Minitonas

Minitonas
Town
Town of Minitonas
Country	Canada
Province	Manitoba
Incorporated	1898
Population  (2001)
• Total	538
	Statistics Canada
Website	[1]

Minitonas is a community in Manitoba. It is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Minitonas and the Swan Valley. It is 15 km east of Swan River. The town is close to the Duck Mountain Provincial Park. According to the 2001 census, the town had a population of 538, with an additional 1,152 people living in the Rural Municipality of Minitonas. The town was founded in 1898.

History

In 1897, the Cowan Trail was blazed from Dauphin to Minitonas. The trail still exists today. A campsite of tents was established on the West Favel River, southwest of the present townsite in 1898. In 1899, the town was moved to its present site along the railway. A carin marks the original location of tent town. The earliest settlers came from the British Isles, Eastern Canada, and the US. In the late 1920s, there was a wave of Czechoslovak, Ukrainian, German, and Polish immigrants. Immigration continued during World War II, and into the 1950s. The Rural Municipality of Minitonas was incorporated in 1901. The Village of Minitonas was incorporated in 1948, and gained town status in 1996.

Economy

Forestry and Agriculture are the two main industries. In 1996, Louisiana Pacific opened an OSB mill in the RM of Minitonas, creating many new jobs. The Mill is located three miles east of the town on PTH 10. Despite Minitonas' close proximity to the much larger town of Swan River, it offers many services. There are two schools, a community store (which includes a Home Hardware store and Swan Valley Credit Union agency), a library, post office, bus depot, liquor outlet, hotel, and a restaurant.

Transportation

The town is located just south of PTH 10 on PR 366. Minitonas is sometimes known as the Northern Gateway to the Duck Mountains, because PR 366 leads directly to Duck Mountain Provincial Park. A CN rail line runs through town also, terminating at the Louisiana Pacific mill.

Education

Schools in Minitonas are governed by the Swan Valley School Division #35.

• Minitonas Early Years School (Kindergarten to Grade 4, ~85 Students)
• Minitonas Middle Years School (Grade 5 to Grade 9, ~107 Students)

Minitonas Middle Years School is the only school outside of the SVRSS in the Swan Valley School Division that has Grade 9 Students. It has been nominated in the past as one of Canada's best schools.

Recreation

In the town itself there is an arena with artificial ice, and a three sheet curling rink. Between the two schools, four baseball diamonds, three soccer fields, and two playgrounds are found. A sportsground is located at the northern edge of town. It includes four more baseball diamonds, a concession, and non modern washrooms. A hiking trail follows the East Favel River. Numerous parks and benches are scattered through the town as well.

In the municipality, groomed snowmobile trails can be found. Duck Mountain Provincial Park is 29 kilometers south of Minitonas. Hunting and Fishing are big attractions of the area. A mile west of town is Centennial Park, a picnic area at the original location of Tent Town.

External links

• Town of Minitonas Website
• Town of Minitonas Community Profile
• RM of Minitonas Community Profile
• Map of Minitonas at Statcan