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| − | {{Infobox Province or territory of Canada
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| − | | Name = Manitoba
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| − | | AlternateName =
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| − | | Fullname = Province of Manitoba
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| − | | EntityAdjective = Provincial
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| − | | Flag = Manitoba_flag.png
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| − | | CoatOfArms = Mb_coa_big.jpg
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| − | | Map = Manitoba-map.png
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| − | | Label_map = yes
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| − | | Motto = ''Gloriosus et Liber'' (Latin: Glorious and free)
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| − | | OfficialLang = [[English langage|English]]
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| − | | Flower = Prairie Crocus
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| − | | Tree = White Spruce
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| − | | Bird = Great Grey Owl
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| − | | Capital = [[Winnipeg]]
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| − | | LargestCity = Winnipeg
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| − | | Viceroy = John Harvard
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| − | | ViceroyType = Lieutenant-Governor
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| − | | Premier = Gary Doer
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| − | | PremierParty = NDP
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| − | | PostalAbbreviation = MB
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| − | | PostalCodePrefix = R
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| − | | AreaRank = 8<sup>th</sup>
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| − | | TotalArea_km2 = 647797
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| − | | LandArea_km2 = 553556
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| − | | WaterArea_km2 = 94241
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| − | | PercentWater = 14.5
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| − | | PopulationRank = 5<sup>th</sup>
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| − | | Population = 1,177,765
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| − | | PopulationYear = 2006
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| − | | DensityRank = 8<sup>th</sup>
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| − | | Density_km2 = 1.82
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| − | | GDP_year = 2005
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| − | | GDP_total = $41.933 billion
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| − | | GDP_rank = 6<sup>th</sup>
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| − | | GDP_per_capita = $35,609
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| − | | GDP_per_capita_rank = 10<sup>th</sup>
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| − | | AdmittanceOrder = 5<sup>th</sup>
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| − | | AdmittanceDate = July 15, 1870
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| − | | TimeZone = UTC-6
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| − | | HouseSeats = 14
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| − | | SenateSeats = 6
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| − | | ISOCode = CA-MB
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| − | | Website = www.gov.mb.ca
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| − | |Dog =
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| − | }}
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| − | '''Manitoba''' is one of [[Canada]]'s 10 provinces; it is the easternmost of the three Prairie Provinces. Initially dominated by the fur trade, which discouraged settlement, today [[agriculture]] is most vital to Manitoba's economy. Its capital and largest city, with more than one half the province's population, is [[Winnipeg, Manitoba|Winnipeg]].
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| − | It is known that there are several possible sources for the name "Manitoba." Some believe it comes from [[Cree]] or [[Ojibwe]] languages and means "strait of the Manitou (spirit)." It may also be from the [[Assiniboine]] language for "Lake of the Prairie."
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| − | The [[Manitoba Act]] of 1870 provided for the admission of Manitoba as Canada's fifth province. The Act was adopted by the [[Canadian Parliament]] in response to concerns of the [[Métis people (Canada)|Métis people]]. Descendants of Native peoples and French fur trappers, the Metis were the majority population at the time of the province's founding. Reflecting the settlement's cultural diversity, a popularly elected convention supported a provisional government led by [[Louis Riel]]. Riel was a major influence to the Manitoba Act's passing. In 1992, Canada officially acknowledged him as the founder of Manitoba province.
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| − | Churchill, on [[Hudson Bay]], is the only Canadian [[Arctic Sea]] deep water port. The seaport serves as a primary link along the shortest shipping route between [[North America]], [[Europe]], and [[Asia]].
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| − | Manitoba is one of Canada's most ethnically diverse provinces. Among its population are more than 115,000 people of [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|aboriginal ancestry]]. Manitoba is also home to the largest community of Icelandic origins. Large numbers of descendants from [[Russia]]n, [[Poland|Polish]], [[Estonia]]n, [[Scandinavia]]n, and [[Hungary|Hungarian]] immigrants reside in the province. Broadening its diversity further, numbers of [[Asia]]ns, [[Latin America]]ns, and [[Arab]]s have emigrated to Manitoba in recent years.
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| − | ==Geography==
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| − | [[Image:manmap.PNG|thumb|right]]
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| − | Manitoba is located in the [[longitude|longitudinal]] center 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 [[United States|American]] states of [[North Dakota]] and [[Minnesota]] to the south.
