Neepawa, Manitoba
Encyclopedia
Neepawa is a town in Manitoba
, Canada
located on the Yellowhead Highway
at the intersection with Highway 5. its population
was 3,298. Neepawa was incorporated as a town in 1883. It is located in the Rural Municipality of Langford
and bordered to the north by the Rural Municipality of Rosedale
. Neepawa is the self-proclaimed Lily capital of the world in part because of its Lily Festival. The town has also been named "Manitoba's Most Beautiful Town", more than any other community in the province.
an settlement, the lands around Neepawa were primarily used by the Cree
and the Assiniboine. Native peoples in the area followed a regular cycle by following the Plains Bison
to take shelter in the areas north of Neepawa in the winter, and then heading south again across the plains and beyond Neepawa in the summer. The town name of Neepawa comes from the Cree word for "Land of Plenty", the name was first used around 1873. Prior to settlement, the only Europe
ans in the area were primarily fur traders, many people made their way through the area on the North Fort Ellice Trail
which went from the Red River to Edmonton
. It was on this trail that a group of settlers from Listowel, Ontario eventually decided to settle in 1877, where the Stony and Boggy creeks meet.
The Province of Manitoba was established in 1870, the Neepawa area was in what was then known as "The Northwest Territories", just to the west of the postage stamp province. During the next 30 years, many settlers came to live in the area. The first settlers were from the British Isles
. Eastern European settlers also came from countries such as Poland
and Hungary
and built the Hun Valley Settlement near Neepawa. Neepawa only joined Manitoba when the western edge of the then "postage stamp province" was expanded to its present western borders in 1881.
John A. Davidson and Jonathon J. Hamilton arrive in the town in 1880, they were the first real business men of the town buying land and surveying them into lots. In 1881 John Hamilton and John Davidson built a store and a grist mill near the junction of Boggy and Stoney Creeks. Like many western Manitoba towns at the time, Neepawa eagerly await the arrival of the railway in the 1880s. Sometime after the railway reached Gladstone, Manitoba
in 1882, Davidson and Hamilton offered the Manitoba and Northwestern Railway (which was leased to CPR
) a land grant and a financial bonus of $16,000 to construct their line within the town limits and the railway agreed to build their station within Neepawa.
Soon a village grew and on the 23 of September, 1883 the town of Neepawa was incorporated. Dr. David Harrison
who owned a private bank in Neepawa was elected Premier of Manitoba in 1887. Neepawa's first hospital was completed in 1904 and had the capacity for 20 patients. The hospital included a nursing school. Neepawa's first school opened in 1881. It was a three story building finally completed in 1898 and used until 1928. The Neepawa Salt Company mined salt here from 1932 until 1970.
Author Margaret Laurence
wrote several books through the 1960s and 1970s, depicting the town under the name of Manawaka
. On May 12, 2010 Neepawa was the host of Manitoba's 140th birthday party. The town was chosen as the site of the festivities as a result of winning a contest within the province.
, the region around Neepawa is defined as Aspen parkland
. Although Neepawa is part of the prairies the area to the north is heavily forested Parkland
. Riding Mountain National Park
and Duck Mountain Provincial Park
lie to the north, are part of this parkland, and are also an extension of the escarpment. The boreal forest which extends all the way across Canada, is also found to the north of Neepawa. Spruce Woods Provincial Park
is located about 60 km south of the town.
Neepawa lies at the source of the Whitemud River
, it is also about 40 km east of the Little Saskatchewan River
, a tributary of the Assiniboine River
which is 60 km south of the town. The town is also about 60 km west of Lake Manitoba
, one of the largest lakes in Manitoba.
More prominently, growers in Neepawa produce some of the finest and most diverse lilies in the world. As of 2009 over 2,000 kinds of Lily were grown locally. These flowers are shipped directly from Neepawa to many of the major international floral markets. Neepawa proclaims itself the "Lily capital of the world" because of this. Neepawa also attracts a number of tourists throughout the year in part because of the lilies. An estimated 12,000 people visit the Lily Festival and Neepawa each July.
