterpeg". It is common to have about minus 40 degrees celsius for quite a few days in the winter, and to have a few weeks that remain below minus 20. In the summer months the climate is often influenced by low pressure air masses originating in the Gulf of Mexico resulting in hot and humid conditions and frequent thunderstorms with a few tornadoes each year.

Only the southern parts of the province support extensive agriculture. The most common farm found in rural areas is: cattle farming (35.3%) followed by oilseed (25.8%) and wheat farming (9.8%). Around 11% of the farmland in Canada is in Manitoba. The eastern, southeastern, and northern reaches of the province range through coniferous forests, muskeg, Canadian Shield, and up to tundra in the far north. Forests make up about 263,000 square kilometres of the province's 548,000 square kilometre land base. The forests generally consist of pine, spruce, tamarack, and birch. The great expanses of intact forested areas are considered by many naturalists and sportsmen as pristine wilderness areas. Some of the last largest and intact boreal forest of the world can be found along the east side of Lake Winnipeg, with only winter roads, no Hydro development, and few largely populated communities. There are many clean and untouched east side rivers that originate in the Canadian Shield, and flow west into Lake Winnipeg.

Entering Manitoba from Saskatchewan on the Yellowhead Highway.

Ten largest municipalities
by population

Municipality	2001	1996
Winnipeg	690,100	678,600
Brandon	39,716	39,175
Thompson	13,256	14,385
Portage la Prairie	12,976	13,077
Springfield	12,602	12,162
Hanover	10,789	9,833
St. Andrews	10,695	10,144
Selkirk	9,752	9,881
Steinbach	9,227	8,478
St. Clements	9,115	8,516

History

Henry Hudson in 1611 was one of the first Europeans to sail into what is now known as Hudson Bay. The Nonsuch ship that sailed into Hudson Bay in 1668-1669 was the first trading voyage that led to the formation of the Hudson's Bay Company. The Hudson's Bay Company was given the fur trading rights to the entire Hudson's Bay watershed, that covers land in what is now known as Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Minnesota, North Dakota, and more. This watershed was named Rupert's Land, after Prince Rupert who helped to form the Hudson's Bay Company. Other traders and explorers from the British Isles eventually came to the Hudson's Bay shores and went south along many northern Manitoba Rivers. The first European to reach present-day central and southern Manitoba was Sir Thomas Button, who travelled upstream along the Nelson River and Lake Winnipeg in 1612 and may have reached somewhere along the edge of the prairies where he reported of seeing a buffalo. Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, Sieur de la Vérendrye, visited the Red River Valley in the 1730s as part of opening the area for French exploration and exploitation. Many other French and Metis explorers came from the east and the south by going down the Winnipeg River and down the Red River. An important French-Canadian population (Franco-Manitobains) still lives in Manitoba, especially in the Saint-Boniface district of eastern Winnipeg. Fur trading forts were built by both the NorthWest Company and the Hudson's Bay Company along the many rivers and lakes, and there was often fierce competition with each other in more southern areas.

There are a few possible sources for the name "Manitoba". One is the Assiniboine words "Mini" and "tobow" meaning "Lake of the Prairie". The other more likely source is the Cree word "maniotwapow" meaning "the strait of the spirit or manitobau". This latter name is derived from the sound produced by pebbles on a beach on Manitoba Island in Lake Manitoba. This noise is linked to the superstition among the Assiniboine of the "manitou" (or Spirit) beating a drum to create the noise[Geonames] - Manitoba name. Another story refers to "Manitou" and "abah" or the Spirit which sits or is located somewhere in southern Manitoba.

The territory was won by the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1763 as part of the French and Indian War, and this was a part of Rupert's Land, the immense trading monopoly territory of the Hudson's Bay Company that was the entire watershed that flows into Hudson's Bay. Most rivers and water in Manitoba eventually flow north, not south or east as is commonly assumed, and empty into Hudson's Bay. The Hudson Bay Archives is located within Winnipeg, Manitoba, and preserves the rich history of the fur trading era that occurred along the major water routes of the Rupert's Land area.

