Learning about Manitoban cities
Winnipeg Downtown Skyline by Synon0. CC BY-SA
The province of Manitoba is made up of 137 municipalities, divided into urban and rural areas. Its urban section is composed of 10 cities, 25 towns, and two villages, while 98 are rural municipalities and two are local government districts. Its cities are Brandon, Dauphin, Flin Flon, Morden, Portage la Prairie, Selkirk, Steinbach, Thompson, Winkler, and Winnipeg, it’s capital.
Manitoban cities
From 2007 to 2016, Winnipeg has been the top destination for Manitoba-bound immigrants. Meanwhile, around 17% chose to live outside of Winnipeg in 2016. Of this percentage, newcomers settled in Brandon, Steinbach, Neepawa, and Winkler. If you are planning on settling in any of these cities, here are general descriptions of these top destinations:
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital of Manitoba and where more than half of the province’s 1.3 M population lives. It is located at the geographic center of Canada and North America, which is why it is said to be “at the heart” of Canada. It is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, with more than 100 languages and nationalities represented throughout the region. It has a flourishing culture and arts scene, vast green spaces, and access to outdoor activities. Bustling industries in the city include aerospace, transportation and communication, energy and environment, life sciences, information, communications and technology, advanced manufacturing, tourism, cultural industries, financial services, and lifestyle (Tourism Winnipeg).
You can get more information about life in Winnipeg through the City of Winnipeg website and Tourism Winnipeg.com.
Brandon
Brandon is the second-largest city in Manitoba. Located in the southwest corner of the province, Brandon covers an area of 43 square kilometers (26 square miles). It boasts of a rich agricultural heritage and a prosperous farming community. It is also known for its vast outdoor spaces, having among the lowest costs of living in Canada, and a vibrant and diverse arts and cultural community. Despite its population of less than 50,000, Brandon has a university, a regional community college, and an emergency services college.
For more information, go to the City of Brandon website. If you are interested in immigrating to Brandon, go to this page: Immigrating to Brandon.
Steinbach
Located 50 kilometres southeast of Winnipeg, Steinbach is the third-largest city of Manitoba and the economic centre of the Southeast region. In recent years, it has seen a notable growth in population, becoming known as an immigration destination in Canada. Steinbach is primarily an agricultural community, however, its key industries also include manufacturing, logistics, trades, pharmaceutical manufacturing and automotive.
Learn more from the City of Steinbach website. Go to My Steinbach and Why Steinbach to know more about local business.
Winkler
Located in southern Manitoba’s scenic Pembina Valley, Winkler is a small but fast-growing city. It boasts of productive and diversified agricultural, industrial, and manufacturing sectors that produce recreational vehicles, mobile homes, houseboats, farm equipment, cabinetry, and house windows and doors. The shopping and industrial hub has a bustling community with a population of more than 12,000.
The City of Winkler website will give you a glimpse of life in the city. The Winkler app connects you to local information including maps, notices, and events.
Neepawa
It is not a city but a town located on the Trans Canada Yellowhead Highway #16, at the intersection of Highway 5. It has often been declared as “Manitoba’s most beautiful town” and is the self-proclaimed “Lily Capital of the World”. It serves as the retail hub for the region while also offering recreation and tourism experiences such as camping, hiking, swimming, bird-watching, and snow mobiling. Its biggest industries for employment are agriculture and value-added agricultural industries as well as manufacturing and retail service. HyLife Foods, Stella-Jones, and Gardewine Logistics operate there. Neepawa is also a regional hub for agricultural giants including John Deere, Case/IH, and New Holland.
More information about visiting, living and conducting business in the town can be seen at the Neepawa website.
Other cities
Manitoba’s other bustling cities include Dauphin, Portage la Prairie, Selkirk, and Thompson. Its newest city is Morden, incorporated in 2012. Recently, Morden launched a community-driven immigration initiative for those who may not have qualified for other provincial nominee program streams. If you are interested in settling there, you will find more information about this program at the Morden Immigration site. Based on the 2021 census, Morden is one of the fastest-growing municipalities in Manitoba, the others being Niverville, West St. Paul, Neepawa, and Macdonald (Niverville now Manitoba’s fastest-growing municipality, 2021 census says, CBC).
February 10, 2022.