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| − | In addition to the capital, [[Winnipeg]], other cities with more than 10,000 people are Brandon, Thompson, Portage la Prairie, and Steinbach.
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| − | The province has a coast along [[Hudson Bay]] and contains the tenth-largest fresh water [[lake]] in the world, [[Lake Winnipeg]], along with two other very large lakes, [[Lake Manitoba]] and [[Lake Winnipegosis]], and thousands of smaller lakes. Manitoba's lakes cover approximately 14.5 percent, or 94,241 km², of its surface area. Lake Winnipeg is the largest lake within the borders of southern Canada and one of the last remote lake areas with intact [[watershed]]s left in the world. Large [[river]]s that flow into the east side of Lake Winnipeg's basin are pristine, since no major developments are situated along them. Many [[island]]s can be found along the eastern shore.
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| − | Important watercourses include the [[Red River of the North|Red]], Assiniboine, Nelson, Winnipeg, Hayes, Whiteshell, and Churchill Rivers. Most rivers in Manitoba eventually flow north and empty into Hudson's Bay.
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| − | Most of Manitoba's inhabited south, near or in [[Winnipeg]], lies within the prehistoric bed of [[Lake Agassiz]], an immense lake located in the center of [[North America]] about 13,000 years ago. Fed by [[glacier|glacial]] runoff at the end of the last [[ice age]], its area was larger than all of the present-day [[Great Lakes]] combined. 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 2,727 feet (832 m) above [[sea level]], and the [[Hudson Bay]] coast is the lowest at sea level. Other upland areas include Riding Mountain, the Pembina Hills, Sandilands Provincial Forest, and the [[Canadian Shield]] regions.
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| − | ===Geology===
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| − | [[Image:Canadianshield.gif|right|thumb|Canadian Shield]]
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| − | The [[Canadian Shield]]— also called the [[Laurentian Plateau]]— is a massive geological shield covered by a thin layer of [[soil]] that forms the nucleus of the [[North America]]n or Laurentian [[craton]]. It has a deep, common, joined [[bedrock]] region in eastern and central [[Canada]] and stretches north from the [[Great Lakes]] to the [[Arctic Ocean]], covering over half of Canada. (A craton is an old and stable part of the [[continental crust]] that has survived the merging and splitting of [[continent]]s and [[supercontinent]]s for at least 500 million years.
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| − | 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 [[glacier]]s.
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| − | ===Forests===
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| − | The eastern, southeastern, and northern reaches of the province range through [[conifer]]ous [[forest]]s, [[muskeg]], [[Canadian Shield]], and up to [[tundra]] in the far north. Forests make up about 263,000 square kilometers of the province's 548,000-square-kilometer land base. The forests generally consist of [[pine]]s (jackpine, red pine), [[spruce]]s (white, black), larch, [[poplar]]s (trembling aspen, balsam poplar), [[birch]] trees (white, swamp), and small pockets of Eastern White [[Cedar]]. 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.
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| − | ===Climate===
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| − | [[Image:Carberrydesert.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The Spirit Sands desert in Spruce Woods Provincial Park]]
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| − | Due to its location in the center of the [[North America]]n [[continent]], Manitoba has a very extreme [[climate]]. In general, [[temperature]]s and precipitation decrease from south to north and precipitation also increases from west to east. As Manitoba is far removed from the moderating influences of both [[mountain]] ranges and large bodies of water (all of Manitoba's very large [[lake]]s 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. There are three main climate regions.
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| − | The extreme southwestern corner has a semi-arid mid-latitude [[steppe]] climate. This region is somewhat drier than other parts of southern Manitoba and very [[drought]]-prone. It is very cold and windy in the [[winter]] and also the region most prone to [[blizzard]]s due to the openness of the landscape. [[Summer]]s are generally warm to hot, with low to moderate humidity.
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| − | The remainder of southern Manitoba, including [[Winnipeg]], falls in the humid continental climate zone. Temperatures here are very similar to the semi-arid climate zone, but this region is the most humid area in the Prairie Provinces with moderate precipitation.
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| − | The central and northern parts of the province—the majority of Manitoba's land area—falls in the subarctic climate zone. This region features long and extremely cold winters and brief, mild summers, with relatively little precipitation.