As well as being an agricultural centre, Neepawa's businesses serve as a shopping and retail centre for much of the area's residents.
Assiniboine Community College has a campus in Neepawa and offers various post-secondary courses.
The community is located 45 minutes northeast of Brandon, the region's largest centre, and 2 hours northwest of Winnipeg, the provincial capital. Neepawa is also located 1 hour from Riding Mountain National Park
. The Town of Neepawa features a 3,500 foot runway that is able to service air ambulance and small jets. The Canadian Pacific Railway services Neepawa for freight transportation. Neepawa is serviced by both Grey Goose and Greyhound Bus lines. Daily Courier services are provided by three major companies. Trucking services are provide by Gladstone Transfer and Gardewine, which maintains a depot in Neepawa.
Home is a designated Provincial Heritage Site and a Level 2 Museum. This is the house where Margaret Laurence grew up in Neepawa as a youth. In addition the Riverside Cemetery in Neepawa is the resting place of Margaret Laurence. The cemetery's Davidson Memorial was the signature of Laurence's book The Stone Angel
. This cemetery is also the furthest west that any Titanic passenger was buried. The Beautiful Plains Museum is a Heritage Railway Station that was the home of the museum since 1981. The original railway station itself was built in 1901.
The Lily Festival in Neepawa first began in 1996 and today features the over 2,000 different kinds of Lily that are grown in Neepawa. Neepawa sees around 12,000 visitors in the town during the Lily Festival each July.
Radio
Television
Magazine, books
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...
located on the Yellowhead Highway
Yellowhead Highway
The Yellowhead Highway is a major east-west highway connecting the four western Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Although part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, the highway should not be confused with the more southerly, originally-designated...
at the intersection with Highway 5. its population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
was 3,298. Neepawa was incorporated as a town in 1883. It is located in the Rural Municipality of Langford
Langford, Manitoba
Langford is a rural municipality in the province of Manitoba in Western Canada. The separately administered town of Neepawa lies at the centre of its northern section, on the border between it and the southeast part of the Rural Municipality of Rosedale....
and bordered to the north by the Rural Municipality of Rosedale
Rosedale, Manitoba
Rosedale is a rural municipality in the province of Manitoba in Western Canada. The separately administered town of Neepawa lies at its extreme southeast, on the border between it and the Rural Municipality of Langford.-External links:*...
. Neepawa is the self-proclaimed Lily capital of the world in part because of its Lily Festival. The town has also been named "Manitoba's Most Beautiful Town", more than any other community in the province.
History
In the many years before EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an settlement, the lands around Neepawa were primarily used by the Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
and the Assiniboine. Native peoples in the area followed a regular cycle by following the Plains Bison
Plains Bison
The Plains Bison or Common bison is one of two subspecies/ecotypes of the American Bison, the other being the Wood Bison . Furthermore, it has been suggested that the Plains Bison consists of a northern and a southern subspecies, bringing the total to three...
to take shelter in the areas north of Neepawa in the winter, and then heading south again across the plains and beyond Neepawa in the summer. The town name of Neepawa comes from the Cree word for "Land of Plenty", the name was first used around 1873. Prior to settlement, the only Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans in the area were primarily fur traders, many people made their way through the area on the North Fort Ellice Trail
Fort Ellice
Fort Ellice was a Hudson's Bay Company trading post built in 1831 in Rupert's Land near the junction of the Assiniboine and Qu'Appelle rivers. The fort was located in what is now west-central Manitoba, Canada, just east of that province's border with Saskatchewan.It was an important fort, as it was...
which went from the Red River to Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
. It was on this trail that a group of settlers from Listowel, Ontario eventually decided to settle in 1877, where the Stony and Boggy creeks meet.
