Stonewall, Manitoba
Encyclopedia
Stonewall is a town
in the Canadian
province
of Manitoba
with a population of 4,376 as of the 2006 census
. The town is situated approximately 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) north of Winnipeg
on PTH 67
. It is known for its limestone
quarries
. The local festival is the Quarry Days which is usually held over three days in August at the Stonewall Quarry Park. The town is located in the R.M. of Rockwood
.
retreated, as well as the prairie
s, escarpment
s such as Riding Mountain
were left behind. In addition to these, smaller elevations were left behind such as Stony Mountain
and Stonewall. It is believed that these escarpments were used as look-outs by early hunters approximately 4,000 to 5,000 years ago. These formations were later used as buffalo jump
s by the indigenous populations
.
Stonewall was founded by Samuel Jacob Jackson in 1878, after he acquired the land the town is built upon in 1875. However, Jackson did not move to Stonewall himself until 1881.
In the early 1880s, the quarry opened with the focus of their operation being the production of quicklime
. During the peak times of the quarry, large amounts of dynamite
was used for blasting the rock. The dynamite was kept in the powder magazine which has since be rebuilt near the entrance to Stonewall Quarry Park.
On June 30, 1880, the railway
line between Winnipeg and Victoria Junction, 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Stonewall, was completed. The construction of the line continued west passing through Stonewall, Hanlan and Meadow Lea before turning south-west towards Portage La Prairie
during the summer of 1880. The transcontinental line was originally planned to pass through Selkirk
, but was actually built through Winnipeg following heavy lobbying from the city. The line west of Stonewall was therefore rebuilt through Rosser
. The line north-west from Stonewall was subsequently extended through Teulon
, Komarno before eventually reaching Arborg
in 1910. In 2008, the RM of Rockwood decided that there was no purpose left with the line. With the city of Winnipeg
's help the line was taken out.
The present town hall was built in 1912 using local limestone.
Following the closure of the quarry, Kinsmen Lake was developed on the site and opened to the public on August 10, 1956. The lake has become a popular location for locals and visitors to the town. In 1983, the town council initiated a project to develop the former quarry site around Kinsmen Lake into a historical site and natural area.
), a Deputy Mayor and three councillors. The current incumbents of the positions are:
of Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
and is currently represented by Ralph Eichler of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
.
electoral district which returns one Member of Parliament who currently is James Bezan
of the Conservative Party of Canada
.
The Winnipeg-Interlake division of the Senate is represented by Janis Johnson
who was appointed by Brian Mulroney
and who is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada.
of the MMJHL.
Stonewall has two Hockey rinks: the Stonewall Arena (Ice Palace
) and the Veterans Memorial Sports Complex. The only curling rink is the Sunova Credit Union Curling Rink.
Stonewall also has a baseball team named the Stonewall Blue Jays.
_-_stonewall,_manitoba.jpg)
(for a history of Stonewall Quarry Park see History above)
The Stonewall Quarry Park has been maintained as a natural area on the edge of town and provides picnic facilities and walking trails for visitors and residents alike. The nine baseball diamonds
are available for hire and have been used for the Blue Jays Cups in 1997 and 1998, the Pan Am Games
in 1999 and the Western Canada Summer Games
in 2003. There is also a campsite
and swimming available in Kinsmen Lake. Stonewall Quarry Park also displays the many aspects of limestone production. There was a museum and visitor centre, however these were destroyed by fire in the early hours of November 11, 2007 and never to be rebuilt.
Interpretive Centre is a 36 km² (13.9 sq mi) restored prairie marsh
featuring artesian spring
s, aspen
-oak
bluff
, waterfowl
lure crop
, tall-grass
prairie and 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) of trail
s. The marsh is home to mammal
s, bird
s, amphibians, reptiles, fish
and invertebrate
s. During the migration
season, the number of waterfowl using the marsh can exceed 400,000 a day.
is an example of the prairie style
of architecture
which was popular between late 19th and early 20th century. It was built in 1914 using local limestone and used as a post office until 1979. The Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association
was founded at the previous Stonewall post office in 1902.
, Stonewall is the hometown of the professional Quidditch
team the Stonewall Stormers.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in the Canadian
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...
province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
of Manitoba
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...
with a population of 4,376 as of the 2006 census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
. The town is situated approximately 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) north of Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
on PTH 67
Manitoba Highway 67
Provincial Trunk Highway 67 is a short provincial highway in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It runs as an east-west route just north of Winnipeg border between PTH 6 near the village of Warren to PTH 9 at the gate to Lower Fort Garry....
. It is known for its limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
quarries
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
. The local festival is the Quarry Days which is usually held over three days in August at the Stonewall Quarry Park. The town is located in the R.M. of Rockwood
Rockwood, Manitoba
Rockwood is a rural municipality lying north of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is part of the Winnipeg Capital Region and had a 2001 census population of 7,654. The towns of Stonewall and Teulon are both wholly located in Rockwood.-References:**...
.
