Virden, Manitoba
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Virden, Manitoba (pop. 4010) is a regional centre, serving southwestern Manitoba. Oil was first discovered in 1951, and Virden has since come to be known as the "Oil Capital of Manitoba".
The town is located at the junction of the Trans-Canada Highway (also known as Highway #1) and Highway 83 and is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Wallace.
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[edit] History
In 1882, the Canadian Pacific Railway's (CPR) end of the steel was in the Virden area. A settlement, named Gopher Creek, began approximately one mile east of the town's present location. The name was chosen because of a creek of the same name. This creek, in turn was named for the numerous gophers found in the area. The CPR then chose to relocate the town to section 22, township 10, range 26 west. At this point, the town tried to change its name to Manchester, but that name was already selected by another community. As a result, the town picked the name Virden. The exact origin of the name is not known, but the most probable explanation is that it is a spelling mistake for Verden, Germany.[1]During World War II, Virden was home to No.19 Elementary Flying Training School - part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.
[edit] Industry
[edit] Oil
Oil was first discovered near Virden in 1956. [2] The town sits atop one of Manitoba's largest oilfields, the Virden Oilfield. Two of the other largest fields, the Daly and the Sinclair, are also in the vicinity of the town. [3]
[edit] Tourism
[edit] Virden Pioneer Home Museum
Known as the "Victorian Home on the Prairies", the Pioneer Home Museum exists within a late nineteenth century home. With over 9000 donated items relating to Virden area, the Museum's collection is extensive. It is open daily from May to September and offers guided tours by youth guides.
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[edit] References
- ^ Clingan, Ida (1957). The Virden Story. Friesen Printers.
- ^ Virden Area Census Division Profile. Retrieved on 2007-08-26.
- ^ Natural Resources. Retrieved on 2007-08-26.
[edit] External links