The Province of Manitoba was established in 1870, the Neepawa area was in what was then known as "The Northwest Territories", just to the west of the postage stamp province. During the next 30 years, many settlers came to live in the area. The first settlers were from the British Isles
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
. Eastern European settlers also came from countries such as Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and built the Hun Valley Settlement near Neepawa. Neepawa only joined Manitoba when the western edge of the then "postage stamp province" was expanded to its present western borders in 1881.
John A. Davidson and Jonathon J. Hamilton arrive in the town in 1880, they were the first real business men of the town buying land and surveying them into lots. In 1881 John Hamilton and John Davidson built a store and a grist mill near the junction of Boggy and Stoney Creeks. Like many western Manitoba towns at the time, Neepawa eagerly await the arrival of the railway in the 1880s. Sometime after the railway reached Gladstone, Manitoba
Gladstone, Manitoba
Gladstone is a town in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is located on the Yellowhead Highway at the intersection with Highway 34 within the boundaries of the Rural Municipality of Westbourne...
in 1882, Davidson and Hamilton offered the Manitoba and Northwestern Railway (which was leased to CPR
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...
) a land grant and a financial bonus of $16,000 to construct their line within the town limits and the railway agreed to build their station within Neepawa.
Soon a village grew and on the 23 of September, 1883 the town of Neepawa was incorporated. Dr. David Harrison
David Howard Harrison
David Howard Harrison was a politician, farmer and physician. He was born in the township of London, Canada West, and moved to Manitoba in 1882. He and his family soon established themselves as substantial landowners....
who owned a private bank in Neepawa was elected Premier of Manitoba in 1887. Neepawa's first hospital was completed in 1904 and had the capacity for 20 patients. The hospital included a nursing school. Neepawa's first school opened in 1881. It was a three story building finally completed in 1898 and used until 1928. The Neepawa Salt Company mined salt here from 1932 until 1970.
Author Margaret Laurence
Margaret Laurence
Jean Margaret Laurence, CC was a Canadian novelist and short story writer, one of the major figures in Canadian literature.- Early years :...
wrote several books through the 1960s and 1970s, depicting the town under the name of Manawaka
Manawaka
Manawaka is a fictional town in the Canadian province of Manitoba, frequently used as a setting in novels and short stories by Margaret Laurence...
. On May 12, 2010 Neepawa was the host of Manitoba's 140th birthday party. The town was chosen as the site of the festivities as a result of winning a contest within the province.
Geography
Neepawa lies on the Manitoba Escarpment, the rolling hills around Neepawa are typical of the escarpment. Neepawa lies within the Canadian PrairiesCanadian Prairies
The Canadian Prairies is a region of Canada, specifically in western Canada, which may correspond to several different definitions, natural or political. Notably, the Prairie provinces or simply the Prairies comprise the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, as they are largely covered...
, the region around Neepawa is defined as Aspen parkland
Aspen parkland
Aspen parkland refers to a very large area of transitional biome between prairie and boreal forest in two sections; the Peace River Country of northwestern Alberta crossing the border into British Columbia, and a much larger area stretching from central Alberta, all across central Saskatchewan to...
. Although Neepawa is part of the prairies the area to the north is heavily forested Parkland
Parkland
Parkland or Parklands may refer to:* A park* Aspen parkland, a biome transitional between prairie and boreal forest * Landscaped parkland, a managed rural area associated with European country houses such as Longleat-Place names:United States...
. Riding Mountain National Park
Riding Mountain National Park
Riding Mountain National Park is a national park in Manitoba, Canada. The park sits atop the Manitoba Escarpment. Consisting of a protected area , the forested parkland stands in sharp contrast to the surrounding prairie farmland. The park is home to wolves, moose, elk, black bears, hundreds of...
and Duck Mountain Provincial Park
Duck Mountain Provincial Park
Duck Mountain Provincial Park may refer to*Duck Mountain Provincial Park *Duck Mountain Provincial Park...
lie to the north, are part of this parkland, and are also an extension of the escarpment. The boreal forest which extends all the way across Canada, is also found to the north of Neepawa. Spruce Woods Provincial Park
Spruce Woods Provincial Park
Spruce Woods Provincial Park is located in south-central Manitoba, Canada. This park has large sand dunes and the Assiniboine River passes through it.-History:The park was established in 1970...
is located about 60 km south of the town.