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| − | This has resulted in the capital of the province being nicknamed "Winterpeg." It is common to have overnight lows below -40°F (-40°C) several days each winter across the province (quite frequent in the north), and to have a few weeks that remain below 0°F (-18°C). 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 [[thunderstorm]]s with a few [[tornado]]es each year, along with temperatures exceeding 90°F (32°C) several times each summer.
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| − | ==History==
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| − | [[Image:IMGP2119.JPG|thumb|250px|[[Petroform]]s are human-made shapes and patterns of [[rock]]s on the open ground. This ancient system was used by [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|indigenous peoples]] for [[astronomy|astronomical]], [[religion|religious]], [[sacred]], healing, [[mnemonic]] devices, and teaching purposes. This photo was taken in 2007 in [[Whiteshell Provincial Park]], Manitoba, [[Canada]].]]
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| − | The geographical area now named Manitoba was originally inhabited as soon as the last [[ice age]] [[glacier]]s retreated in the southwest. The first exposed land was the Turtle Mountain area, where large numbers of [[petroforms]] and [[medicine wheel]]s can be found. The first humans in southern Manitoba left behind [[pottery]] shards, spear and [[arrow heads]], [[copper]], petroforms, [[pictographs]], fish and animal [[bone]]s, and signs of [[agriculture]] along the [[Red River of the North|Red River]] near Lockport. Eventually there were the aboriginal settlements of [[Ojibwa]], [[Cree]], [[Dene]], [[Sioux]], [[Mandan]], and [[Assiniboine]] peoples, along with other tribes that entered the area to trade. There were many land trails made as a part of a larger native trading network on both land and water.
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| − | The Whiteshell Provincial Park region along the Winnipeg River has many old petroforms and may have been a trading center or even a place of learning and sharing of knowledge for over 2,000 years. The [[cowry]] shells and [[copper]] are proof of what was traded as part of a large trading network to the [[ocean]]s and to the larger southern [[Native American|native]] civilizations along the [[Mississippi River]] and in the south and southwest. In northern Manitoba there are areas that were mined for [[quartz]] to make arrow heads.
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| − | ===European exploration===
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| − | [[Henry Hudson]] was one of the first Europeans to sail into what is now known as [[Hudson Bay]]. He is presumed to have died in 1611 in Hudson Bay after he was set adrift with his son and seven others by his crewmen, following a [[mutiny]]. The first [[Europe]]an to reach present-day central and southern Manitoba was Sir Thomas Button, who traveled upstream along the Nelson River and Lake Winnipeg in 1612. The expedition he commanded unsuccessfully attempted to locate Hudson and navigate the [[Northwest Passage]]. He is credited with exploring and securing the west coast of Hudson Bay for [[England]].
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| − | [[Image:Hbc post Lake Winnipeg.jpg|thumb|200px|A Hudson's Bay Company post on Lake Winnipeg, circa 1884]]
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| − | The ''Nonsuch'' ship that sailed into Hudson Bay in 1668-1669 was the first trading voyage and led to the formation of the [[Hudson's Bay Company]]. The company was given the [[fur trade|fur trading]] rights to the entire Hudson's Bay [[watershed]], which 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.
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| − | Other traders and explorers eventually came to Hudson's Bay shores and went south along many northern Manitoba rivers. 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 and Red Rivers. A French-Canadian population still lives in Manitoba, especially in 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.
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| − | The territory was won by [[Great Britain]] in 1763 as part of the [[French and Indian War]], and became part of Rupert's Land, the immense trading monopoly territory of the Hudson's Bay Company.
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| − | ===Settlement and conflict===
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| − | [[Image:Louis Riel.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Louis Riel]], [[Metis]] founder of Manitoba province]]
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| − | The founding of the first [[agriculture|agricultural]] community and settlements in 1812 by Lord Selkirk, north of the area which is now downtown Winnipeg, resulted in conflict between the British colonists and the [[Métis]] (an ethnic group of mixed Native American, French Canadian, Scottish, and English descent) who lived and traded near there. Twenty colonists, including the governor, were killed by the Métis in the Battle of Seven Oaks in 1816 in which the settlers fired the first shots. One Metis man was killed. Many fur trading forts were attacked by each side over the years.
