- The official seal of the Province of Manitoba.
- The center design of the official seal of the Province of Manitoba in greater detail.
Once a square of only 100 miles (160 kilometers) per side, Manitoba was called the Postage Stamp Province when it joined the dominion of Canada in 1870. Boundary shifts to the west, east, and north enlarged the province to its present size of approximately 250,000 square miles (648,000 square kilometers). Manitoba is situated near the geographic center of the North American continent. The easternmost of the three Prairie Provinces, Manitoba links the resources of western Canada with the principal centers of population in the eastern provinces. Winnipeg, the provincial capital, is Canada's railroad center as well as the country's major exchange for both cattle and wheat. Three large lakes—Winnipeg, Winnipegosis, and Manitoba—lie to the north of the capital. Each year more than 200 varieties of waterfowl migrate to the marshes around the southern edges of Lake Manitoba. These summer breeding grounds are the northern extent of the Mississippi flyway. Through United States-Canadian cooperation, regulated hunting seasons along the flyway have saved several species from extinction. Although Manitoba was first explored by 17th-century fur traders from the north, it was not until the 1930s that a railroad linked Hudson Bay and the sparsely settled northern half of the province with the south. The Pas became the main distribution center for Flin Flon, the western-border mining community that produces copper and zinc; Thompson, a major source of nickel; and Churchill, the only seaport in the Prairie Provinces. The province's name is certainly Native American in origin, but the specific linguistic source is uncertain. It may be derived from the Algonquian word manitou, meaning “great spirit.” It may have come from the Cree manito-wapow (“strait of the great spirit”) or from the Assiniboin words minni tobow (“lake of the prairies”). Sir John Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister, once said it meant, “the god who speaks.” Manitoba is nicknamed the Keystone Province because of its strategic geographical location. Like the keystone in an arch, Manitoba occupies the central position amongst Canada's nine other provinces. Province of Four Natural RegionsThe Keystone Province is bounded by Ontario on the east, Saskatchewan on the west, and the territory of Nunavut on the north. North Dakota and Minnesota border it on the south. Ranking sixth in size among the provinces, Manitoba is slightly smaller than both Saskatchewan and Alberta, the other Prairie Provinces, and somewhat larger than the states of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota combined. The province extends 760 miles (1,223 kilometers) from north to south. Its east–west extent ranges from 245 miles (394 kilometers) along the northern boundary to 495 miles (797 kilometers) just south of the 57th parallel. Manitoba is divided into four natural regions—the Canadian Shield, the Interior Plains, the Hudson Bay Lowland, and the Arctic Region (see Canada, “Natural Environment”). Although Manitoba is known as a Prairie Province, most of it is covered by the forests of the Canadian Shield, which crosses the province in a broad belt from southeast to northwest. The prairies lie in the southwestern third of Manitoba and make up the Interior Plains. The Hudson Bay Lowland and the Arctic Region are in the northeast. Canadian ShieldA vast mass of exposed Precambrian rock known as the Canadian Shield covers about three fifths of Manitoba. This great expanse of rock is largely overlain by glacial deposits. Its surface in Manitoba is rugged but relatively low, rising to little more than 1,000 feet (300 meters) above sea level. Except for the treeless tundra of the far north and the deciduous woods of the extreme southeast, the region is covered by dense coniferous forests. There are hundreds of streams and rivers and countless lakes, swamps, and marshes. Interior Plains and the Hudson Bay LowlandThe Interior Plains region lies in the southwestern part of the province. The region is divided into the Manitoba and Saskatchewan plains. A section of northeastern Manitoba is part of the Hudson Bay Lowland. The Manitoba Plain occupies the low-lying trough once filled by Lake Agassiz, a prehistoric glacial lake. The remnants of this vast body of water today are the largest lakes in Manitoba—Lake Winnipeg (9,465 square miles; 24,514 square kilometers), Lake Winnipegosis (2,103 square miles; 5,447 square kilometers), and Lake Manitoba (1,817 square miles; 4,706 square kilometers). The generally rolling surface of the Manitoba Plain ranges between 600 and 900 feet (180 and 275 meters) above sea level. The subdivision includes