The Village of Glenboro is a progressive rural community. Glenboro is situated at the junction of Provincial Highways 2 and 5, in the Westman Region of Manitoba.
Glenboro is situated on the Assiniboine Plain 150 kilometres west of Winnipeg,the capital city of Manitoba. Glenboro is also just 80 kilometres southeast of Brandon. The village lies on the rolling plain between the Tiger Hills and the Assiniboine River and Spruce Woods Provincial Park to the north.
History
David Thompson, and early explorer and geographer visited the Glenboro area in 1798, noting its rich black soils and thick, lush grass. At the time of his visit, the area surrounding present day Glenboro was nothing more than a natural prairie grasslands. The first settlers to the Glenboro area were Jonas Christie and James Duncan in 1879. The enactment of the Homestead Act by the Federal Government in 1880 attracted many more settlers who claimed and homesteaded land in the area.
News that the CPR was coming in 1886 prompted Christie and Duncan to offer sections of their land to form a town site. Duncan named the village Glenboro,derived from the Scottish term "Burrough of the Glen". The Queens Hotel, the first building established in Glenboro, dates back to 1881 and still stands today.
The last steamship to travel the Assiniboine River ran aground near Glenboro in 1885. In 1950, the community was incorporated as a Village and remains so today.
Economic Base
Agriculture has always been the main staple for the Village of Glenboro and surrounding R.M. of South Cypress. The area surrounding the community is deeply rooted in agriculture. The rich soils in the Glenboro area support some of the finest grain crops in the world. The village itself plays an important role as a major service centre for the surrounding farms and businesses. All necessary farm services can be found in Glenboro including a grain elevator, farm co-operative, equipment dealerships, repair facilities, seed cleaning and fuel and crop input sales.
Tourism is also a major part of the Glenboro economy. Spruce Woods Provincial Park attracts thousands of visitors annually from across Canada and the United States. The park's popularity as a tourist destination results in substantial economic spinoff for local businesses year round. The Glenboro Golf and Country Club is also a major tourist draw to this area.
Major Attractions
"Sara the Camel" is located at the junction of Highway 2 and Cochrane Street. Sara is emblematic of the Spirit Sands (commonly referred to as the Manitoba Desert), located just 9.5 kilometres north in beautiful Spruce Woods Provincial Park.
Spruce Woods Provincial Park: located 9.5 kilometres north of Glenboro on Highway 5. This beautiful park is considered one of the best Provincial Parks in Manitoba. Kiche Manitou campground offers excellent camping facilities including camping, swimming, hiking, fishing and picnic areas. In the winter the park boasts an extensive system of cross country ski and snowmobile trails as well as toboggan hills,a skating rink and oval. The most unique aspect of Spruce Woods is the Spirit Sands; large areas of rolling sands dunes home to plant and animal species unique to the area.
Glenboro Golf and Country Club: Located one half-mile west and a mile and a half north of Glenboro. A superb nine hole course, considered one of the most scenic and well maintained in the south west.
Gaiety Theatre: Located on Railway Avenue in Glenboro. The Theatre is one of a dying breed in small town Canada. Movies are still held every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.
Glenboro Water Tower: A Provincial and Federal historical site located just south of the junction of Railway Avenue and James Street.
Burrough of the Gleann Museum and Archives: Located at 235 Broadway Street. The Museum officially opened in July of 2000. Call 827-2444 for more information.
Other Information
Prominent past citizens of the Glenboro area include two names well known in Canadian curling circles. Ab Gownalock, a local curling legend, captured the MacDonald Brier Tankard and National Curling Crown in Toronto in 1938. Stan Oleson, another Glenboro citizen, has been president of both the Manitoba and Canadian Curling Associations. Stan is known across Canada for his involvement in the advancement of the game of curling.
