Manitoba
Manitoba's Top Cities
Manitoba is the easternmost of the three Prairie provinces, and its population of roughly 1.3 million is concentrated in a way that sets it apart from almost every other province. More than half of all Manitobans live in Winnipeg, and no other city comes close to its size, which leaves a long gap before the second largest city, Brandon. The seven cities on this list each have more than 10,000 people, and they show the province's range, from a capital at the meeting of two rivers to a Mennonite farming center, a prairie crossroads and a northern mining hub.
Winnipeg: Pop. ~749,607 (2021 Census)
History
The meeting of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, now called The Forks, has been a gathering and trading place for Indigenous peoples for about 6,000 years, including the Cree, Ojibwe, Assiniboine and Dakota, and later the Métis. The French explorer Pierre Gaultier de La Vérendrye built Fort Rouge here in 1738, and a series of fur trade posts followed, including the Hudson's Bay Company's Fort Garry. In 1812, Scottish and Irish settlers brought by Lord Selkirk arrived at the Red River Colony, and the settlement grew around the fur trade. The name Winnipeg comes from a Cree word often translated as "muddy water," a name first applied to Lake Winnipeg.
The Red River Resistance of 1869 and 1870, led by Louis Riel, ended with the creation of the province of Manitoba, and Winnipeg was incorporated as a city in 1873. The arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1881 set off an enormous boom, and the city grew from a small settlement into the "Gateway to the West," the grain, banking and railway center of the Prairies. In 1919, the Winnipeg General Strike, in which about 30,000 workers walked off the job for six weeks, became one of the most important labor events in Canadian history. Repeated floods, including the great flood of 1950 and the "Flood of the Century" in 1997, led to the building of the Red River Floodway, which was completed in 1968 and now protects the city.
What city is most noted for
Winnipeg's heart is The Forks, where a public market, riverside trails, an outdoor stage and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights sit on the historic meeting place. In winter, the frozen rivers become the Red River Mutual Trail, one of the longest skating trails in the world, lined with warming huts designed by architects. The Exchange District, a National Historic Site of about 20 blocks of early 20th-century warehouses, theatres and terra cotta buildings, is the city's best preserved historic area and a lively place for restaurants, galleries and shops.
The city is known for its cultural life, with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Manitoba Theatre Centre, the Winnipeg Art Gallery and its Qaumajuq Inuit art center, and the Winnipeg Fringe Festival each July. Folklorama in August and the Festival du Voyageur in the French quarter of Saint-Boniface each February celebrate the city's many cultures. The Manitoba Legislative Building and its Golden Boy statue, Assiniboine Park and its zoo and Journey to Churchill exhibit, and the Winnipeg Jets hockey team complete a visit, and the city is also famous for its cold winters and bright summers.
Brandon: Pop. ~51,313 (2021 Census)
History
Brandon sits on the Assiniboine River in the southwest of the province, on land long used by the Cree, Assiniboine, Dakota and Ojibwe, and the surrounding prairie was part of the fur trade routes of the Assiniboine and Souris rivers. The city was founded in 1881, when the Canadian Pacific Railway reached the Assiniboine crossing and settlers poured into the area, and it was incorporated as a city soon after, in 1882. It takes its name from the nearby Brandon Hills.
Wheat made Brandon prosper, and it became known as the "Wheat City." A federal experimental farm was set up here in 1888, which grew into the Brandon Research and Development Centre, and Brandon College, founded in 1890, became Brandon University in 1967. During the Second World War, the region was home to several air training schools under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Today the city is the main center for agriculture, education, health care and services in western Manitoba.
What city is most noted for
Brandon is best known for the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, one of the largest agricultural exhibitions in western Canada, held each spring at the Keystone Centre, which also hosts the Brandon Wheat Kings hockey team. Downtown Brandon has a good selection of restaurants and shops along Rosser Avenue, and the Riverbank Discovery Centre, the Daly House Museum and the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba add to its local culture.
The Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum tells the story of the thousands of airmen who trained in the region during the war, and Brandon University and Assiniboine Community College give the city a youthful energy. The nearby Spruce Woods Provincial Park and its Spirit Sands, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) east, make Brandon a good base for exploring the unusual dunes and wild prairie of the Assiniboine valley.
Steinbach: Pop. ~17,806 (2021 Census)
History
Steinbach is in the southeast corner of the province, in a region that was prairie and aspen forest before settlement. In 1874, a group of Mennonites from Russia, in what is now Ukraine, settled here, part of a larger migration to Manitoba's East Reserve, and they named their new village after Steinbach, the community they had left behind. They were farmers, and the village grew from a handful of families into a regional trading and service center.
For much of its history Steinbach remained a close-knit Mennonite community, with churches, a distinctive German dialect and traditions that came from Russia. The 20th century brought stores, car dealerships, light manufacturing and a steady influx of newcomers, and it is now the third largest city in the province, one of the fastest growing in Manitoba. The population has become more varied, with growing communities from Europe, Latin America and elsewhere.
What city is most noted for
Steinbach's best known attraction is the Mennonite Heritage Village, a large outdoor museum with restored buildings, a working windmill, a church, a farmstead and gardens that show what pioneer life was like. The Livery Barn restaurant on the grounds is a favorite for Mennonite foods such as borscht, farmer sausage and vereniki, and the museum hosts events through the summer.
The city is also the main shopping and service center for southeastern Manitoba, with Southland Mall and a busy main street, and it is known for a large number of car dealerships. Its location makes it a convenient stop on the way to Whiteshell Provincial Park, Grand Beach and the lakes of the Canadian Shield, and its local restaurants and bakeries offer a taste of Mennonite and prairie cooking.