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| − | 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 elected leader [[Louis Riel]] to establish a provisional government as part of the [[Red River Rebellion]]. 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. The Métis were blocked by the Canadian government in their attempts to obtain land promised to them as part of Manitoba's entry into confederation. Facing [[racism]] from the new flood of white settlers from [[Ontario]], they moved in large numbers to what would become [[Saskatchewan]] and [[Alberta]].
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| − | Originally, the province of Manitoba was only 1/18th 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.
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| − | Treaties were signed in the late 1800s with the chiefs of various [[First Nation]]s 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 jurisdiction 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.
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| − | The Manitoba Schools Question showed the deep divergence of cultural values in the territory. The French had been guaranteed a state-supported separate school system in the original constitution of Manitoba, but a grassroots political movement among [[Protestant]]s in 1888-1890 demanded the end of French schools. In 1890 the Manitoba legislature passed a law abolishing [[French language|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 override 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 for 30 minutes at the end of the day 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.
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| − | ===Boom and labor strife===
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| − | [[Image:WinnipegGeneralStrike.jpg|thumb|250px|Crowd gathers outside old City Hall during the Winnipeg general strike in 1919.]]
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| − | Winnipeg was the fourth largest city in Canada by the early 1900s. A boom town, it grew quickly from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. There were a lot of outside investors, immigrants, and railways. 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 three million quite soon. Around the time of [[World War I]], the city's growth began to cool as investment lagged. Winnipeg eventually fell behind in growth when other major cities in Canada began to boom, such as [[Calgary]].
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| − | In the 1917 election, in the midst of a 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 upsurge 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.
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| − | 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.
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| − | Farmers, meanwhile, were patiently organizing the United Farmers of Manitoba, with plans to contest the 1920 provincial elections. The result was that no party held a majority. The Farmers, running against [[politics]]-as-usual, won in 1922.
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| − | ==Government==
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| − | Manitoba is governed by a unicameral legislature, the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, which operates under the Westminster system of government. The executive branch is formed by the majority party, and the party leader is the premier of Manitoba, the head of government. The head of state is represented by the lieutenant governor of Manitoba, who is appointed by the governor general of Canada on advice of the prime minister. The head of state is mainly a ceremonial and figurative role today.
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| − | The legislative arm consists of 57 members. Manitoba's primary political parties are the New Democratic Party of Manitoba, the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba, and the Liberal Party of Manitoba.
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| − | The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba was established on July 14, 1870. Originally, it was named a Parliament and was later renamed a legislature. Manitoba attained full-fledged rights and responsibilities of self-government as the first Canadian province carved out of the [[Northwest Territories]], control over which had been passed by [[Great Britain]] to the government of Canada in 1869 because of the sale of [[Rupert's Land]] by the [[Hudson's Bay Company]].
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| − | [[Image:Parliamentwinnipeg manitoba.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Manitoba Legislature]]
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| − | The creation of Manitoba out of the Northwest Territories was unusually quick. [[Saskatchewan]] and [[Alberta]], in contrast, went through a long period of apprenticeship as part of the Northwest Territories until they became provinces in 1905.
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| − | The decision to make Manitoba a full-fledged province in 1870 resulted from three influences:
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| − | * A misunderstanding on the part of the Canadian authorities;
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| − | * The rise of nationalism on the part of the ''Metis'';
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| − | * Fears of [[Manifest Destiny]] sentiments in the [[United States]], ignoring Americans' denials of any such goals.
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| − | [[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. But the list of demands from Riel did goad the government of Canada to act on a proposal of its own regarding Red River's status. 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.
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| − | ===Languages===
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| − | [[English language|English]] and [[French language|French]] are official [[language]]s of the legislature and courts of Manitoba, according to the Manitoba Act, 1870 (which forms part of the Canadian constitution):
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| − | However, with the rise to power of the English-only movement in Manitoba from 1890 onward, this provision was disregarded in practice and by Manitoban legislation. In April 1890, the Manitoba legislature introduced a measure to abolish the official status of French in the legislature, the laws, records and journals, as well as the courts of Manitoba. Among other things, the legislature ceased to publish legislation in French. However, in 1985 the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that publishing legislation only in English was invalid.
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| − | 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). Hence, Manitoba's government is not completely bilingual; the only bilingual province is [[New Brunswick]].
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| − | The Manitoba French-language Services Policy of 1999 is intended to provide a comparable level of provincial government services in both official languages. Services to the public, including public utilities and health services, official documents such as parking tickets and court summonses, court and commission hearings, and government web sites are accessible in both English and French.
