Gretna, Manitoba
Encyclopedia
Gretna is a town in south-central Manitoba
, Canada
. It is located just north of the Canada
- United States
border on PTH 30. As of 2006, the population of Gretna was 574. It is bordered on the west, north, and east by the Rural Municipality of Rhineland
. On the south it is bordered by Pembina County, North Dakota
. The nearest American community to Gretna is Neche, North Dakota
.
Once home to roaming Buffalo herds, the area around Gretna attracted European settlers as far back as the early 19th century. Originally, Gretna was only known as "Smuggler's Point", a simple border crossing where the flow of undeclared goods were smuggled over the border by early settlers and fur trappers. Soon after establishing the 49th parallel as the international border, Gretna became an important customs centre and border town for both the Canadian and American governments.
Gretna’s strategic geographic location raised the interest of the Canadian Pacific Railway
which encouraged the creation of large grain elevator operations in the area. The Ogilvie Milling Company was one of the first and most prominent private companies in Gretna around the turn of the 20th century. It is believed company founder William Ogilvie, originally from Scotland, named Gretna after Gretna Green
in Scotland, also a border town, where runaway couples were married by the blacksmith at his anvil.
Gretna soon became a prominent border town. As businesses thrived and expanded, Gretna life in the early 20th century was filled with promise and opportunity. As progress would have it, changes afforded Gretna no favours and the town began losing the grain milling industry responsible for its boom.
Today, Gretna has stood the trials and tests of time. With the recent ongoing expansion in the Pembina Valley, it now serves a young demographic attracted to its beautiful surroundings, friendly outreach and community life that is safe for families.
After the World War II
, Gretna became the centre for oil transfer to the United States of America. Enbridge Oil Co. (the main storage and transfer company of oil in southern Manitoba) has been a supporting member of the Gretna economy for the past 50 years.
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located just north of the Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
- United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
border on PTH 30. As of 2006, the population of Gretna was 574. It is bordered on the west, north, and east by the Rural Municipality of Rhineland
Rhineland, Manitoba
Rhineland is a rural municipality in the province of Manitoba in Western Canada. It is located in the southern part of the province, along its border with the state of North Dakota in the United States. A population of 4,125 persons was reported in the 2006 Census, a slight decrease from the 4,183...
. On the south it is bordered by Pembina County, North Dakota
Pembina County, North Dakota
Pembina County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Dakota. At the time of the 2010 Census its population was 7,413. The county seat is Cavalier....
. The nearest American community to Gretna is Neche, North Dakota
Neche, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 437 people, 169 households, and 114 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,248.0 people per square mile . There were 188 housing units at an average density of 536.9 per square mile...
.
Once home to roaming Buffalo herds, the area around Gretna attracted European settlers as far back as the early 19th century. Originally, Gretna was only known as "Smuggler's Point", a simple border crossing where the flow of undeclared goods were smuggled over the border by early settlers and fur trappers. Soon after establishing the 49th parallel as the international border, Gretna became an important customs centre and border town for both the Canadian and American governments.
Gretna’s strategic geographic location raised the interest of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
which encouraged the creation of large grain elevator operations in the area. The Ogilvie Milling Company was one of the first and most prominent private companies in Gretna around the turn of the 20th century. It is believed company founder William Ogilvie, originally from Scotland, named Gretna after Gretna Green
Gretna Green
Gretna Green is a village in the south of Scotland famous for runaway weddings. It is in Dumfries and Galloway, near the mouth of the River Esk and was historically the first village in Scotland, following the old coaching route from London to Edinburgh. Gretna Green has a railway station serving...
in Scotland, also a border town, where runaway couples were married by the blacksmith at his anvil.
Gretna soon became a prominent border town. As businesses thrived and expanded, Gretna life in the early 20th century was filled with promise and opportunity. As progress would have it, changes afforded Gretna no favours and the town began losing the grain milling industry responsible for its boom.
Today, Gretna has stood the trials and tests of time. With the recent ongoing expansion in the Pembina Valley, it now serves a young demographic attracted to its beautiful surroundings, friendly outreach and community life that is safe for families.
After the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Gretna became the centre for oil transfer to the United States of America. Enbridge Oil Co. (the main storage and transfer company of oil in southern Manitoba) has been a supporting member of the Gretna economy for the past 50 years.