Lower Fort Garry, ca. 1949

The founding of the first agricultural community and settlements in 1811 by Lord Selkirk, north of the area which is now downtown Winnipeg, resulted in conflict between the British colonists and the Métis who lived and traded near there. Twenty colonists, including the governor, were killed by the Métis in the Battle of Seven Oaks in 1816. There was also one Metis man killed as well. Many fur trading forts were also attacked by each side over the many years. Even today, the Metis people are making land claims that they say are a part of what was promised to them in the 1800's.

When Rupert's Land was ceded to Canada in 1869 and incorporated into the Northwest Territories, a lack of attention to Métis concerns led their leader Louis Riel to establish a provisional government as part of The Red River Rebellion. However Louis Riel was pursued by General Wolseley because of the rebellion, and he fled into exile. He was eventually hanged after being captured in Saskatchewan. Negotiations between the provisional government and the Canadian government resulted in the creation of the province of Manitoba and its entry into Confederation in 1870. Originally the province was only 1/18 of its current size and square in shape - it was known as the "postage stamp province." It grew progressively, absorbing land from the Northwest Territories until it attained its current size by reaching 60°N in 1912.

Numbered Treaties were signed in the late 1800's with the chiefs of various tribes that lived in the area now known as Manitoba. These treaties made quite specific promises of land for every family, medicine chests, yearly payments, etc. This led to a reserve system under the jurisdicion of the Federal Government. Presently there are still land claim issues because the proper amount of land that was promised to the native peoples was not given in all cases.

The Manitoba Schools Question showed the deep divergence of cultural values in the territory. The French thought they had been guaranteed a state supported separate school system but instead a grass roots political movement among Protestants in 1888-90 demanded the end of French schools. In 1890 the Manitoba legislature passed a law abolishing French as an official language of the province, and removing funding for Catholic schools. The French Catholic minority asked the federal Government for support; however the Orange Order and other anti-Catholic forces mobilized nationwide. The Conservatives proposed remedial legislation to over-ride Manitoba's legislation but they in turn were blocked by Liberals, led by Wilfrid Laurier who opposed the remedial legislation on the basis of provincial rights. Once elected Prime Minister in 1896 Laurier proposed a compromise stating that Catholics in Manitoba could have a Catholic education if there were enough students to warrant it, on a school-by-school basis. Tensions over language remained high in Manitoba (and nationwide) for decades to come.

Winnipeg was one of the 4th largest cities in Canada in the early 1900's. This boom town grew quickly from the late 1800's to the early 1900's. There was a lot of outside investors, immigration, railways, trains, and business was booming. Even today one can see the many old mansions and estates that belonged to Winnipeg's ever growing wealthy class. When the Manitoba Legislature was built, it was expected that Manitoba would have a population of 3 million quite soon. Just around the time of World War One the quickly growing city began to cool down as the large amounts of money were no longer invested to the same degree as before the war. Winnipeg eventually fell behind in growth when other major cities in Canada began to boom ahead, such as Calgary today.

By 1916, in wartime, national unity was at stake. Out of a population of 500,000, there were 30,000 French speakers and 100,000 speakers of German, Ukrainian, Polish and other immigrant tongues. Anglophones insisted on an English-only policy, including a repeal of the compromise that had been worked out on the School Question. The plan was to strengthen the education ministry, upgrade the quality of education, and impose a much stronger attendance law. As the education minister explained: [Morton p 352]

Crowd gathered outside old City Hall during the Winnipeg General Strike, June 21 1919

In the 1917 election in the midst of the conscription crisis, the Liberals were split in half and the new Union party carried all but one seat. As the war ended severe discontent among farmers (over wheat prices) and union members (over wage rates) resulted in an upseurge of radicalism. With Bolshevism coming to power in Russia, conservatives were anxious and radicals were energized. The most dramatic episode was the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 which shut down most activity for six weeks, starting May 15 until the strike collapsed on June 25 1919 as the workers were gradually returning to their jobs and the Central Strike Committee decided to end the strike. As historian William Morton has explained: [Morton 365-6]

In the aftermath eight leaders went on trial, and most were convicted on charges of seditious conspiracy, illegal combinations, and seditious libel; four were aliens who were deported under the Immigration Act. Labor was weakened and divided as a result. Famers meanwhile were patiently organizing the United Farmers of Manitoba, with plans to contest the 1920 provincial elections. The result was no party had a majority. The Farmers, running against politics as usual, won in 1922, with 30 seats, against 7 Liberals were returned, 6 Conservatives, 6 Labour, and 8 Independents.