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| − | ==Demographics==
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| − | [[Image:Skyline Winnipeg.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Downtown [[Winnipeg]] seen from The Forks.]]
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| − | Manitoba is one of Canada's most ethnically diverse provinces. More than 115,000 people of Aboriginal origin live there, along with one of the most sizable populations of [[Mennonite]]s in the world. The city of St. Boniface boasts the largest population of Francophone Canadians outside [[Quebec]], and Manitoba is an important center of [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] culture in Canada. The Gimli area is home to the largest community of Icelandic people outside [[Iceland]].
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| − | According to the 2001 Canadian census, the largest ethnic group in Manitoba is English (22.1 percent), followed by German (18.2 percent), Scottish (17.7 percent), Ukrainian (14.3 percent), Irish (13.0 percent), French (12.6 percent), First Nations (9.9 percent), Polish (6.7 percent), Métis (5.2 percent), and Dutch (4.7 percent), although almost a quarter of all respondents also identified their ethnicity as "Canadian."<ref>''Statistics Canada''. [http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo26h.htm Population by selected ethnic origins, by province and territory (2001 Census) (Manitoba)] Retrieved January 19, 2009.</ref>
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| − | In the 1870s, German-speaking Mennonites from [[Europe]] and [[Russia]] settled in southern Manitoba. By 1880, about 7,000 Mennonites had arrived, and during the [[WWI|First]] and [[Second World War]]s, more [[pacifism|pacifist]] Mennonites and [[Hutterite]]s came. Today, southern Manitoba is sprinkled with Mennonite towns and villages, as well as Hutterite colonies.
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| − | During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, huge numbers of [[Russia]]ns, [[Poland|Poles]], [[Estonia]]ns, [[Scandinavia]]ns, [[Iceland]]ers, and [[Hungary|Hungarians]] immigrated to Canada's Prairies, the largest group being the Ukrainians. In more recent years, other [[Europe]]ans and those of [[Asia]]n, [[Latin America]]n, and [[Arab]] ancestry have joined the mix.
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| − | In a study of the languages first learned and still understood, 823,910 cited [[English language|English]] and 44,335 [[French language|French]].<ref>''Statistics Canada''. [http://www12.statcan.ca/english/Profil01/CP01/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=PR&Code1=46&Geo2=PR&Code2=01&Data=Count&SearchText=Manitoba&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=46&B1=All&Custom= 2001 Community Profiles] Retrieved January 19, 2009.</ref>
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| − | ==Economy==
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| − | ===Pre-Confederation===
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| − | Manitoba's early economy was one that depended on mobility and living off the land. A number of Aboriginal Nations, including the [[Cree]], [[Ojibwa]], [[Dene]], [[Sioux]], and [[Assiniboine]], followed herds of [[bison]] and congregated to trade among themselves at key meeting places throughout the province.
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| − | The first [[fur]] [[trade]]rs entering the province in the seventeenth century changed the dynamics of the economy of Manitoba forever. For the first time, permanent settlements of forts were created and communities evolved over time. Most of the trade centered around the trade in pelts of [[beaver]]s and other [[animal]]s. Many native scouts and native maps were used to help the fur traders make their way through the region. Some of the best first maps were made with the help of natives who knew the river routes within their traditional home territories. The natural [[river]]s, [[creek]]s, and [[lake]]s were the most important routes for trade and travel.
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| − | The first major diversification of the economy came when [[Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk|Lord Selkirk]] brought the first [[agriculture|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's Bay Company]], the North West Company and the [[Métis]] impeded growth.
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| − | The eventual triumph of the Hudson's 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.
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| − | 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 started competing in trade that improvements to the community began to happen.
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| − | 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.
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| − | In 1853, a second agricultural community started in Portage la Prairie.
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| − | 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.
