Gourt Home::Gourt :: Winkler, Manitoba
| Centennial emblem | City emblem |
Location in the province of Manitoba
- Land
- Water
17.02 km²
0.0 km²
- Total (2001)
- Density
7,943 (214th)
466.7/km²
- summer (DST)
CDT (UTC-5)
Longitude
97°56' W
Winkler () is a small city of approximately 9,000 people located in southern Manitoba, Canada. As the largest city in the Pembina Valley, Winkler serves as a regional hub for commerce, agriculture and industry.
Despite being Manitoba's eighth-largest city (as of 2001), it has been and remains one of the fastest growing cities in the province. In recent years, Winkler has become a choice destination for German immigrants because of its existing large German-speaking population.
History
Winkler's history dates back to 1874 when Russian Mennonites began settling in the area. The first Mennonite Brethren congregation was founded in Winkler in 1888 as a result of mission work from the United States. In 1892, Winkler was officially founded by Valentine Winkler, a lumber entrepreneur and politician who owned and operated his own lumber business in nearby Morden. Because Winkler's many customers from the Mennonite settlement wanted him to build a market closer to them, he persuaded the Canadian Pacific Railway to build a spur route on the northeastern edge of the settlement, the location where Winkler was established.
Winkler was incorporated as a village on May 9, 1906. By that time, the flourishing village had become home to a number of German, Jewish and Anglo-Saxon merchants. The Mennonites began moving into the village soon after; by World War I, they outnumbered all other groups.
During the 1930s, a large number of Jewish and German merchants emigrated from Winkler, causing a decline in population. However, the village's population increased after World War II, and on April 7, 1954, Winkler was incorporated as a town.
Following a halt in growth during the 1960s, the 1970s saw several manufacturers and foundries establish in Winkler, helping to resume the town's rapid growth in population. Winkler's growth continued throughout the 1990s.
On April 7, 2002, Winkler was officially granted city status. The city is celebrating its centennial anniversary in 2006.
Geography and climate
Located on the western edge of the Red River Valley, Winkler is located at the corner of provincial highways 14 and 32. It is approximately 119 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg and 69 kilometres northwest of a 24-hour United States border crossing at Emerson.
Winkler is situated on the prehistoric beaches of Lake Agassiz. The lake's shores were formed over 10,000 years ago by the Pembina Escarpment, located a few kilometres west of Winkler. A secondary beach known as the Emerado Beach lies to the west of Winkler. This gentle rise in elevation was formed thousands of years ago when the draining of the lake temporarily stalled. Winkler is elevated 272 metres above sea level.
The rich soils of the area are separated by the Emerado Beach. Coarser textured loamy sand soils, located to the west, are suitable for irrigation and produce potato, corn and bean crops. To the east, finer textured clay soils produce sugar beets, canola, beans, corn and small grains.
Winkler's climate is classic continental, resulting in dry cold winters and hot, frequently dry summers. Summer temperatures typically range from 19 to 25°C, while winter temperatures average between -13 and -18°C. The Winkler area obtains the most heat units for crop production in Manitoba. Winkler receives an annual average of 416mm of precipitation (most of which falls during the spring and summer months) and 119.7cm of snow. Winkler's average frost-free period is 125 days.
Economy
Winkler is the economic hub of Southern Manitoba. The retail trading area serves an estimated 17,000 households. 4,380 people are employed in Winkler. Approximately 30% of the work force is employed in the industrial sector. The city's second-largest employer, employing 20% of the work force, is the health and education sector.
A number of industries have grown and developed in Winkler throughout the years. One of Winkler's largest employers is Triple E Recreational Vehicles, a recreational vehicle manufacturer and the only class A motor home builder in Canada. Other products manufactured in Winkler include mobile homes, houseboats, farm equipment, windows and doors. Two foundries, a straw fibre plant and a tire recycling plant, are also located in Winkler.
Winkler's agricultural sector is one of the most productive and diversified in Manitoba. The surrounding area of Winkler is home to rich, fertile soils which are especially suited to growing potatoes. However, many other crops are grown in the area, including wheat, canola, corn and beans. The area's livestock operations also continue to grow; hogs and cattle are raised, while dairy farms contribute to the making of cheese.
