Virden | |
---|---|
Town of Virden | |
Virden Pioneer Home Museum | |
![]() Town boundaries | |
Coordinates: 49°51′03″N100°55′54″W / 49.85083°N 100.93167°W | |
Country | Canada |
Province | Manitoba |
Government | |
• Mayor | Tina Williams |
• MLA | Doyle Piwniuk (PC) |
• MP | Larry Maguire (C) |
Area | |
• Total | 8.96 km2 (3.46 sq mi) |
Elevation (at airport) | 439 m (1,440 ft) |
Population | |
• Total | 3,118 |
• Density | 350/km2 (900/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (CST) |
Postal code | R0M 2C0 |
Area code(s) | 204, 431 |
Telephone Exchange | 204 491 512 707 718 748 851 431 645 |
Median Income | $46,604 |
Website | www |
Virden is a town in southwestern Manitoba, Canada. Oil was first discovered in 1951, and Virden has since come to be known as the "Oil Capital of Manitoba".
Virden has its roots as a farming community known as Gopher Creek. However, it became a railway tent town in 1882, and grew in population due to the brick and flour industry, as well as with the discovery of oil in the 1950s. The origin of the name, Virden, allegedly arose as a misspelling of the German town Verden in the homeland of the 7th Duke of Manchester's wife, Louisa Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire.
The town is located at the junction of the Trans-Canada Highway (also known as Highway #1) and Highway 83 (the "Palms to Pines" route) and is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Wallace – Woodworth. Virden is a regional service centre owing in part to its location, and it has a stable commercial sector, including several restaurants, gas stations, body shops, a movie theatre, and a performing arts theatre.
Climate data for Virden | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 9.7 (49.5) | 17 (63) | 20 (68) | 36 (97) | 37 (99) | 42.8 (109.0) | 43.3 (109.9) | 38.5 (101.3) | 37.8 (100.0) | 34 (93) | 23.5 (74.3) | 12.8 (55.0) | 43.3 (109.9) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −11.5 (11.3) | −7.1 (19.2) | −0.3 (31.5) | 10.5 (50.9) | 18.7 (65.7) | 22.8 (73.0) | 25.5 (77.9) | 24.6 (76.3) | 18.2 (64.8) | 11.1 (52.0) | −0.6 (30.9) | −8.9 (16.0) | 8.6 (47.5) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −16.7 (1.9) | −12.2 (10.0) | −5.3 (22.5) | 4.2 (39.6) | 11.9 (53.4) | 16.6 (61.9) | 19 (66) | 18 (64) | 11.9 (53.4) | 5.2 (41.4) | −5.1 (22.8) | −13.7 (7.3) | 2.8 (37.0) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −21.9 (−7.4) | −17.3 (0.9) | −10.2 (13.6) | −2.1 (28.2) | 5.1 (41.2) | 10.3 (50.5) | 12.6 (54.7) | 11.3 (52.3) | 5.6 (42.1) | −0.8 (30.6) | −9.6 (14.7) | −14.6 (5.7) | −3 (27) |
Record low °C (°F) | −42.2 (−44.0) | −44.4 (−47.9) | −43.3 (−45.9) | −26.7 (−16.1) | −12.2 (10.0) | −2.2 (28.0) | 0 (32) | −4.4 (24.1) | −10 (14) | −21 (−6) | −38.9 (−38.0) | −40 (−40) | −44.4 (−47.9) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 21.3 (0.84) | 17 (0.7) | 26.7 (1.05) | 30.1 (1.19) | 49.6 (1.95) | 77.2 (3.04) | 66.1 (2.60) | 61 (2.4) | 49.7 (1.96) | 30.9 (1.22) | 22.7 (0.89) | 22.1 (0.87) | 474.3 (18.67) |
Source: Environment Canada [2] |
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Virden had a population of 3,118 living in 1,401 of its 1,508 total private dwellings, a change of -6.1% from its 2016 population of 3,322. With a land area of 8.96 km2 (3.46 sq mi), it had a population density of 348.0/km2 (901.3/sq mi) in 2021. [1]
In 2011, the median age was 42.7 years old which is 2 years older than the national average at 40.6 years old. There were 1,446 dwellings in Virden with an occupancy rate of 95.1%, and the median cost of a dwelling at $159,748, more than $100,000 lower than the national average at $280,552.
According to the 2011 National Household Survey, 96.8% of Virden residents are Canadian citizens, and about 3.2% of residents are recent immigrants (from 2001 to 2011). The racial make up of Virden is mostly Caucasian (92.0%), with a moderate Aboriginal population (5.5%); First Nations (2.0%), Métis (3.5%), and a small visible minority population (2.7%), most of which are Filipino (2.0%) or multiracial (0.5%).
Known as the "Victorian Home on the Prairies", the Virden Pioneer Home Museum is located within a red brick veneer home built by James Frame in 1888. With an extensive collection of over eleven thousand donated artifacts relating to Virden and area, the museum is a must-see tourist destination. It is open May to September where guided tours are offered by knowledgeable guides. The museum is located at 390 King Street West in Virden.