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| − | ===Economy today===
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| − | Manitoba's economy relies heavily on [[tourism]], [[energy]], [[agriculture]], [[oil]], [[mineral]]s, [[mining]], [[forestry]], and [[transportation]]. Around 12 percent of Canadian farmland is in Manitoba.<ref name="Statcan Wheats and Grains">''Statistics Canada''. [http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/agrc35h.htm Farms, by farm type and province (Census of Agriculture, 2001 and 2006) (Manitoba)] Retrieved January 19, 2009.</ref> Though agriculture is vital to Manitoba's economy, it is only found only in the southern half of the province, although some grain farming is found as far north as The Pas. The most common type is [[cattle]] farming (34.6 percent), followed by other [[grain]]s (19.0 percent)<ref name="Statcan Wheats and Grains"/> and oilseed (7.9 percent).<ref name="Statcan Wheats and Grains"/> Manitoba is the nation's largest producer of [[sunflower]] seed and dry [[bean]]s and one of the leading [[potato]] producers.
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| − | Portage la Prairie is the[[ North America]]n potato processing capital. It is home to the McCain Foods and Simplot potato processing plants, which provide french fries for McDonalds, Wendy's, and various other commercialized restaurant chains. Can-Oat milling, one of the largest [[oat]] mills in the world, is also located in the municipality.
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| − | Manitoba is the only Canadian province with an [[Arctic]] deep water sea port, located in Churchill, along [[Hudson Bay]]. Manitoba's sea port is the only link along the shortest shipping route between [[North America]], [[Europe]], and [[Asia]].
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| − | Churchill's arctic wildlife plays an important part in Manitoba's [[tourism]] industry, having acquired the nicknames of "[[Bear|Polar bear]] capital of the world" and "[[Whale|Beluga]] capital of the world."
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| − | ==='Arctic sea bridge'===
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| − | [[Image:Arctic.svg|thumb|right|250px|The Arctic Bridge shipping route may be able to link [[North America]] to [[market]]s in [[Europe]] and [[Asia]] using ice-free routes across the [[Arctic Ocean]].]]
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| − | The Arctic Sea Bridge is a potential sea route linking [[Russia]] to [[Canada]], specifically the Russian port of [[Murmansk]] to the [[Hudson Bay]] port of Churchill. It is not an actual bridge, but a shipping route that would affect the nations with lands near the [[Arctic Circle]]. The concept has long been a priority for the government of Manitoba, which sees vast potential as the northern hub of a mid-continent trade corridor that would extend to the [[Gulf of Mexico]]. Many view the creation of such a route as a crucial link between [[Eurasia]] and [[North America]] with the potential to change the face of business. Research has indicated that Churchill offers the most cost-effective and time-efficient route for transportation of goods between central North America and Northern [[Europe]].
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| − | On February 15, 2002, Manitoba Premier Gary Doer signed a letter of intent to move toward development of the arctic bridge. Doer was joined at the signing ceremony by Russian officials, who have shown a keen interest in developing such a shipping route, which may be facilitated by the retreat of Arctic ice.<ref>''Manitoba Government''. February 15, 2002. [http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/press/top/2002/02/2002-02-15-05.html Premier signs letter of intent to further develop Arctic Bridge] Retrieved January 10, 2009.</ref>
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| − | On October 17, 2007, the ''Kapitan Sviridov'' docked in Churchill after having sailed from [[Estonia]] loaded with bags of [[fertilizer]] destined for sale to North American farmers. It was the first time the port had accepted imports from Russia and was hailed as an historic step.<ref name=Friesen>Joe Friesen. October 18, 2007. [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071018.wChurchill18/BNStory/National/ Russian ship crosses 'Arctic bridge' to Manitoba] ''Globe and Mail''. Retrieved January 10, 2009.</ref>
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| − | ===Transportation===
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| − | [[Transportation]] and warehousing contributes approximately $2.2 billion to Manitoba’s GDP. Total employment in the industry is estimated at 34,500.<ref>''Government of Manitoba''. [http://www.gov.mb.ca/iedm/profiles/trans1/index.html Transportation & Logistics] Retrieved January 19, 2009.</ref> Manitoba has a [[railroad|rail]], air, road, and marine component to its transportation industry.
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| − | The [[Trans-Canada Highway]], built between 1950 and 1971, crosses the province from east to west. Trucks haul 95 percent of all land freight in Manitoba, and [[trucking]] companies account for 80 percent of Manitoba's merchandise trade to the United States. Five of Canada's twenty-five largest employers in for-hire trucking are headquartered in Manitoba, and three of Canada's 10 largest employers in the for-hire trucking industry are headquartered in Winnipeg. Some $1.18 billion of Manitoba's GDP directly or indirectly comes from trucking. Around 5 percent or 33,000 people work in the trucking industry.
