The Manitoba Portal -

Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of 649,950 square kilometres (250,900 sq mi). The province has over 110,000 lakes, and has a largely continental climate due to its flat topography. Agriculture, found especially in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other major industries are transportation, manufacturing, mining, forestry, energy, and tourism.

The largest ethnic group in Manitoba are the English, but there is a significant Franco-Manitoban minority and a growing aboriginal population. Manitoba's capital and largest city, Winnipeg, is Canada's eighth-largest Census Metropolitan Area. Winnipeg is the seat of government, home to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the Provincial Court. Four of the province's five universities, all four of its professional sports teams, and most of its cultural activities (including Festival du Voyageur and Folklorama) are located in Winnipeg. The city has train and bus stations and a busy international airport; a Canadian Forces base operates from the airport, and is the regional headquarters of the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

The name Manitoba (meaning "strait of the spirit" or "lake of the prairies") is believed to be derived from the Cree, Ojibwe or Assiniboine language. Fur traders first arrived during the late 17th century. Manitoba entered the Canadian Confederation on July 15, 1870, after the Red River Rebellion, and was the first province to join Canada under the British North America Act (BNA Act) after the original four provinces. A general strike took place in Winnipeg in 1919, and the province was hit hard by the Great Depression. This led to the creation of what would become the New Democratic Party of Manitoba, one of the province's major political parties.

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The Geography of Manitoba is the easternmost of the three prairie provinces, and is located in the longitudinal center of Canada. It borders on Saskatchewan to the west, Ontario to the east, Nunavut to the north, and the American states of North Dakota and Minnesota to the south. On comparative level, Manitoba ranges from 490 ft (150 m) to 980 ft (300 m) above sea level.^[1] Baldy Mountain, which is its highest point, is at 2727 ft (831 m). The northern 3/5 of the province is on the Canadian Shield. The northernmost regions of Manitoba lie in tundra and permafrost (permanently frozen subsoil).

All waters in the province flow into Hudson Bay, due to its coastal area. Lake Winnipegosis and Lake Winnipeg are two of its largest lakes. Important rivers are the Red River, Assiniboine River, Nelson River, and Churchill River.

Manitoba has an extreme climate, but southern latitudes allow extensive growth for agriculture. The northern area of the region ranges from coniferous forests to muskeg to tundra in the far north. Before settlement had occurred, a vast portion of southern Manitoba was either flood plain or swamp.^[2]. An extensive system for drainage ditches was required for construction throughout south central Manitoba to make the region suitable for cultivation.

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Frederick William Hall, VC (February 8, 1885 – April 24, 1915) was an Irish born soldier in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy", during the First World War.

Born in Ireland, (Kilkenny, February 8, 1885) he emigrated to Canada around 1910, and lived in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was 30 years old, and a Company Sergeant-Major in the 8th (Winnipeg Rifles) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War when he performed a deed for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.

It was on the night of April 23/24 1915 during the Second Battle of Ypres in Belgium that Hall discovered a number of missing men. On the ridge above he could hear moans from the wounded men. Under cover of darkness he went to the top of the ridge on two separate occasions and returned each time with a wounded man.

By nine o'clock the next morning (April 24) there were still some missing men. In broad daylight and under a hail of enemy fire Hall and Cpl Payne and Pte Rogerson crawled out toward the wounded. Payne and Rogerson were both wounded, but returned to the shelter of the front line. When a wounded man, who was lying some 15 yards from the trench, called for help, Company Sergeant-Major Hall endeavored to reach him in the face of very heavy enfilade fire by the enemy.

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Did you know? -

• ...that Manitoba produces more than 25,000 pounds of gold medal, award-winning golden caviar from Whitefish roe and exports it worldwide.

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Buffalo Manitoba's Provincial symbol Manitoba, Canada–

Author: Ansgar Walk

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Loon Island trail in Riding Mountain National Park

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WikiProject Manitoba.....