The Town of Minitonas is located at the junction of Provincial Trunk Highway 10 and Provincial Road 366. Minitonas, The "Northern Gateway" to Duck Mountain Provincial Park, is approximately 320 kilometres northwest of the province's second largest city, Brandon. Minitonas is also only 16 kilometres away from the region's largest town, Swan River.
The land around Minitonas is where rich agricultural lands meet the natural rolling prairie grasslands and forests. The town is known as the "Northern Gateway" to Duck Mountain, since it is only 13 kilometres south of the provincial park.
The town is known to have some of the "friendliest" people in Manitoba.
History
Minitonas was incorporated as a town in 1948. The name "Minitonas" comes from the native word "isolated hill", which makes references to the nearby hills to the south and to those in Duck Mountain Provincial Park. Minitonas can also boast of being the first settlement in the Swan River Valley. Historically, nearby Minitonas was known affectionately as "Tent town". At the turn of the century, local settlers anticipated the extension of the railway line through the area, and created a makeshift village that would entice the railway to pass through the area. "Tent town" featured all the amenities a normal town of the era had to offer, such as a land titles office, two immigration halls, churches and a schoolroom.
When the railroad surveyed the town of Minitonas and Swan River in 1899, the residents of "Tent town" quickly settled into the nearby permanent settlement of Minitonas. Early settlers in Minitonas were of Anglo-Saxon decent, yet Czechoslovakians, Ukrainians, Germans and peoples of other Slavic descent, immigrated into the area in the early 1920's.
Economic Base
Due to its unique location, Minitonas' economic strength focuses around the logging, agricultural and tourism industries.
Minitonas' largest employer is in the public service sector. The Swan River School Division employs approximately 20 of the town's residents, in the bustling Elementary and Intermediate grade schools.
The town's largest private sector employer is the Minitonas Community Store, which meets the hardware, grocery and appliance needs of the community's residents. The Louisiana Pacific Oriented Strand Board Plant is also a prominent employer, located just 5 kilometres east of the community. Minitonas also has a diverse small business community, which features services such as outfitters, a logging company, a grain elevator, and professional services such as cabinetmakers and a local bank. Natural Gas expansion to Swan River, as well as, serviced residential and commercial lots, makes Manitonas a good place to set up a business. With good interconnecting provincial and municipal roads, and ample farmland, the economic picture of Minitonas is good for all types of industries.
Major Attractions
Take a quiet walk through the streets of the town and see many of the beautiful houses and gardens of Minitonas. The Town Square features a picturesque flower garden for all to delight in. A commemorative cairn near Minitonas marks the exact location of the historic "Tent town". The rustic Holmsteads Emporium displays many era antiques and collectibles, and provides a summer's treat of hand-dipped ice cream for hungry appetites.
Facilities - Recreation, Parks, Culture
The Fall Horticulture Society's Annual Fruit Festival in September, is a tasty way to spend a beautiful fall day. The Downtown Christmas Party in December and hockey tournaments in winter, will help you warm up from the winter's cold. The Annual 4-H Achievement Awards show in April, is also an important event not to miss.