broad, flat stretches of fertile clays and sands. At its southern end are Winnipeg and the rich agricultural plain of the Red River of the North. The western limit of the Manitoba Plain is marked by the Manitoba Escarpment. Here the land surface rises sharply to the Saskatchewan Plain. The Saskatchewan Plain also is a fertile glacial plain but includes several wooded uplands—the Porcupine, Duck, Riding, and Turtle mountains—that extend back from the escarpment. The highest point in Manitoba is Baldy Mountain at 2,730 feet (832 meters). Patches of trees dot the plains of the south and wind along the river valleys of both prairie levels. In the north and east they merge with the boreal forest; in the extreme southwest they give way to a virtually treeless plain. In some areas there are ranges of sand hills. The Hudson Bay Lowland in Manitoba forms a coastal plain 100 miles (160 kilometers) deep along Hudson Bay southeast of Churchill. It lies in the transition zone between the boreal forest and the Arctic Region in the northeast. All Manitoba drains into Hudson Bay. About three fifths of the province, mostly in the south, is drained by the Nelson River. The remainder is drained primarily by the Churchill, Seal, and Hayes rivers in the northeast. The chief streams of the Nelson River basin in central Manitoba are the Winnipeg, Red, Assiniboine, Dauphin, and Saskatchewan. Continental ClimateManitoba has a continental climate with great extremes of heat and cold. Summers are warm throughout the province though short in the north. In July the mean temperatures range from 53.6° F (12.0° C) at Churchill to 67.1° F (19.5° C) at Winnipeg. January temperatures average –16.1° F (–26.7° C) at Churchill and 0.0° F (–17.8° C) at Winnipeg. Rainfall is light, ranging from an average annual total of 10.39 inches (26.4 centimeters) at Churchill in the far north on Hudson Bay to 16.38 inches (41.6 centimeters) at Winnipeg. The season of greatest rainfall throughout Manitoba is summer, when the moisture helps growing crops to flourish. Annual snowfall averages are high, ranging from 43.5 inches (110.6 centimeters) at Winnipeg to 75.2 inches (191.0 centimeters) at Churchill. People and Their OriginsManitoba has a population of more than 1 million. It ranks fifth in population among the provinces. The population density is 4.5 persons per square mile (1.7 persons per square kilometer), one of the lowest of any province in Canada. About 60 percent of the population lives in the Winnipeg metropolitan area. In the 2001 census approximately 25 percent of the people considered themselves to be of Canadian origin. More than 20 percent of Manitoba's people are of English descent. Other principal ethnic groups are German, Scottish, Ukrainian, Irish, French, and Polish. Over 100,000 persons considered themselves to be at least partially Native American. Most are descended from Chipewyan, Dakota, Cree, and Ojibwa tribes. About 57,000 persons, known as Métis, are of mixed Native American and white descent. A few hundred Inuit (formerly called Eskimo) live in the far north. EconomyManitoba has developed a diversified economy spread over three general areas: manufacturing, trade, and various business and social services. They account for slightly more than 70 percent of Manitoba's gross domestic product. The group of business services consisting of finance, insurance, and real estate represents nearly 20 percent of Manitoba's economy. Other services such as education, health care, and social assistance are also major segments of the economy. AgricultureAgriculture accounts for approximately 5 percent of Manitoba's economy. Almost all of the 13.3 million acres (5.4 million hectares) of improved farmland are on the southern prairies. Most of the agricultural products in Manitoba come from family-operated farms. In 2001 there were about 21,000 farms in the province. The leading grain crops are wheat, barley, oats, and rye. Manitoba is one of Canada's principal growers of flaxseed and canola. Other crops include dry beans, dry peas, potatoes, vegetables, and fruit. The livestock industry is an important part of Manitoba's agricultural sector. Livestock accounts for almost half of the total income received by the farming community. Hogs and beef cattle are the most profitable farm animals. Forests, Furs, and FishesManitoba's forests cover about 65 million acres (26.3 million hectares) of land, almost half of the entire province. The most common trees in the northern half of the province are black spruce, jack pine, poplar, and white spruce. Trees in the southern half of the province include aspen, white spruce, oak, maple, and elm. Manitoba's forest industry is a significant part of the province's manufacturing sector. Commercial goods created from