History
When the last ice ageIce age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
retreated, as well as the prairie
Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
s, escarpment
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
s such as Riding Mountain
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...
were left behind. In addition to these, smaller elevations were left behind such as Stony Mountain
Stony Mountain, Manitoba
Stony Mountain is a small community in Manitoba, Canada located approximately north of Winnipeg on Provincial Highway 7. The town is located in the Rural Municipality of Rockwood and is the location of Stony Mountain Ski Area...
and Stonewall. It is believed that these escarpments were used as look-outs by early hunters approximately 4,000 to 5,000 years ago. These formations were later used as buffalo jump
Buffalo jump
A buffalo jump is a cliff formation which North American Indians historically used in mass killings of plains bison. Hunters herded the bison and drove them over the cliff, breaking their legs and rendering them immobile. Tribe members waiting below closed in with spears and bows to finish the kills...
s by the indigenous populations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
.
Stonewall was founded by Samuel Jacob Jackson in 1878, after he acquired the land the town is built upon in 1875. However, Jackson did not move to Stonewall himself until 1881.
In the early 1880s, the quarry opened with the focus of their operation being the production of quicklime
Calcium oxide
Calcium oxide , commonly known as quicklime or burnt lime, is a widely used chemical compound. It is a white, caustic, alkaline crystalline solid at room temperature....
. During the peak times of the quarry, large amounts of dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
was used for blasting the rock. The dynamite was kept in the powder magazine which has since be rebuilt near the entrance to Stonewall Quarry Park.
On June 30, 1880, the railway
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
line between Winnipeg and Victoria Junction, 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Stonewall, was completed. The construction of the line continued west passing through Stonewall, Hanlan and Meadow Lea before turning south-west towards Portage La Prairie
Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
-Transportation:Portage la Prairie railway station is served by Via Rail with both The Canadian and Winnipeg – Churchill trains calling at the station....
during the summer of 1880. The transcontinental line was originally planned to pass through Selkirk
Selkirk, Manitoba
Selkirk is a city in the western Canadian province of Manitoba, located about 22 km northeast of the provincial capital Winnipeg on the Red River, near . As of the 2006 census, Selkirk had a population of 9,515....
, but was actually built through Winnipeg following heavy lobbying from the city. The line west of Stonewall was therefore rebuilt through Rosser
Rosser, Manitoba
Rosser, Manitoba is a rural municipality lying adjacent to the northwest side of Winnipeg at . It is part of the Winnipeg Capital Region. Its population as of the 2001 census was 1,412....
. The line north-west from Stonewall was subsequently extended through Teulon
Teulon, Manitoba
Teulon is a community located approximately 60 kilometers north of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, on Provincial Truck Highway 7. Located between Stonewall and Gimli, Teulon is commonly referred to as "The Gateway to the Interlake" and "The Petunia Capital of Manitoba"...
, Komarno before eventually reaching Arborg
Arborg, Manitoba
Arborg is a town located in the Rural Municipality of Bifrost in Manitoba's Interlake Region, 103 kilometres north of Winnipeg.The picturesque setting along the Icelandic River was first settled more than 100 years ago...
in 1910. In 2008, the RM of Rockwood decided that there was no purpose left with the line. With the city of Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
's help the line was taken out.
The present town hall was built in 1912 using local limestone.
Following the closure of the quarry, Kinsmen Lake was developed on the site and opened to the public on August 10, 1956. The lake has become a popular location for locals and visitors to the town. In 1983, the town council initiated a project to develop the former quarry site around Kinsmen Lake into a historical site and natural area.
Education
Stonewall is situated in the Interlake school division and is served by three schools:- R. W. Bobby Bend School caters for kindergartenKindergartenA kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
to year 4 pupils; - Stonewall Centennial School caters for year 5 to year 8 pupils; and
- Stonewall Collegiate Institute caters for year 9 to year 12 pupils.
Municipal
Stonewall is represented by a Head of Council (MayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
), a Deputy Mayor and three councillors. The current incumbents of the positions are:
- Ross Thompson – Mayor
- Pat Corbin – Deputy Mayor, Councillor
- John Ploszay – Councillor
- Lockie McLean – Councillor
- Walter Badger – Councillor
Provincial
Stonewall is located in the Riding of LakesideLakeside (electoral district)
Lakeside is a provincial electoral division in Manitoba, Canada. It is located to the immediate northwest of the city of Winnipeg.Traditionally a rural riding, Lakeside has become more urban in recent years . All the same, agriculture accounted for 17% of the riding's industry in 1999...
of Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
and is currently represented by Ralph Eichler of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is the only right wing political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is also the official opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.-Origins and early years:...
.
Federal
Stonewall is located in the Selkirk—InterlakeSelkirk—Interlake
Selkirk—Interlake is a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1976 to 1987, and since 1997....
electoral district which returns one Member of Parliament who currently is James Bezan
James Bezan
James Bezan is a Canadian politician. In 2004, he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a Conservative....
of the Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
.
The Winnipeg-Interlake division of the Senate is represented by Janis Johnson
Janis Johnson
Janis Gudrun Johnson is a Canadian Senator representing Manitoba.Born in Winnipeg, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 1968 from the University of Manitoba. A public affairs consultant and writer, Johnson was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in 1990...
who was appointed by Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
and who is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada.