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| − | Manitoba has two Class I [[railway]]s. They are CN and Canadian Pacific Railway. Winnipeg is centrally located on the main lines of both of these continental carriers, and both companies maintain large terminals in the city. CN and CP operate a combined 2,439 kilometers of track within Manitoba. The first railway through Manitoba was the CP Railway, and the tracks were diverted south to make Winnipeg the capital and center, rather than Selkirk, which is located farther north.
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| − | Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport is one of only a few 24-hour, unrestricted [[airport]]s in Canada, and is part of the National Airports System. It has a broad range of air passenger and cargo services and served over 3 million in 2003. The airport handles approximately 140,000 tons of cargo annually. A new airport terminal building is scheduled to be completed in 2009.
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| − | 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. It has four deep-sea berths for the loading and unloading of [[grain]], general cargo, and tanker vessels. Grain represented 90 percent of the port’s traffic in the 2004 shipping season, when over 600,000 tons of agricultural product was shipped through the port.
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| − | ==Education==
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| − | ===Elementary and secondary===
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| − | [[Image:UniversityOfManitobaAdministrationBuilding.jpg|thumb|200px|The University of Manitoba has the largest enrollment in Manitoba.]]
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| − | Manitoba's [[school]] system is comprised of [[public school]]s, independent schools that receive provincial funding, non-funded independent schools, and [[home school]]ed students.
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| − | Public schools are governed by locally elected school division/district boards and are funded by a combination of direct provincial funding and special taxation levies. Some independent schools are affiliated with a specific religious or denominational group. They are eligible for provincial funding if they implement the Manitoba curriculum and meet a number of additional requirements. Non-funded independent schools may not follow provincial curricula but must meet an equivalent standard.
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| − | ===Colleges and universities===
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| − | The province has two [[college]]s (Assiniboine Community College and Red River College) and five [[university|universities]]: Brandon University, Canadian Mennonite University, University of Manitoba, Saint Boniface, and the University of Winnipeg.
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| − | ==Culture==
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| − | The capital city, Winnipeg, offer world-class [[music]], [[dance]], [[theater]], and [[museum]]s. The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra offers a unique Indigenous and an edgy Contemporary Festival. Manitoba Opera, the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Jazz Winnipeg, Groundswell, the Philharmonic Choir and the Folk Festival also present music. There are over a dozen theater companies. The Royal Winnipeg [[Ballet]] and the Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers offer a choice of dance.
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| − | ==Looking to the future==
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| − | Manitoba continued to perform well despite the global economic downturn or the early twentieth century. It posted stronger economic growth in 2008 than most Canadian provinces. Manitoba’s gross domestic product outpaced the Canadian average by a rate 3.3 percent in 2007. Manitoba offers lower operating costs, a skilled multilingual workforce, abundant clean reliable electrical [[energy]], and excellent research and communication facilities. It has a world-class sophisticated [[telecommunications]] and [[information technology]] infrastructure. Winnipeg is ranked as the third lowest cost of living city in the North American Midwest.
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| − | The province also posted the country’s second best job-growth rate and one of the lowest unemployment rates at 3.9 percent in 2008. It is well situated in the center of the nation and is the only Canadian province with an [[Arctic]] deep water sea port, located in Churchill, on [[Hudson Bay]]. Manitoba's sea port is the country's only link along the shortest shipping route between [[North America]], [[Europe]], and [[Asia]].
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| − | Since 1990 Manitoba's [[export]]s more than doubled. The emphasis in coming years will be on making the province more competitive, expanding into new international [[market]]s such as the [[European Union]], [[China]], [[India]], and [[Brazil]]), and investing in skills development, aboriginal education, and addressing the needs of the new economy.