trees include softwood lumber, waferboard, newsprint, paper, and other products. The fur trade is one of the oldest industries in Manitoba, but today it is one of the smallest. In colonial times, Frenchmen scoured the forest trapping animals for their pelts. Trappers still take muskrat, beaver, marten, coyote, squirrel, mink, and other animals in the wilderness areas. Commercial fishing—mainly for walleye, mullet, whitefish, northern pike, and sauger—is a small but vital industry. Manitoba produces many of Canada's freshwater fishes, chiefly from Lake Winnipeg and other large lakes. Mineral WealthThe province's mineral wealth lies mainly in the rocks of the Canadian Shield. Nickel ore ranks first in value. Thompson is a leading copper- and nickel-mining area. Copper and zinc ores are mined at Flin Flon and Snow Lake. Other leading metal ores are gold, cobalt, silver, cadmium, selenium, and tellurium. The most valuable nonmetallic mineral is crude petroleum. Manitoba also supplies sand and gravel, stone, and gypsum. Canada's only commercial tantalum mine is located near Lac du Bonnet. Industry, Power, and TransportationManitoba shared in the rapid growth of Canadian industry after World War II. Its central location and abundant agricultural, mineral, forest, and water-power resources helped attract a great number of manufacturing plants. The leading industrial group is foods and beverages. There are many slaughtering and meat-packing firms, flour mills, feed mills, bakeries, dairies, breweries, and canneries. Transportation equipment is the province's next largest manufacturing sector. Transit buses and aerospace equipment are the chief products. Metal fabricating, the manufacture of clothing and wood products, and printing and publishing also are leading industries. Other manufactures include paper, primary metals, and machinery. Manufacturing is overwhelmingly concentrated in metropolitan Winnipeg. Manitoba relies chiefly on hydroelectric stations for its power needs. The province has 14 hydroelectric and two thermal generating stations. The largest single power station, Limestone Dam, is on the Nelson River. Manitoba's rail and highway network is concentrated in the south. Several routes penetrate the northern wilderness. One rail line reaches the Hudson Bay port of Churchill. The Trans-Canada Highway passes through Winnipeg and Brandon (see Trans-Canada Highway). Winnipeg also is the site of the province's international airport. TourismLarge numbers of tourists from other provinces and the United States visit Manitoba. The main vacation areas include Riding Mountain and Wapusk national parks, Whiteshell and Duck Mountain provincial parks, and the Lake Winnipeg beaches. On the Manitoba-North Dakota border is the International Peace Garden, which honors the friendship between Canada and the United States. The province is known for its hunting and fishing. Winnipeg and Other CitiesWinnipeg, Manitoba's only big city, is the center of Canada's eighth largest metropolitan area. It is the focus of the province's commerce, transportation, and industry. Since boundary changes in 1972, metropolitan Winnipeg includes several of Manitoba's other most populous urban areas—St. Boniface, with the province's largest French-speaking community; the industrial centers of St. James-Assiniboia and Transcona; and the residential suburbs of St. Vital, East Kildonan, and West Kildonan. ( See also Winnipeg.) Brandon, the largest city outside the Winnipeg metropolitan area, is a grain-marketing and industrial center. Thompson, the largest city in the north, is a mining center. Portage la Prairie is an agriculture center. EducationThe University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba are in Winnipeg. Affiliated with the latter is the French-speaking Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface, as well as St. Andrew's, St. John's, St. Paul's, University College, and the Canadian Nazarene College—all in metropolitan Winnipeg. One former affiliate, the Canadian Mennonite Bible College, became a separate institution named Canadian Mennonite University. Brandon University, which was formerly a college affiliated with the University of Manitoba, was established in Brandon in 1967. Public schools are administered by the Department of Education, Citizenship and Youth. Instruction is available in both English and French. Teachers are trained at the three universities and at Red River College. Technological and vocational training is given at community colleges in Winnipeg, Brandon, and The Pas. GovernmentThe provincial government is nominally headed by the lieutenant-governor, who is appointed for a five-year term by Canada's governor-general in council to represent the British Crown. Actual authority is held by