Business development in Winkler has been booming in recent years. On average, the city becomes home to 10-20 new businesses per year. However, in 2002, 55 new businesses were established in Winkler. The increase in new businesses can be attributed to low taxes, reasonably priced real estate and cooperation between the city and entrepreneurs. One example of this is the recently established Incubator Mall, a city-owned, five office facility that gives new businesses the opportunity to rent office space for a reasonable rate. Once those businesses outgrow the space, they relocate, making room for new startups.
Government and politics
Winkler is governed by a mayor and six councillors who are elected by residents. The current mayor of Winkler is Neil Schmidt. The current city councillors of Winkler are deputy mayor Marvin Plett, Dave Penner, Ron Neisteter, Ron Neufeld, Herb Dick and Ken J. Wiebe.
Winkler is represented in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba (as part of the Pembina riding) by Progressive Conservative MLA Peter George Dyck and in the Canadian House of Commons (as part of the Portage—Lisgar riding) by Conservative MP Brian Pallister.
Transport
Winkler's main connections to other communities are made through the highway system. Winnipeg is accessible from Winkler via either PTH 14 and PTH 3; PR 428; PTH 23 and PTH 75; or PTH 14 and PTH 75. PTH 32 leads directly to the Winkler Port of Entry on the Canada-U.S. border. A 4-lane divided highway connects Winkler and Morden.
Winkler Airport (KZ7, ) is located in the city's industrial park. It has two runways: 08, 26, an 884m paved runway; and 17, 35, a grass strip. Aircraft which need a longer runway are advised to use the Morden Airport which is located 9 km from Winkler and has a 1212m asphalt runway.
The city has one taxi service, Pembina Valley Taxi. It is also served by Greyhound Lines which operates a daily bus service to and from Winnipeg during the week. Purolator and DHL courier services also serve Winkler.
Canadian Pacific Railway has a spur route going into Winkler's industrial park.
Demographics
| City of Winkler Population by year | |
| 1991 | 6,400 |
| 1996 | 7,245 |
| 2001 | 7,943 |
As of the Canada 2001 Census, there are 2,885 households and 2,135 families residing in the city of Winkler. The population density is 466.7/km² (180.2/mi²). There are 2,890 housing units at an average density of 170.0/km² (65.6/mi²).
The most common ancestries in Winkler (as of 1996) are German (65.2%), Dutch (Netherlands) (24.7%), Canadian (23.0%), Russian (10.0%), Ukrainian (2.1%), French (1.5%), Aboriginal (1.2%), Scottish (1.0%), Irish (0.9%), Polish (0.8%) and Icelandic (0.2%). Most Winklerites are of Mennonite descent. The racial makeup of the city (as of 2001) is 98.8% White, 0.4% Chinese, 0.38% Aboriginal, 0.1% Black, 0.1% South Asian and 0.1% Southeast Asian.
The Mennonite faith is the largest faith in Winkler, accounting for 54.8% of the population in 2001. Other religious groupings include other Christian denominations (21.5%), other Protestant denominations (7.3%), Baptist (4.0%), Lutheran (2.0%), United Church (1.8%), Roman Catholic (1.2%), Evangelical Missionary Church (1.2%), Anglican (1.0%), Pentecostal (1.0%) and other faiths (0.8%). 96.4% of the city's residents are Christian. 2.6% have no religious affiliation.
There are 2,885 households out of which 36.2% are married couples living together with children, 30.8% are married couples living together without children, 25.5% are one-person households and 7.6% are multiple-family households, single parent family households or non-family households other than one-person households. 90.2% of Winkler's 2,135 families are married couple families, while 1.4% are common-law couple families and 8.2% are single parent families. The average household size is 3.0 and the average family size is 3.3.
In the city the population is spread out with 21.6% under the age of 15, 8.5% from 15 to 19, 8.1% from 20 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 12.1% from 45 to 54, 7.1% from 55 to 64 and 17.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34.3 years. For every 100 females there are 94.8 males.
The average income for a family in the city is $44,227. The average income for all workers is $22,423, with males earning an average income of $27,787 and females earning an average income of $16,061. The average income for full-time, full-year workers is $30,779. Males who work full-time for a full year earn an average of $34,326 while females who work full-time for a full year earn an average of $23,546.