Winkler: Pop. ~13,745 (2021 Census)
History
Winkler lies in the Pembina Valley of south-central Manitoba, at the edge of the rolling hills of the Pembina Escarpment. Mennonite families from Russia began settling this area in the 1870s, in the region known as the West Reserve, and brought with them the farming traditions that still shape the countryside. The town grew up beside the railway and was named for Valentine Winkler, a local politician and businessman who later served in the provincial government.
For most of the 20th century, Winkler was a farming and service center, with grain elevators, small factories and family businesses. In recent decades it has grown quickly, drawing newcomers from Europe, Latin America and beyond, and it has become one of the fastest growing cities in Manitoba. Manufacturing, retail, health care and agriculture drive the local economy, and the surrounding Pembina Valley is among the most productive farmland in the province.
What city is most noted for
Winkler is known for its warm Pembina Valley setting, a hospitable climate and a lively community, and for the Pembina Valley Harvest Festival, held each year, which celebrates the end of the growing season with parades, markets and family events. The Pembina Threshermen's Museum preserves old farm machinery and tells the story of how the Prairies were farmed.
The city is closely linked with nearby Morden, where the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre holds the largest collection of marine reptile fossils in the country. The Pembina Escarpment, orchards and fall colors, and a growing restaurant scene with Mennonite and international foods, make Winkler a pleasant stop in the south. Its position near the U.S. border also makes it a regular crossing point for visitors from North Dakota and Minnesota.
Portage la Prairie: Pop. ~13,270 (2021 Census)
History
Portage la Prairie sits on the Assiniboine River about 85 kilometers (53 miles) west of Winnipeg, and its name is French for "carrying place on the prairie." The Indigenous peoples of the region, including the Cree, Assiniboine and Ojibwe, used a short portage here between the Assiniboine River and Lake Manitoba, and the route became important for traders. In 1738, Pierre Gaultier de La Vérendrye built Fort la Reine here, the first French post on the Prairies and a base for his explorations further west.
Settlers arrived in the mid-1800s, and in 1867 a local leader, Thomas Spence, declared the short-lived "Republic of Manitobah" at Portage, an early attempt at self-government. The Canadian Pacific Railway arrived in 1881, and the community grew as a farming center on some of the best soil in the province. Portage la Prairie was incorporated as a city on February 13, 1907, and it remains a major agricultural center for grain, potatoes and vegetables.
What city is most noted for
Island Park, a green area on a lake in the middle of the city, is Portage's best loved place, with walking paths, a pond, a small zoo and a summer festival. The Fort la Reine Museum and Pioneer Village tells the story of the area's history, from fur trade days to the early days of farming, and the city's central location on the Trans-Canada Highway makes it a convenient stop for travelers.
The city is also famous for the World's Largest Coke Can, a giant roadside landmark that is one of Manitoba's best known quirky attractions. Nearby, Delta Marsh on the shore of Lake Manitoba is one of the best places in the province for birdwatching, and the surrounding Portage Plains are known for their rich farmland.
Thompson: Pop. ~13,035 (2021 Census)
History
Thompson sits on the Burntwood River in northern Manitoba, in the traditional territory of the Cree. The city exists because of nickel. In 1956, the International Nickel Company (Inco) confirmed one of the richest nickel deposits in the world in the area, and the company built a mine, a smelter and an entire planned town, which was opened in 1957. It was named for John F. Thompson, the chairman of Inco at the time.
For decades, Thompson was a mining town, and it became the main service center for the vast northern part of the province, with a hospital, an airport and a rail link to the south. The mining industry has changed over time, with reductions in operations in recent years, and the city has been working to diversify, building up its role in health care, education, services and tourism. The city is also an important meeting place for the Cree and other First Nations communities of the north.
What city is most noted for
Thompson calls itself the "Hub of the North," and it is the gateway to northern Manitoba, with air and rail connections to Churchill and to many remote communities. The city is a good base for exploring the boreal forest, with Paint Lake Provincial Park and Pisew Falls Provincial Park, home to one of the highest waterfalls in Manitoba, within a short drive.
Winter is long and cold, but it is also the best time to see the northern lights, which are often visible in the clear northern sky. The Heritage North Museum tells the story of the city and the region, and the University College of the North and a lively local arts community add to the character of this unusual northern city.
Selkirk: Pop. ~10,504 (2021 Census)
History
Selkirk sits on the west bank of the Red River, about 35 kilometers (22 miles) north of Winnipeg, in an area that was used by Indigenous peoples and fur traders long before towns were founded. It is named for Thomas Douglas, the Earl of Selkirk, who brought Scottish settlers to the Red River Colony in 1812. The community grew in the late 1800s as a river port, with steamboats carrying people and goods on the Red River and Lake Winnipeg.
The coming of the railway and the building of a bridge over the Red River helped Selkirk become a center of fishing, shipping and industry, and the city's steel mill, one of the oldest on the Prairies, was an important employer for much of the 20th century. Selkirk is a younger city than many on this list, having been incorporated as a city on June 26, 1998, and it remains a key community in the Interlake region.
What city is most noted for
Selkirk is known as the "Catfish Capital of North America," because of the large channel catfish that live in the Red River. A giant statue of a catfish, nicknamed Chuck the Channel Cat, stands at the edge of town, and the waters nearby are a draw for anglers. The Marine Museum of Manitoba, in Selkirk Park, holds historic ships from the days of steamboats on the river and Lake Winnipeg.
Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site, the best preserved stone fur trading post in North America, is just south of the city, and the nearby community of Lockport is a favorite spot for fishing and for a meal by the Red River. Selkirk makes a good stop on the way to Gimli, Hecla Island and the beaches of Lake Winnipeg.