Government of Manitoba

Manitoba Legislature

Founding of the Legislative Assembly

The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba was established on July 14 1870. At that time Manitoba attained full fledged provincial rights and responsibilities of self-government.

Manitoba was unusual in its leap to provincial status. Eastern Canada, Saskatchewan and Alberta all had intervening periods of apprenticeship as territories before becoming provinces. Only British Columbia had circumstances similar to Manitoba in joining Confederation.

Prior to 1870, the power over Manitoba was almost exclusively within the domain of the Hudson Bay Company. In the Red River Settlement, The Company invested little in the function of government save for rudimentary justice and a few public works. Education was the responsibility of the church.

The decision to make Manitoba a full-fledged province in 1870 came as the result of three things.

• A misunderstanding on the part of the Canadian authorities.

• The rise of nationalism of the Metis.

• Fears of manifest destiny sentiments in the United States ignoring Americans denials of any such goals.

Louis Riel first introduced the subject of provincial status to the Committee of Forty appointed by the citizens of Red River in 1870. Riel's proposal to Donald Smith, emissary for the government of Canada, was rejected by the government of John A. Macdonald.

The list of demands from Riel did goad the government of Canada to act on a proposal of its own on regarding Red River's status. John A. Macdonald introduced the Manitoba Act in the Canadian House of Commons and pretended that the question of province or territory was of no significance. The bill was given royal assent and Manitoba joined Canada as a province.

It was a significant leap of faith imposing responsible government on Manitoba in 1870 without any adjustment period. It went against all conventional wisdom of the time. However, Macdonald's misunderstanding of territorial versus provinical status, the rise of the Metis people and the burgeoning growth of the United States all compelled him to act in a nation building initiative.

In the years that followed, much like the years that preceded, Manitoba went through many upheavals. However, parliamentary government and provincehood that was created in 1870 prevailed.

Official Language

English and French are official languages of the legislature and courts of Manitoba, according to the Manitoba Act, 1870 (which forms part of the Canadian constitution). Section 23 of the Manitoba Act states:

Either the English or the French language may be used by any person in the debates of the Houses of the Legislature and both those languages shall be used in the respective Records and Journals of those Houses; and either of those languages may be used by any person, or in any Pleading or Process, in or issuing from any Court of Canada established under the Constitution Act, 1867, or in or from all or any of the Courts of the Province. The Acts of the Legislature shall be Printed and published in both those languages.

Although French is required to be an official language for the purposes of the legislature, legislation, and the courts, the Manitoba Act (as interpreted by the Supreme Court of Canada) does not require it to be an official language for the purpose of the executive branch of government (except when the executive branch is performing legislative or judicial functions.) In [1992] 1 S.C.R. 221-222 [link], the Supreme Court rejected the contentions of the Société franco-manitobaine that s. 23 extends to executive functions of the executive branch.

Demographics

Source: Statistics Canada [Statcan] - Manitoba Population trend

Note: the percentages do not necessarily add up to 100% as multiple responses are allowed. Ethnic origins with less than 3% of the responses are not listed[Statcan] - Manitoba Ethnic Origin.

• 22.8% Canadian
• 22.0% English
• 18.1% German
• 17.7% Scottish
• 14.2% Ukrainian
• 13.0% Irish
• 12.6% French
• 9.9% North American Indian
• 6.6% Polish
• 5.1% Métis

• 43.0% Protestant
• 29.3% Roman Catholic
• 4.0% Christian not included elsewhere
• 1.4% Christian Orthodox
• 1.1% Jewish
• 18.6% No religious affiliation

Religions that make up less than 1% are not listed[Statcan] - Manitoba Religeous groups.

Downtown Winnipeg taken from The Forks.

Economy

Pre-Confederation

The first fur-traders entering the province in the 17th century changed the dynamics of the economy of Manitoba forever. For the first time, permanent settlements were created and communties evolved over time. Most of the trade centred around the fur-trade.

The first major diversification of the economy came when Lord Selkirk brought the first agricultural settlers to an area just north of present day Winnipeg in 1811. The lack of reliable transportation and an ongoing dispute between the Hudson Bay Company, the North West Company and the Métis impeded growth.