15.9% of Winkler's population is foreign-born. 1,832 immigrants settled in Winkler from 1999 to 2004, with 465 arriving in 2004 alone. Most immigrants to Winkler are Russian-Germans, Germans originating from Germany, or returning Low German Mennonites from Latin America due to the city's German linguistic and religious linkages. Russian-German immigrants are also drawn to the similarity of the region's geography to that of Russia.
Culture
The Pembina Thresherman's Museum is situated on Highway 3 between Winkler and Morden. It includes a number of historical buildings in a village setting and a collection of agricultural machinery, tools and household items, as well as a meeting hall.
Winkler's main festival is the Harvest Festival and Exhibition. Held at the Winkler Parkland in mid-August, it features a parade, midway, live stage entertainment, classic car show, rodeo and more. Canada Day celebrations are held at the Winkler Parkland on July 1 of each year. The Cripple Creek Music Festival takes place on the fourth Sunday in July.
Poet Di Brandt was born in Winkler and raised in the nearby community of Reinland.
Residents of Winkler are known as Winklerites.
Education
Winkler's public school system is the Garden Valley School Division, which consists of nine elementary schools and one high school (Garden Valley Collegiate). As of May 2003, it had a total enrollment of 3,059 students. A middle school (Emerado School) is currently under construction and scheduled to be open for the 2006-2007 school year. There are no private schools operating within the city.
The Pembina Valley Baptist Church operates a private Bible College.
Red River College operates a regional campus in Winkler, serving 1,500 students each year.
Media
Winkler's local newspaper is The Winkler Times, published weekly and distributed to more than 17,000 households. The Southern Shopper & Regional Review, published in Darlingford twice a month, targets southern Manitoba and is distributed to over 15,000 households. The Winnipeg Free Press and Winnipeg Sun are available daily.
Winkler is home to two radio stations of its own, both of which are owned and operated by Altona-based Golden West Broadcasting. CKMW, a country music station, was established in 1980 and broadcasts at 1570 kHz on the AM dial. CJEL, an adult contemporary music station branded as The Eagle 93.5, launched in 2000 and is the only FM radio station in the Pembina Valley.
Though they are not based in Winkler, several other radio stations are notable in the Winkler area. The signal from Golden West's easy listening radio station in Altona, CFAM 950 AM, reaches the Winkler area. Two North Dakota stations near the Canada/U.S. border also reach Winkler: KAOC 105.1 FM (Maverick 105), a country music station in Cavalier and KYTZ 106.7 FM (Z-106.7, Today's Best Hits), an adult contemporary music station in Walhalla. The former station sells advertisements targeting the Pembina Valley region and maintains an advertising sales office in Morden. Radio stations from Winnipeg and Grand Forks, North Dakota can also be received sometimes.
Cable television service is provided by Valley Cable Vision. Most Winnipeg-based television and radio stations can be picked up from Winkler. WDAZ-TV and KNRR-TV can also be received in Winkler via antenna.
Sports
Winkler's primary ice hockey team is the Winkler Flyers, who compete in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. The Flyers play their home games at the Winkler Arena. Perhaps the best known alumni of the team is NHL goaltender Ed Belfour, who played with the Flyers during the 1985-86 season and recorded a 2.58 goals against average that year.
Notable Winklerites
- Di Brandt, poet and literary critic
- Arnold Brown, politician
- Jacob Froese, politician
- Don Kuhl, politician, former councillor and former deputy mayor
- Dustin Penner, NHL player for the Anaheim Ducks
- Cornelius Wiebe, physician and politician
- Eric Fehr, AHL player for the Hershey Bears
Neighbouring communities
| North: Roland | ||
| West: Morden | Winkler | East: Plum Coulee |
| South: Schanzenfeld |
References
- City of Winkler (2003). http://www.cityofwinkler.ca/. Retrieved August 11, 2005.
- Province of Manitoba (2000). Community Profile: City of Winkler. Retrieved August 11, 2005.
- Statistics Canada (2004). 2001 Community Profile - Winkler. Retrieved August 11, 2005.
- Winkler Chamber of Commerce (2004). http://www.winklerchamber.com/. Retrieved August 11, 2005.
External links
"Winkler, Manitoba"