Neepawa lies at the source of the Whitemud River
Whitemud River
The Whitemud River is a small highly meandering river in southwest Manitoba. It begins at the junction of Stony Creek and Boggy Creek in Neepawa and flows east to Arden, Gladstone, Westbourne and discharges into Lake Manitoba at Lynchs Point...
, it is also about 40 km east of the Little Saskatchewan River
Little Saskatchewan River
The Little Saskatchewan River is a river in western Manitoba. It originates in Riding Mountain National Park at Lake Audy and flows about south through the communities of Minnedosa and Rapid City. Its approximate length is 185 km. It joins the Assiniboine River about west of Brandon. The...
, a tributary of the Assiniboine River
Assiniboine River
The Assiniboine River is a river that runs through the prairies of Western Canada in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is a tributary of the Red River. The Assiniboine is a typical meandering river with a single main channel embanked within a flat, shallow valley in some places and a steep valley in...
which is 60 km south of the town. The town is also about 60 km west of Lake Manitoba
Lake Manitoba
Lake Manitoba is Canada's thirteenth largest lake and the world's 33rd largest freshwater lake. It is in central North America, in the Canadian province of Manitoba, which is named after the lake...
, one of the largest lakes in Manitoba.
Climate
Economy
The economy of Neepawa and the region is strongly dependent on agriculture. The rolling fields in the area support many types of crops and livestock operations. Neepawa serves as a major agricultural service centre for many of the producers in the region.More prominently, growers in Neepawa produce some of the finest and most diverse lilies in the world. As of 2009 over 2,000 kinds of Lily were grown locally. These flowers are shipped directly from Neepawa to many of the major international floral markets. Neepawa proclaims itself the "Lily capital of the world" because of this. Neepawa also attracts a number of tourists throughout the year in part because of the lilies. An estimated 12,000 people visit the Lily Festival and Neepawa each July.
As well as being an agricultural centre, Neepawa's businesses serve as a shopping and retail centre for much of the area's residents.
Education
Hazel M. Kellington Elementary School (named after long time teacher) has about 350 students and the Neepawa Area Collegiate Institute has about 500 students. Neepawa Nursery School teaches 3 and 4 year old children. Neepawa is part of the Beautiful Plains School DivisionBeautiful Plains School Division
The Beautiful Plains School Division is a rural school Division in Manitoba, Canada, with two major centers in Neepawa and Carberry. The division is located west of Winnipeg and east of Brandon and spans and area approximately long and wide. The division office is located in Neepawa...
Assiniboine Community College has a campus in Neepawa and offers various post-secondary courses.
Transportation
The Town of Neepawa is located along the Yellowhead Highway 16 and Highway 5, the Parks Route.The community is located 45 minutes northeast of Brandon, the region's largest centre, and 2 hours northwest of Winnipeg, the provincial capital. Neepawa is also located 1 hour from Riding Mountain National Park
Riding Mountain National Park
Riding Mountain National Park is a national park in Manitoba, Canada. The park sits atop the Manitoba Escarpment. Consisting of a protected area , the forested parkland stands in sharp contrast to the surrounding prairie farmland. The park is home to wolves, moose, elk, black bears, hundreds of...
. The Town of Neepawa features a 3,500 foot runway that is able to service air ambulance and small jets. The Canadian Pacific Railway services Neepawa for freight transportation. Neepawa is serviced by both Grey Goose and Greyhound Bus lines. Daily Courier services are provided by three major companies. Trucking services are provide by Gladstone Transfer and Gardewine, which maintains a depot in Neepawa.
Attractions
The Margaret LaurenceMargaret Laurence
Jean Margaret Laurence, CC was a Canadian novelist and short story writer, one of the major figures in Canadian literature.- Early years :...
