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Russell, Manitoba

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Town of Russell
A view of arches spanning Main Street in Russell, summer of 2008.
A view of arches spanning Main Street in Russell, summer of 2008.
CountryCanada
ProvinceManitoba
RegionParkland
Established1880
Government
 • City MayorChris Radford
 • MLA (Russell)Len Derkach (PC)
 • MP (Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette)Inky Mark (CPC)
Area
 • Total
3.15 km2 (1.22 sq mi)
Elevation
556 m (1,823 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total
1,611
 • Density453.8/km2 (1,175/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
WebsiteTown of Russell

Russell is a town of 1,611(2011 census) located in southwestern Manitoba, Canada, in the Rural Municipality of Russell. The town of Russell is located along Highway 16 and Highway 83, and is at the western terminus of Highway 45. Russell is approximately 15 km from the Saskatchewan border and 340 km northwest of Winnipeg. The community is home to approximately 1,700 people, with a trading area population of over 14,000.

Russell is the home of Manitoba's Beef and Barley Festival, which is held annually in October to celebrate the region's strong agricultural tradition. Grain farming and cattle ranching are extensive in the surrounding areas. A public artwork of eight sets of wooden arches spans the major intersections of Main Street and helps define the center of the town.

History

European-Canadians first settled the area around Russell around 1880. The first post office began operations at a site north of the present town in 1880, and was called "Shell River". The closest CPR (Canadian Pacific Railway) point was renamed to Russell in 1889. Also in 1889, a Dr Barnardo's Home for boys was established. The home and local farmers sponsored transportation for British orphans to come to the area to work on farms. The town of Russell was officially incorporated in 1913.

Industrial development

Recent changes to agriculture, such as the elimination of the Western Grain Transportation Subsidy, have put the region in a unique position. With one of the highest freight rates in western Canada, the Russell area is well-positioned to experience an explosion in value-added processing. Bunge Canada, an advanced canola-processing plant, is located at Harrowby, 15 km west of Russell.

Nearby potash mining in Saskatchewan provides jobs for numerous Russell residents, as well as purchasing supplies and services locally. The first potash mine in Manitoba has been proposed for a site just southwest of Russell.

The town of Russell and the surrounding rural municipalities are aggressively promoting local economic development initiatives through the Asessippi Parkland Economic Development Corp.

Education

A major service centre for the regional agricultural communities, Russell provides excellent educational facilities, ranging from day care and nursery to post-secondary facilities. Russell is part of the Park West School Division. The Assiniboine Community College also has a regional campus located in Russell. The community has access to First Year Distant Education transmission, allowing individuals to take first-year education by interactive television.

Recreation

Recreational facilities include a serviced campground, tennis courts, ball fields, curling and hockey arenas, community halls, a swimming pool, snowboarding and downhill skiing, and a nine-hole golf course.

Russell holds four outstanding hockey schools during the month of July: Theoren Fleury Hockey School, Edge Female Hockey School, Edge Goalie Hockey School, and Manitoba Moose Hockey School.

Russell is located only 27 km from Asessippi Provincial Park, the site of Asessippi Ski Area & Winter Park—a world-class ski facility and year-round family park. The park also contains the Lake of the Prairies, a 64 km-long lake that is one of the best pickerel-fishing lakes in North America. In Manitoba the lake recorded an annual walleye catch per square kilometre that is five times greater than the provincial average.[1]

Notable people

References and notes

  1. ^ "Asessippi Provincial Park". Parkland Tourism Association. Retrieved 2010-02-13.

50°46′51″N 101°17′02″W / 50.78083°N 101.28389°W / 50.78083; -101.28389 

the school's name that is in Rusell Mb is : Major Pratt school
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