Rapid City, Manitoba

Rapid City is a town in southwest Manitoba, Canada located about 30km north of Brandon, Manitoba. Rapid City is situated in the Rural Municipality of Saskatchewan and is built on the banks of the Little Saskatchewan River. The town is a small farming community with a population of about five hundred people. The dam and reservoir in Rapid City were built by the province in 1961, the reservoir stores 200 acre feet (250,000 m³) and provides a water supply and recreational facility for the town.

History

In the 1870s as the railroad expanded, settlers were drawn to the area to build their homes and set up their businesses. The town was originally called Rolston's Colony (after John Rolston, an early settler). Around 1877 it was decided to rename the town Rapid City. Since the town was on the banks of the Little Saskatchewan River and it was a "rapid stream" they chose Rapid and city reflecting the optimism of those early settlers.^[2] During the 1880s many awaited the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway lines Canadian transcontinental railway that would bring with it a certain building boom. While people assumed that the projected northerly route away from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba would take it through Rapid City and it's narrow river crossing, the route suddenly changed to a more westerly route. This brought it through the location of present day Brandon, Manitoba resulting in the boom and growth of that city.^[3]

Education

Rapid City Elementary School provides K-8 education for children in the town, and is part of the Rolling River School Division.

References

• Manitoba Community Profiles - Town of Rapid City

External links

• Map of Rapid City at Statcan