Manitoba is one of Canada’s thirteen provinces and territories and is located in the middle of the southern part of the country. The area is relatively low in population where in 2011, the estimated population is 1,246,000. Its 250,000 plus square miles are still untouched and graced with national parks, Manitoba has been a top tourist destination for bear and whale watching, hiking, horseback riding and camping .

Fact 1:
One of the positive aspects for Manitoba is its low cost housing due to the very competitive housing market resulting to affordable housing. The average house price in Manitoba is $269,000 which is the fourth lowest average among all Canadian province. Due to the urban spread, one does not have to go far from the city to find a good place to reside .

Fact 2:
With more than 120 public and private golf courses, Manitoba has one of the highest ratios of golf courses in Canada . Golf clubs of St. Charles, Pine Ridge, Norwood, Winnipeg Hunt Club and Elmhurst were represented during the first convention of the Manitoba Golf Association in 1915 seven years before the Ladies Golf Association was established .

Fact 3:
Manitoba has the lowest electrical rates compared to the lowest rate in North America. It has also the most competitive published electrical rates for industrial customers. All of Manitoba’s electricity come from environmentally sustainable hydroelectric power from Manitoba rivers which has twice the capacity of Niagara Falls to generate power. In fact, only 50% of Manitoba’s hydroelectric power has been tapped .

Fact 4:
Manitoba has 2,300 hours of sunshine every year. Southern Manitoba enjoys up to 16 hours of daylight during summer. Winnipeg, located in Southern Manitoba endures brutal winter temperatures. Snow depths can reach more than one centimeter for about 132 days every year versus 10 days each year in Vancouver, 35 days in Penticton, 65 days in Toronto, 88 days in Calgary, and 120 days in Ottawa .

Fact 5:
Manitoba is a prairie province of Canada with an area of 649, 950 square kilometers under a continental climate. The southern part of the country is mostly agricultural while the western part caters to major industries are transportation, manufacturing, mining, forestry, energy, and tourism .

Fact 6:
In August 1914, Lt. Harry Colebourn , a young veterinarian who enlisted in the Canadian Army bought a cub from a hunter. Colebourn named the cub Winnie from his current home base, Winnipeg in Manitoba. Along with the army, the cub travelled to Quebec and sailed to England and became very good friends with Colebourn and his fellow soldiers. Due to an order for battle in France, Colebourn left Winnie for safekeeping in the London Zoo and the cub became an instant hit with the children. Colebourn came back to see his pet four years after and saw the delight of the children as they saw Winnie in the zoo. He went back to Canada leaving the bear in London Zoo.

One of the children who went to see Winnie was Christopher Robin, son of A.A. Milne. Christopher loved the bear and re-named his toy bear Winnie the Pooh. This inspired Milne to write a story of a bear and adventures which became an instant success .

Fact 7:
Winnipeg, Manitoba’s excellent architecture, atmosphere and economy, the area has been popular as setting for movie scenes for The Assassination of Jesse James, The Constant Gardner, Capote and Shall We Dance to name a few .

Fact 8:
Manitoba still holds the record for sixteen years straight as the “Slurpee Capital of the World”. 7 Eleven gave away 67,500 drinks to celebrate . Manitoba consumes 400,000 slurpees a year .

Fact 9:
Winnipeg in Manitoba was the first in the world to develop the 911 emergency number .

Fact 10:
Manitoba was founded in 1870. Manitoba, according to the aboriginal languages in Canada means “where the spirit lives” .