Grande Prairie is a city in northwest Alberta, Canada within the southern portion of an area known as Peace River Country. It is located at the intersection of Highway 43 and Highway 40, approximately 456 km (283 mi) northwest of Edmonton. The city is surrounded by the County of Grande Prairie No. 1.
Black Diamond was a town in the Calgary Metropolitan Region of Alberta, Canada within the Town of Diamond Valley. It is at the intersection of Highway 22 and Highway 7. Its first post office opened in 1907. Black Diamond was so named because of coal deposits near the original town site. Little oil or gas remains.
Redvers is a town in southeast Saskatchewan, Canada. It is the first town when travelling west from Manitoba on the Red Coat Trail, the path taken by the North-West Mounted Police on their March West in 1874, and now modern Highway 13. A statue of a Mountie on a horse can be seen just west of the intersection of Highway 13 and Highway 8.
Manitou is an unincorporated urban community in the Municipality of Pembina within the Canadian province of Manitoba that held town status prior to January 1, 2015. The Boundary Trail Railway is based in Manitou. The community's motto is "More Than A Small Town". The community is adjacent to PTH 3 and PR 244. Manitou is located near Mennonite communities such as Winkler, Manitoba and is right next to the St. Leon Wind Farm, the largest wind farm in Manitoba and one of the largest in Canada.
Castor is a town in Alberta, Canada. It is located at the intersection of Highway 12 and Highway 861, approximately 143 km (89 mi) east of the City of Red Deer. It has an elevation 816 m (2,677 ft).
Redcliff is a town in southern Alberta, Canada. Adjacent to the City of Medicine Hat to the east and Cypress County to the west and north, the town is bisected by Highway 1 and is located on the north bank of the South Saskatchewan River.
Oyen is a town in east-central Alberta, Canada near the Saskatchewan boundary and north of Medicine Hat. It is on Highway 41, 4 km (2.5 mi) south of its junction with Highway 9.
Viking is a town in central Alberta, Canada. It is at the intersection of Highway 14 and Highway 36, approximately 121 km (75 mi) east of Edmonton.
Cartwright is an unincorporated urban community in the Cartwright – Roblin Municipality within the Canadian province of Manitoba that held village status prior to January 1, 2015. It was originally incorporated as a village on December 31, 1947.
Zama City is a hamlet in northwestern Alberta, Canada within Mackenzie County.
Spirit River is a town in northern Alberta, Canada. It is approximately 78 km (48 mi) north of Grande Prairie at the junction of Highway 49 and Highway 731.
Valleyview is a town in northwest Alberta, Canada. It is surrounded by the Municipal District of Greenview No. 16 and in Census Division No. 18.
Elkhorn is an unincorporated community recognized as a local urban district in the Rural Municipality of Wallace – Woodworth within the Canadian province of Manitoba that held village status prior to January 1, 2015. It was originally incorporated as a village on January 2, 1906. Elkhorn is located approximately 105 kilometres (65 mi) west of Brandon.
Nampa is a village in northern Alberta, Canada. It is 27 km (17 mi) south of the Town of Peace River on Highway 2. Heart River crosses the Highway 2 just north of community. Canadian National Railway owned railway traverses the village. Nampa is an Indigenous word for 'the Place'.
The Municipal District of Greenview No. 16 is a municipal district (MD) in northwest Alberta, Canada. It covers the full extent of Census Division 18, and with an area of 32,984 km2 (12,735 sq mi), it is the largest municipal district in Alberta. Its administrative office is located in the Town of Valleyview.
Oak Lake is an unincorporated urban community in the Rural Municipality of Sifton within the Canadian province of Manitoba that held town status prior to January 1, 2015. It is located 52 km (32 mi) west of Brandon along the Trans-Canada Highway. The lake after which it was named is in the rural municipality's western area.
Waskada is an unincorporated urban community in the Municipality of Brenda – Waskada within the Canadian province of Manitoba that held village status prior to January 1, 2015. It is located in the southwest corner of the province, close to the United States and Saskatchewan borders. It was settled as early as 1883 and incorporated as a village in 1948. Waskada has a population of 183, and covers a land area of 0.77 km2. Though traditionally a farming community, a recent oil boom has also brought economic activity to the area.
Gainsborough is a village in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within the Rural Municipality of Argyle No. 1 and Census Division No. 1. A farming community, the village is located on Highway 18 in the southeastern corner of Saskatchewan. Gainsborough is approximately 6 km (3.7 mi) from the Manitoba border, and 19 km (12 mi) from the North Dakota, United States border. The first post office was established on April 1, 1884 as the community of Antler. On September 1, 1885, the name of the community changed to Gainsborough, after Gainsborough, Lincolnshire in England, which was the former home of J. J. Sadler, an early settler.
Division No. 6 (Virden) is a census division located within the Westman Region of south west Manitoba, Canada. Unlike in some other provinces, census divisions do not reflect the organization of local government in Manitoba. These areas exist solely for the purposes of statistical analysis and presentation; they have no government of their own.
Shoal Lake is a locality in the southwest of Manitoba, Canada. Originally incorporated as a town, Shoal Lake amalgamated with the Rural Municipality of Shoal Lake on January 1, 2011 to form the Municipality of Shoal Lake, which became the Rural Municipality of Yellowhead on January 1, 2015.