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Quality of LifeClimate With its four seasons and unlimited leisure, recreational and cultural opportunities, Manitoba offers a quality of life that's second to none. You'll enjoy a rich, cultural community that includes the symphony, ballet, live theatre, and opera, museums and much more. For outdoor enthusiasts, Manitoba offers more than 100,000 fish-filled lakes, 2.5 million acres of parkland and one of the top 10 beaches in North America just an hour's drive north of Winnipeg. Manitoba offers another big advantage - its affordability. With housing prices among the lowest in Canada for a major city, with a cost of living below the national average, combined with the lowest unemployment rate in the country, excellent education, health and social services, and low crime rate, Manitoba is an attractive place to live, work and play. Manitoba's climate covers a very broad range of temperatures and weather conditions similar to that of many other countries in the same latitude around the world. Winters can be very cold and summers very hot, with temperatures changing to more moderate in spring and fall. Manitobans enjoy a full range of seasonal activities: golfing, swimming and boating in summer; skiing, skating and tobogganing in winter; and hiking and cycling in spring and fall.
One of Manitoba's biggest advantages is its affordability. House prices and rents (residential and commercial) are the lowest in Canada for a major city, and the overall cost of living is equal to or below the national average. Housing In Manitoba Many Manitobans enjoy a high quality of life and a low cost of living. Unlike other major Canadian provinces, Manitoba has affordable real estate prices and plenty of accommodation. Because housing prices are 58% of the national average, even those with modest incomes can afford to buy a home. Many young people are able to rent an apartment or buy a house.Winnipeg enjoys one of the most diverse housing markets in Canada, with homes ranging from brand new, previously unoccupied houses to charming older homes surrounded by large trees in established neighbourhoods. The price of a home varies depending on the area of the city, but all sell for well below the national average price. An executive detached two-story home which sells in Winnipeg for approximately $154,000, would sell for almost $205,000 in Calgary, approximately $360,000 in Vancouver and over $550,000 in central Toronto.Generally, housing and land prices in rural Manitoba are lower than Winnipeg. In most small towns a typical 3 bedroom, single family detached house on a 5,500 sq. Ft. (511m2) lot would normally cost between $65,000 and $95,000. A typical 2-5 acre (1-2 ha) lot without a house would cost between $10,000 and $45,000.Small "hobby farms" from 20-160 acres (8-65ha) with a house and farm buildings can be purchased for anywhere between $80,000 and $200,000. Housing and land prices vary depending on type, size, location and condition. Generally, the closer land is to Winnipeg or to a body of water, the higher the prices. Rural land taxes are generally lower than in Winnipeg. Such taxes are based on land/building value and vary from municipality to municipality. A land owner could expect to pay anywhere from $400 to $1,800 annually in land taxes for a typical residential site. Average Residential Housing Prices (1999) All children in Manitoba, between the ages of six and 16 must attend school. The public school system is funded by the Manitoba government and through property taxes so that permanent residents and Canadian citizens do not have to pay to send their children to public schools. Manitoba also has some private schools which parents have to pay for if they want their children to attend. Classes are usually taught in English. Some school districts also offer instruction in other languages such as French, German, Ukrainian and Hebrew. Primary and secondary schools operate from September to June each year. Kindergarten to Grade four is called Early Years for students from five to nine years of age. Grades five to eight are referred to as Middle Years for students from 10 to 13 years of age. Senior Years are for Grades nine to 12 for students from 14 to 18 years of age. Students over 18 years of age can continue their post-secondary education at one of Manitoba's four universities, three community colleges or numerous technical or private vocational schools. Post-secondary education is not free, but students can apply to receive financial assistance through grants, bursaries or loan programs. Manitoba's post-secondary institutions educate and train Manitoba in a multitude of disciplines and skills equipping them with the knowledge required to be successful in an ever-changing labour market. Manitoba has been a leader in providing Aboriginal people with post-secondary educational opportunities. The following links can help you find out more about education in Manitoba:
Health Care and Social Services Manitobans are provided with hospital and physician’s care at no charge. These are financially supported by provincial and national health programs. Manitoba also has a pharmaceutical reimbursement program (Pharmacare) that pays toward the cost of all eligible prescription drugs above a basic deductible incurred by an individual or family in each calendar year. Manitoba Health operates comprehensive services in the areas of: community-based health services such as ambulance and emergency health, lab and X-Ray, child development and Women's health, and continuing home care; public health services such as public health nursing, gerontology, hearing conservation, wellness promotion and health education; and mental health services through the operation of two regional mental health centres. The department also allocates funding and develops quality operational standards for health care institutions in the province such as hospitals and personal care homes. The Addiction Foundation of Manitoba, which is also affiliated with Manitoba Health, provides residential and outpatient alcohol and substance abuse treatment programs. Manitoba Family Services provides Rehabilitation and Community Living services on a provincial basis such as day care (Manitoba has one of the highest number of licensed child care spaces in Canada); family conciliation; licensing, standards development and inspection of residential care facilities and Child and Family Services Agency support. The department also administers a number of income security programs such as child income support and income supplements. Links to more information -
Manitoba's unspoiled, natural landscape and vibrant professional and amateur sporting community offer Manitobans a variety of leisure and recreation options. Manitoba has over 200 protected ecological or park areas, making the province a boating, fishing, camping and hunting paradise. Approximately one in eight Manitoba families owns a summer cottage to take advantage of the province's 100,000 freshwater lakes and thousands of kilometres of beaches. Manitoba is also a sports-minded province boasting professional and amateur teams, plus extensive recreational activities. For example, Winnipeg has four professional sports teams including the Canadian Football League's Blue Bombers, the AA Northern Baseball League's Winnipeg Goldeyes, the International Hockey League's Manitoba Moose, plus the Winnipeg Cyclone professional basketball team. Most Manitoba communities have arenas, ball fields and other recreational facilities. Meanwhile, facilities in Winnipeg include 33 outdoor fitness trails; 13 recreation centres; five YM/YWCA plus one YMHA athletic facilities; over 40 privately-owned clubs; 13 indoor swimming pools; 20 bowling alleys; 21 curling rinks; and 29 indoor skating rinks. Manitobans can also enjoy dressage and western-style trail riding (Birds Hill Park), live thoroughbred horse racing (Assiniboia Downs), harness racing, auto racing (Winnipeg Speedway and Gimli Raceway), downhill skiing (Springhill, Holiday Mountain, Stony Mountain and Assessippi) or golfing at one of Manitoba's 124 golf courses. The following links can help you find out more about leisure and recreation in Manitoba.
Manitoba communities celebrate the joy of life on the prairies along with their cultural diversity at more than 100 festivals and celebrations all year long. Of these festivals, Folklorama, a two-week event is the largest multicultural celebration of its kind in the world. Manitoba also has a rich and vibrant arts community which combines art, dance, music, theatre, and museums. The Winnipeg Art Gallery, featuring one of the largest collections of Inuit art in the world is open to the public and is joined by a number of smaller, private galleries featuring Canadian and other art works. Dance companies include the world renowned Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Contemporary Dancers and numerous professional folk dance troupes which highlight the province's rich cultural heritage. The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and Winnipeg Chamber Orchestra offer seasonal performances and support the local ballet and opera companies and other venues. The province also features the Winnipeg Jazz Festival for jazz lovers as well as the internationally-acclaimed Winnipeg Folk Festival. Winnipeg's live theatre community includes the Manitoba Theatre Centre, The Warehouse Theatre, Le Cercle Moliere French theatre, Prairie Theatre Exchange and the Manitoba Theatre for Young People, plus Rainbow Stage, Canada's oldest, continuously running outdoor theatre. Manitoba has more than 130 museums, large and small, across the province. Just a few of Winnipeg's 30 museums include the Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature, the Western Canada Aviation Museum, and Aquatic Hall of Fame and Museum of Canada. The following links can help you find out more about arts, culture, festivals an tourism in Manitoba.
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