The eventual triumph of the Hudson Bay Company over its competitors ensured the primacy of the fur trade over widespread agricultural colonization. Any trade not sanctioned by the HBC was frowned upon.

It took many years for the Red River Colony to develop under HBC rule. The Company invested little in infrastructure for the community. It was only when independent traders such as James Sinclair and Andrew McDermot (Dermott) started competing in trade that improvements to the community started to happen.

By 1849, the HBC faced even greater threats to its monopoly. A Métis fur trader named Pierre Guillaume Sayer was charged with illegal trade by the Hudson Bay Company. Sayer had been trading with Norman Kittson who resided just beyond the HBC's reach in Pembina, North Dakota. The court found Sayer guilty but the judge levied no fine or punishment.

In 1853, A second agricultural community started in Portage la Prairie.

The courts could no longer be used by the HBC to enforce its monopoly. The result was a weakening of HBC rule over the region and laid the foundations of provincehood for Manitoba.

See also: Corporations based in Manitoba

See also: List of hospitals in Manitoba

Transportation

Transportation & Warehousing contributes approximately $2.2 billion to Manitoba’s GDP. Total employment in the industry is estimated at 34,500. [Manitoba Government] - Employment

Manitoba has a rail, air, trucking and marine component to its transportation industry.

Air

• Winnipeg International Airport is the only international airport between Calgary and Toronto. It is one of only a few 24 hour, unrestricted airports in Canada. It has a broad range of air passenger and cargo services and served over 3 million passengers in 2003. The airport handles approximately 140,000 tonnes of cargo annually.

• 11 regional passenger carriers, plus 9 smaller/charter carriers operate out of the airport.

• 11 air cargo carriers operate out of the airport.

• 7 freight forwarders operate out of the airport.

• Winnipeg is a major sorting facility for both FedEx and Purolator. It also receives daily transborder service from UPS. Air Canada Cargo and Cargojet Airways use the airport as a major hub for national traffic.

Marine

• The Port of Churchill, owned by OmniTRAX is Manitoba's window to the Arctic and to the sea. The port of Churchill is nautically closer to ports in Europe than many other ports in Canada.

• The port has 4 deep-sea berths for the loading and unloading of grain, general cargo and tanker vessels. The port in linked by the Hudson Bay Railway (also owned by OmniTrax).

• Grain represented 90% of the Port’s traffic in the 2004 shipping season. In that year over 600,000 tonnes of agricultural product was shipped through the port.

Famous Manitobans

See also: List of Manitobans

• Randy Bachman, musician, (The Guess Who) & Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO)
• Cam Barker, hockey player, Chicago Blackhawks draft pick (3rd overall 2004).
• Ed Belfour, NHL goalie
• David Bergen, novelist
• Tom Cochrane, musician
• Burton Cummings, musician (The Guess Who)
• Len Cariou, [actor]
• Tommy Douglas, politician, voted the Greatest Canadian
• Deanna Durbin, [actress]
• Terry Fox, [cancer activist] and national hero
• Monty Hall, [TV celebrity], television game show host
• Doug Henning, [magician]
• Gerard Kennedy, politician
• Chantal Kreviazuk, musician & [actress]
• Margaret Laurence, author
• Todd MacCulloch, basketball player
• Guy Maddin, [director]
• Marshall McLuhan, media guru
• Arthur Meighen, Prime Minister of Canada
• Bob Nolan, musician
• Anna Paquin, [actress]
• Fred Penner, [children's entertainer], musician
• Frank Pickersgill, SOE agent in World War II executed by the Nazis
• Louis Riel, politician
• Gabrielle Roy, author
• John K. Samson, singer-songwriter (The Weakerthans)
• Terry Sawchuk, NHL goalie
• Sir William Stephenson (aka Intrepid), spy, man on whom the character of James Bond is based
• Miriam Toews, novelist
• Neil Young, musician
• Nia Vardalos, [actress and writer]
• J.S. Woodsworth, politician
• Clara Hughes, Olympic medalist (summer and winter games)
• Cindy Klassen, Olympic medalist (5 medals in Torino 2006)
• Chris Jericho, WWE player (wrestler)
• Frank Manning, M.D., (Perinatologist)
• Alexander Steen, NHL hockey player (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Map

References