Home is a designated Provincial Heritage Site and a Level 2 Museum. This is the house where Margaret Laurence grew up in Neepawa as a youth. In addition the Riverside Cemetery in Neepawa is the resting place of Margaret Laurence. The cemetery's Davidson Memorial was the signature of Laurence's book The Stone Angel
The Stone Angel
The Stone Angel, first published in 1964 by McClelland and Stewart, is perhaps the best-known of Margaret Laurence's series of novels set in the fictitious town of Manawaka, Manitoba. In parallel narratives set in the past and the present-day , The Stone Angel tells the story of Hagar Currie Shipley...
. This cemetery is also the furthest west that any Titanic passenger was buried. The Beautiful Plains Museum is a Heritage Railway Station that was the home of the museum since 1981. The original railway station itself was built in 1901.
The Lily Festival in Neepawa first began in 1996 and today features the over 2,000 different kinds of Lily that are grown in Neepawa. Neepawa sees around 12,000 visitors in the town during the Lily Festival each July.
Government
Neepawa is governed by a town council consisting of a mayor and six councilors. The town council is elected to a four-year term. The current mayor of Neepawa is Ron Forsman. Current councilors include: Murray Parrot , Monty Simon, Liza Pottinger, Bill Stilwell, Robyn Copeland and Dean Dietrich.Sports
Junior and senior sports teams in Neepawa include:- Neepawa NativesNeepawa NativesThe Neepawa Natives are a Canadian Junior "A" ice hockey team from Neepawa, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League , a part of the Canadian Junior A Hockey League and Hockey Canada.-History:...
(Manitoba Junior Hockey LeagueManitoba Junior Hockey LeagueThe Manitoba Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The MJHL is one of eleven Junior 'A' Hockey Leagues in Canada and is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League ....
) - Neepawa Farmers (Manitoba Senior Baseball League)
- Neepawa Cubs (Manitoba Junior B Baseball League)
Media
Newspapers- Neepawa Banner - weekly (circulation 11,000)
- Neepawa Press - weekly (circulation 8,856)
Radio
- CJBP-FM 97.1
Television
- NAC TVNAC TVNAC TV is a cable community channel in Neepawa, Manitoba, seen on cable channel 12.NAC TV also broadcasts on UHF channel 30, licensed as CH5248.-CRTC License related:*...
channel 30
Magazine, books
- William Street Publishing
Notable natives
- Shane HnidyShane HnidyShane Hnidy is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. On August 31, 2011, it was announced that Hnidy would be part of the radio broadcast team for the Winnipeg Jets, formerly the Atlanta Thrashers, which was one of his former teams.-Playing career:Shane Hnidy played junior hockey...
, professional ice-hockey player in the NHL - Margaret LaurenceMargaret LaurenceJean Margaret Laurence, CC was a Canadian novelist and short story writer, one of the major figures in Canadian literature.- Early years :...
, novelist - Welford RussellWelford RussellWelford Russell was a Canadian composer who is particularly remembered for his output of choral works.Born in Neepawa, Manitoba, Russell made a living as a surgeon and was notably a medical missionary in India from 1925-1941. He pursued musical activities in his spare time...
, composer and surgeon - Remi Bouchard, composer and teacher
- Bill StilwellBill StilwellBill Stilwell is a Canadian author of three national best-sellers:# Manitoba Wild;# Manitoba Naturally;# Scenic Secrets of Manitoba.These books have received the following awards:*Manitoba Wild - Outdoor Writers of Canada Book Award...
, author
External links
- Town of Neepawa
- Manitoba Holiday Festival of the Arts
- Beautiful Plains Museum
- Margaret Laurence Home
- Neepawa Lily Festival
- First Baptist Church Neepawa
- Viscount Cultural Centre
- Whitemud Watershed Conservation District
- Kaleidoscope Concerts Neepawa
- Beautiful Plains Community Foundation
- Map of Neepawa at Statcan