Morden, Manitoba
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| Morden | |||
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| Motto: See History Unfold | |||
  Morden
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Region | Pembina Valley | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Doug Wilson | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 12.44 km² (4.8 sq mi) | ||
| - Land | 12.44 km² (4.8 sq mi) | ||
| - Water | 0.0 km² (0 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| - Total | 6,571 | ||
| - Density | 528.2/km² (1,368.1/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) | ||
| Website: http://www.mordenmb.ca/ | |||
Morden () is a large town with a population of 6571 (2006) located in the Pembina Valley region of southern Manitoba, Canada. Morden is less than ten minutes west of neighbouring Winkler and therefor they work together as a regional hub for commerce, agriculture and industry.
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[edit] History
Originally called Cheval, Morden can be considered to have been born in 1882, when the Canadian Pacific Railway built a railroad through the very spot where Morden now lays. The Mort Cheval Creek intersected the railway at what was called Cheval. This spot became a popular resting place as it was ideal to provide water for drinking and locomotives. The spot was renamed to Morden and incorporated as a municipality on January 1, 1882.
[edit] Government and politics
Morden is governed by a mayor and six councillors who are elected by residents. The current mayor of Morden is Doug Wilson. The current councillors of Morden are deputy mayor Alex Fedorchuk, Irvin Wiebe, Brian Hildebrand, Ronald Laverty, Wayne Hosea, and Maurice Butler.
Morden is represented in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba (as part of the Pembina riding) by Progressive Conservative MLA Peter George Dyck and in the Canadian House of Commons (as part of the Portage—Lisgar riding) by Conservative MP Brian Pallister.
[edit] Transport
Morden's chief transport connection to other communities is the highway system. Winnipeg is accessible from Morden via PTH 3. Residents can cross the Canada-U.S. border via PTH 75 or through PTH 32 via Winkler. A 4-lane divided highway connects Morden and the other major city of the region, Winkler.
Morden is served by a small rural airport, Morden Regional Aerodrome, not serviced by major airlines. The airport has two parallel 1212m asphalt runways and a 914-meter grass strip runway.
The city has one taxi service, Boundary Trails Taxi. It is also served by Greyhound Lines, which operates a daily bus service to and from Winnipeg during the week. Many Winnipeg courier services also serve Morden during weekdays.
Morden is bisected by a Canadian Pacific railway south of Stephen Street, running East-West.
[edit] Culture
Every year on the last weekend of August, Morden holds the Corn and Apple Festival, where those who attend can enjoy free corn and apple cider, among other activities. During the weekend of the festival, the town closes off the downtown from vehicles and transforms Stephen St. into a festival grounds. It is the largest festival in the Pembina Valley.
The town also houses the Pembina Hills Art Gallery. A non-profit community organization, the Art Gallery aims to facilitate the growth and diversity of the arts in the Pembina Valley region.
Other culture in the community is the bar culture. The town has two bars and a lounge.
[edit] Education
Morden's public school system is the Western School Division, which consists of two elementary schools - Maple Leaf Elementary School and Minnewasta Elementary School, one middle school, École Morden Middle School, one high school, Morden Collegiate Institute and an Adult Education center. There are no private schools operating within the city.
Red River Technical Vocational Area has partnered with Western School Division to provide further opportunities to its Secondary-level students. The Campus Manitoba program also provides assistance to students in Morden and area who desire to obtain Post-Secondary education.
[edit] Notable residents
The following people of note were born in Morden or consider it their hometown:
- Henry Friesen, an endocrinologist
- John MacAulay, a lawyer, businessman and volunteer worker
- Loreena McKennitt, a singer
[edit] Neighbouring communities
| North: Miami | ||
| West: Darlingford | Morden | East: Winkler |
| South: US Border |
[edit] References
- Town of Morden (2007). http://www.mordenmb.com/. Retrieved December 3, 2007.
- Manitoba Community Profile (2006). Community Profile: Town of Morden. Retrieved December 3, 2007.
- Statistics Canada (2006). 2006 Community Profile: Morden. Retrieved December 3, 2007.
- Western School Division (2007). http://www.westernsd.mb.ca/. Retrieved December 3, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Statistics Canada 2006 Community Profile - Morden
- Town of Morden Community Profile
- The Morden Times
- Minnewasta Golf & Country Club
- Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre
- Morden Meltdown
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