Reasons for Immigration to the Manitoba Province in Canada

Capital

• Winnipeg

Population

• 1,2 million

Interesting Facts

• From Folklorama to Festival du Voyageur, from the beauty of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet to the exciting action at a Moose, Bomber or Goldeyes’ game, Manitoba offers a wide range of cultural and entertainment attractions throughout the year.
• Many festivals are held in Manitoba, including the Ukrainian Festival (Dauphin) and Icelandic Festival (Gimli).
• The average commuting distance to work in Winnipeg is less than six kilometres, the lowest of any Canadian city with a population of over 500,000.
• Manitoba has some of the lowest auto insurance rates in Canada. In some provinces, you would pay twice as much for auto insurance as you pay in Manitoba.
• Manitoba’s published electricity rates are consistently among the lowest in North America. In addition, the province is committed to developing energy conservation programmes as well as exploring new sources of green energy.
• Lowest housing costs in Canada.
• Manitoba's high degree of economic diversification provides exceptional economic stability.
• The Royal Canadian Mint ( where coins are made ) is in Winnipeg.
• Winnipeg is the largest city. About 653,000 people live there. (2007) About 60 percent of the people live in the capital city of Winnipeg and its suburbs.
• The second largest city is Brandon.
• Manitoba is one of the three prairie provinces in Canada and is located in the centre of Canada.
• Manitoba is known as the land of 100,000 lakes.
• Manitoba lies in the area of Canada known as the Canadian Shield.
• The Viking at Gimli is a giant statue honouring the ancestors of the Icelandic people.
• Churchill in northern Manitoba is "the polar bear capital of the world". Polar bears make their dens near the town.
• Wapusk National Park (Wapusk is a Cree word meaning "white bear") located in Northern Manitoba protects one of the world's largest known polar bear denning areas

Climate

• Warm, sunny summers and cold bright winters characterize Manitoba's climate.
• Afternoon temperatures in July and August Average 25ºC with midwinter daytime readings almost always remain well below freezing. Winters are extremely cold. The average January temperature is around −23 °C, but can fall as low as −40 °C. Wide variations from average values are common in all seasons.
• More than half of the annual precipitation falls in the summer months in the form of brief heavy showers.
• Most of southern Manitoba receives 110-140 cm of snow annually with the heaviest snow falls occurring in the northeast, in the Duck and Riding Mountains. (160 cm).

Shopping and Sport

• Manitoba offers large shopping centres all over the province to cater for every shopacholics‘ needs.
• Manitoba has one of the highest ratios of golf courses to golfers in Canada, as well as one of the highest golfing participation rates in Canada. More than one in four Manitobans tee off in the province each year.
• There are a lot of sports played in St. Laurent: Ice hockey, soccer, basketball, volleyball, badminton, bowling, taekmondo, ice fishing and duck hunting.

Job Situation

• Manitoba has a diversified economy, led by manufacturing (accounts for about 12% of the province's GDP), then agricultural farming (beef, pork, wheat, canola), hydroelectricity, forestry and mining (along the Canadian shield for nickel, gold, copper, zinc, cobalt and gypsum).
• Unemployment is at 8.4%.
• The average annual salary is $45,000.

Schooling

• In Manitoba, education is governed principally by The Public Schools Act and The Education Administration Act.
• Public Education in Manitoba is provided free to all Canadian citizens and permanent residents aged under 21 years. As with the rest of Canada, education is a Provincial responsibility to administer.
• Generally speaking, school divisions/districts are required to provide or make provision for transportation for all resident students eligible for transportation according to provincial requirements and local school board policy.
• Schooling children at home is an option parents and/or legal guardians have in Manitoba as an alternative to compulsory attendance at a public or private school, providing certain policy requirements are met.
• French is a compulsory subject.
• Manitoba’s five universities and three community colleges offer high-quality advanced education with some of Canada’s lowest tuition fees.

Housing

• Despite a recent increase in Manitoba’s housing costs, they still remain one of the least expensive locations in which to purchase a home. A recently-published survey shows that Winnipeg is Canada’s top-ranked city in terms of housing affordability.
  
  Example: Cost for Executive Detached Two-Storey house in:
  

  Vancouver	Toronto	Calgary	Edmonton	Montreal	Winnipeg
  $695,000	$605,000	$512,080	$455,000	$385,000	$320,000

Healthcare

• A Manitoba Health Coverage Insurance Plan card allows you to see a doctor, get a prescription, visit a hospital, emergency room or use most other health services.

Towns and Cities

• Winnipeg:  Manitoba’s capital city and cradle for arts and culture; a centre for commerce and trade, and a welcoming, all-inclusive community.
• Brandon:  A fast-growing prairie city; Manitoba’s second largest urban centre, with a diverse culture and economy – “You Belong in Brandon!”.
• Dauphin:  According to Canadian Geographic (Mar/Apr 2000), Dauphin ranks first among the sunniest cities in Canada.
• Flin Flon:  A welcoming northern community, "Just Far Enough Away to be PERFECT!!!"
• Portage la Prairie:  Located an hour’s drive west of Winnipeg, the city sits in the province’s Central Plain region - the Land of Echoes and Legends.
• Selkirk:  Named for Thomas, Earl of Selkirk, the Scottish nobleman who established the Red River Settlement in the early 1800s.
• Steinbach:  is one of the fastest growing cities in Manitoba, with attractions such as the Mennonite Heritage Village.
• Thompson:  “Hub of the North", the city of Thompson is the regional trade and service centre of Northern Manitoba.
• Winkler:  A city with Mennonite heritage, it was officially established in 1892 by lumber entrepreneur and politician Valentine Winkler.
• St. Rose du Lac:  “Cattle Capital of Manitoba”, situated between the Lake Manitoba Narrows and Riding Mountain National Park.
• Stonewall:  Founded in the 1800s as a major limestone production centre, Stonewall has grown into a prosperous, diverse community.
• Swan River:  Great hiking, camping and fishing. East Blue Lake, an hour’s drive, offers some of the best scuba diving in the province.