Sports
Stonewall is home to the Stonewall JetsStonewall Jets
The Stonewall Jets are a MMJHL hockey team that plays in Stonewall, Manitoba, Canada. They joined ther MMJHL in 2001 after being in the MJBHL since 1964. Their first head coach in the MMJHL was Ed harvie. Their first general manager was Bill Smith. Their biggest rival is the Charleswood Hawks...
of the MMJHL.
| Team | Founded | League | Arena | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stonewall Jets Stonewall Jets The Stonewall Jets are a MMJHL hockey team that plays in Stonewall, Manitoba, Canada. They joined ther MMJHL in 2001 after being in the MJBHL since 1964. Their first head coach in the MMJHL was Ed harvie. Their first general manager was Bill Smith. Their biggest rival is the Charleswood Hawks... |
2001 | MMJHL | Veterans Memorial | 0 |
Stonewall has two Hockey rinks: the Stonewall Arena (Ice Palace
Ice Palace
An ice palace is a castle-like structure made out of ice. The most earliest known may be Anna Ivanovna's palace in St. Petersburg, Russia.Ice Palace may also refer to:In Russia:* Ice Palace Saint Petersburg, an arena in St...
) and the Veterans Memorial Sports Complex. The only curling rink is the Sunova Credit Union Curling Rink.
Stonewall also has a baseball team named the Stonewall Blue Jays.
Stonewall Quarry Park
The Stonewall Quarry Park has been maintained as a natural area on the edge of town and provides picnic facilities and walking trails for visitors and residents alike. The nine baseball diamonds
Baseball field
A baseball field, also called a ball field or a baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The terms "baseball field" and "ball field" are also often used as synonyms for ballpark.-Specifications:...
are available for hire and have been used for the Blue Jays Cups in 1997 and 1998, the Pan Am Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
in 1999 and the Western Canada Summer Games
Western Canada Summer Games
The Western Canada Summer Games were established in 1975 as a multi-sport event to provide development opportunities for amateur athletes and to help them advance their skills in a competitive, but friendly environment. The games also serve to broaden the exposure of talented athletes and provide a...
in 2003. There is also a campsite
Campsite
A campsite or camping pitch is a place used for overnight stay in the outdoors. In British English a campsite is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight using tents or camper vans or caravans; this British English use of the word is synonymous with the...
and swimming available in Kinsmen Lake. Stonewall Quarry Park also displays the many aspects of limestone production. There was a museum and visitor centre, however these were destroyed by fire in the early hours of November 11, 2007 and never to be rebuilt.
Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre
Oak Hammock MarshOak Hammock Marsh
Oak Hammock Marsh consists of approximately 20 square kilometres of open marsh, and a slightly smaller area of surrounding woods and grasslands. The total Wildlife Management Area is 36 square kilometres...
Interpretive Centre is a 36 km² (13.9 sq mi) restored prairie marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
featuring artesian spring
Artesian aquifer
An artesian aquifer is a confined aquifer containing groundwater under positive pressure. This causes the water level in a well to rise to a point where hydrostatic equilibrium has been reached. This type of well is called an artesian well...
s, aspen
Aspen
Populus section Populus, of the Populus genus, includes the aspen trees and the white poplar Populus alba. The five typical aspens are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the Northern Hemisphere, extending south at high altitudes in the mountains. The White Poplar, by...
-oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
bluff
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
, waterfowl
Waterfowl
Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....
lure crop
Crop (agriculture)
A crop is a non-animal species or variety that is grown to be harvested as food, livestock fodder, fuel or for any other economic purpose. Major world crops include maize , wheat, rice, soybeans, hay, potatoes and cotton. While the term "crop" most commonly refers to plants, it can also include...
, tall-grass
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
prairie and 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) of trail
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
s. The marsh is home to mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s, bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s, amphibians, reptiles, fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
and invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s. During the migration
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
season, the number of waterfowl using the marsh can exceed 400,000 a day.
The Stonewall Postoffice
The Stonewall PostofficePost office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
is an example of the prairie style
Prairie School
Prairie School was a late 19th and early 20th century architectural style, most common to the Midwestern United States.The works of the Prairie School architects are usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands,...
of architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
which was popular between late 19th and early 20th century. It was built in 1914 using local limestone and used as a post office until 1979. The Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association
Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association
The Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association or CPAA represents rural postal workers for the Canada Post Corporation. The trade union belongs to the Canadian Labour Congress as the federation's smallest National Union....
was founded at the previous Stonewall post office in 1902.
Use in popular culture
In the fictional Harry Potter universeHarry Potter universe
The fictional universe of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series of fantasy novels comprises two separate and distinct societies: the wizarding world and the Muggle world...
, Stonewall is the hometown of the professional Quidditch
Quidditch
Quidditch is a fictional sport developed by British author J. K. Rowling for the Harry Potter series of novels. It is described as an extremely rough, but very popular, semi-contact sport, played by wizards and witches around the world...
team the Stonewall Stormers.