Manitoba's premier, the leader of the dominant party in the Legislative Assembly. The premier chooses an Executive Council, or Cabinet, to manage the various governmental departments. The single-house Legislative Assembly has 57 members, each elected for a maximum term of five years. The province is divided into incorporated cities, towns, and villages; rural municipalities; and local government districts. Judicial power is vested in the Court of Appeal, the Court of Queen's Bench, and the Provincial Court system. Manitoba has 20 members in the Canadian Parliament, 14 elected to the House of Commons and six appointed to the Senate. History of the Keystone ProvinceBefore the arrival of overseas explorers, five Native American tribes inhabited the region: the Assiniboin, Chipewyan, Ojibwa, Plains Cree, and Woods Cree. Manitoba's early European history was associated with the struggle between France and England for control of the North American fur trade (see fur trade, history of the). The English navigator Sir Thomas Button was the first European to see Manitoba. He sailed into Hudson Bay in 1612 and spent the winter at the mouth of the Nelson River. Little interest was subsequently shown in the land south and west of the bay, then called Rupert's Land, until reports of potentially vast profits to be made in the fur trade led to the formation of the Hudson's Bay Company in England in 1670. Fort Nelson, now York Factory, and Fort Prince of Wales, the site of present-day Churchill, were among the company's earliest trading posts in Manitoba. French penetration of the Hudson Bay country reached its height in the 1730s and 1740s, when fur trader Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de la Vérendrye, and his sons established a chain of outposts in Manitoba. The first was Fort Maurepas, near the mouth of the Red River, in 1732. Others included Fort Rouge, where Winnipeg now stands, and Fort la Reine, near modern Portage la Prairie. After the French were ousted from Canada in 1763, the area was again ruled by the Hudson's Bay Company. Métis RebellionsThe first farming settlement in Manitoba was the Red River colony, founded in 1811 by Thomas Douglas, earl of Selkirk. The colony included what is now Winnipeg and was part of a huge tract of land bought from the Hudson's Bay Company. The Métis, who had grown up around the local trading posts, resented the newcomers. They tried to dislodge the colony but failed when their backer, the North West Company, was absorbed by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1821 (see Canada, “The Selkirk Settlement”). The Métis rebelled again when the newly founded dominion of Canada bought Rupert's Land from the Hudson's Bay Company in 1869. Given no guarantees of rights to their lands or their distinct way of life, the Métis, led by Louis Riel, fought for self-government (see Riel, Louis). In a compromise agreement that gave the French-speaking Roman Catholic Métis the right to their own schools, the colony won admission to the dominion as a full province on July 15, 1870. In the 1890s a major political controversy erupted over abolition of provincial grants to the Roman Catholic schools. Growth of ManitobaManitoba originally occupied an area of about 10,000 square miles (25,900 square kilometers). In 1881 the border was shifted westward to its present location and northward to 52°50′. The eastern boundary was set in 1889. The northern border was shifted to the 60th parallel and to Hudson Bay in 1912. Meanwhile Manitoba's economy had become largely dependent upon St. Paul, Minn. The province was linked with the United States by Red River steamboats in 1859 and by rail in 1878, but it was not firmly tied to the Canadian economy until completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885. During the decades preceding World War I, thousands of newcomers poured into Manitoba from Ontario, Quebec, and Europe. Among the earliest non-British immigrant settlements were those of the Mennonites, who settled south of Winnipeg in 1874, and the Icelanders, who settled in Gimli in 1875. Manitoba's population, barely 25,000 in 1871, passed 150,000 in 1891. The greatest numerical increase in any 10-year period was from 1901 to 1911, when the population jumped from 255,000 to 461,000. Since 1976 the province has maintained a population of more than 1 million people. From 1890 to 1980 English was the only official language of Manitoba. A provincial act in 1984 recognized English and French as equal in status. Many multicultural and multilingual programs became available. In 2001 the province created the Manitoba Ethnocultural Advisory and Advocacy Council to represent the interests of the multicultural community. (See also Canada.) Population (2001 census), 1,119,583. |