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| − | ''Business Week'' magazine placed Premier Gary Doer in the list of the top 20 international leaders who are combating [[climate]] change. The magazine also ranked Manitoba as the number one regional government in the world in this effort.<ref>Jordan Timm. May 31, 2007. [http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20070531_130535_1608 Canada's most successful provincial politician on going green, the future of the NDP and why he likes Stephen Harper] ''Macleans Canada''. Retrieved January 19, 2009.</ref>
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| − | ==Notes==
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| − | <references/>
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| − | ==References==
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| − | * Carr, Ian, and Robert E. Bearmish. 1999. ''Medicine Manitoba: a brief history''. Winnipeg: Univ. of Manitoba Press. ISBN 0887556604
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| − | * Chafe, J. W. 1973. ''Extraordinary tales from Manitoba history''. [Toronto]: Published under the auspices of the Manitoba Historical Society in association with McClelland and Stewart Limited. ISBN 9780771019517
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| − | * Clark, Lovell. 1968. ''The Manitoba School Question: majority rule or minority rights?'' Issues in Canadian history. Toronto: Copp Clark. {{OCLC|464353}}
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| − | * [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=55262711 Cook, Ramsay. 1963. ''The politics of John W. Dafoe and the Free Press.'' [Toronto]: University Press.] Retrieved January 19, 2009.
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| − | * [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=6657562 Dafoe, John W. 1931. ''Clifford Sifton in relation to his times''. Toronto: Macmillan.] Retrieved January 19, 2009.
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| − | * [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=3071689 Donnelly, Murray S. 1963. ''The government of Manitoba''. Canadian government series, v. 14. Toronto?: Univ. of Toronto Press.] Retrieved January 19, 2009.
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| − | * Ellis, Joseph Henry. 1970. ''The Ministry of Agriculture in Manitoba, 1870-1970''. Winnipeg: Manitoba Dept. of Agriculture [Economics and Publications Branch]. {{OCLC|801115}}
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| − | * Ewanchuk, Michael. 1981. ''Pioneer profiles: Ukrainian settlers in Manitoba''. Winnipeg, Man: M. Ewanchuk. ISBN 0969076843
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| − | * Friesen, Gerald, and Barry Potyondi. 1981. ''A guide to the study of Manitoba local history.'' Manitoba: Published by the University of Manitoba Press for the Manitoba Historical Society. ISBN 9780887556050
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| − | * Hebert, Raymond M. 2004. ''Manitoba's French-Language Crisis: A Cautionary Tale'' McGill-Queen's University Press, ISBN 0773527907
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| − | * Kinnear, Mary. 1987. ''First days, fighting days: women in Manitoba history.'' Canadian plains proceedings, 18. Regina, Sask: Canadian Plains Research Center, University of Regina. ISBN 9780889770478
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| − | * [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=72555100 Morton, W. L. 1970. ''Manitoba: a history''. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0802060706] Retrieved January 19, 2009.
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| − | * Petryshyn, Jaroslav, and L. Dzubak. 1985. ''Peasants in the Promised Land: Canada and the Ukrainians, 1891-1914''. Toronto: J. Lorimer. ISBN 9780888629258
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| − | * Whitcomb, Edward A. 1982. ''A short history of Manitoba''. Stittsville, Ont: Canada's Wings. ISBN 0920002153
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| − | * Yuzyk, Paul. 1953. ''The Ukrainians in Manitoba; a social history''. [Toronto]: University of Toronto Press. {{OCLC|1014225}}
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| − | ==External links==
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| − | All Links Retrieved January 19, 2009.
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| − | *[http://www.spiritedenergy.ca Manitoba Spirited Energy/Vibrant d'énergie]
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| − | *[http://www.gov.mb.ca/splash.html Government of Manitoba]
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| − | *[http://www.travelmanitoba.com Travel Manitoba]
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| − | *[http://www.northernaquafarms.com/manitobafish.html Manitoba Fishing Information]
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| − | *[http://www2.marianopolis.edu/quebechistory/docs/manitoba/index.htm The Manitoba School Question]
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| − | *[http://www.mhs.mb.ca The Manitoba Historical Society]
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| − | *[http://canada.archiseek.com/manitoba/ Architecture of Manitoba]
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| − | *[http://timelinks.merlin.mb.ca/photo.htm The TimeLinks Image Archive]
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| − | *[http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.cgi?path=147431143228400 Review of book about Manitoba's French-Language crisis in the 1980s]
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| − | *[http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-73-2354/politics_economy/mb_elections/ Friendly Rivalries: Manitoba Elections, 1966 -1999]
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| − | *[http://www12.statcan.ca/english/Profil01/CP01/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=PR&Code1=46&Geo2=PR&Code2=01&Data=Count&SearchText=Manitoba&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=46&B1=All&Custom= Community Profile: Manitoba, Canada; Statistics Canada]
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| − | [[Category:Geography]]
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| − | [[Category:North America]]
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| − | [[Category:Canada]]
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