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Manitoba is the fifth most populous province in Canada with 1,278,365 residents as of 2016 and is the sixth largest in land area at 552,371 km2 (213,272 sq mi). Manitoba's 137 municipalities cover only 7001200000000000000♠20% of the province's land mass yet are home to 7001890000000000000♠89% of its population. These municipalities provide local government services to their residents.
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A municipality in Manitoba is "a municipality that is continued or formed under" the Municipal Act, which was enacted in 1996. Municipalities that can be formed under this legislation include urban municipalities (cities, towns and villages) and rural municipalities. The Local Government Districts Act, enacted in 1987, allows the formation of local government districts as another municipality type. Of Manitoba's 137 municipalities, 37 of them are urban municipalities (10 cities, 25 towns and 2 villages), 98 are rural municipalities and 2 are local government districts. The Municipal Act and the Local Government Districts Act stipulate governance of these municipalities. Additional charters or acts are in place specifically for the cities of Brandon, Flin Flon, Portage la Prairie, Thompson and Winnipeg, the towns of Morris and Winnipeg Beach, and the rural municipalities of Kelsey, St. Andrews and Victoria Beach. The Municipal Act, the Local Government Districts Act, and all these additional acts and charters were enacted at the provincial level by the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, representing Queen Elizabeth II, on the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. The Government of Manitoba's Department of Local Government is responsible for providing provincial services to municipalities.
Over half of Manitoba's population resides in the City of Winnipeg, the provincial capital, with a population with 705,244. The City of Brandon is the province's second most populous municipality with 48,859 residents. Manitoba's smallest municipality by population is the Local Government District of Mystery Lake with 0 residents. The largest municipality by land area is the Rural Municipality (RM) of Reynolds at 3,573.79 km2 (1,379.85 sq mi), while the smallest by land area is the Village of Lac du Bonnet at 2.15 km2 (0.83 sq mi).
Manitoba's first municipality was the RM of Springfield (originally Springfield-Sunnyside). It was incorporated on September 27, 1873. Winnipeg was incorporated as a city a few weeks later on November 8, 1873.
Urban municipalities
Manitoba's Municipal Act, enacted in 1996, defines urban municipality as an incorporated "area with at least 1,000 residents and a population density of at least 400 residents per square kilometre." An urban municipality, upon formation, may be named a "city", "town", "village" or "urban municipality", although there is a minimum 7,500 population requirement that limits the naming of cities.
Combined, Manitoba has 37 urban municipalities comprising 10 cities, 25 towns and 2 villages. The 37 urban municipalities have a total population of 900,769, a total land area of 6,402.26 km2 (2,471.93 sq mi). These totals represent 7001705000000000000♠70.5% of Manitoba's population but only 7000120000000000000♠1.2% of its land area.
Of Manitoba's 37 urban municipalities, 6 have populations less than the current minimum population requirement of 1,000 and 20 have less than the current minimum density requirement of 400 residents per square kilometre. All of these were incorporated as urban municipalities prior to the Municipal Act being enacted in 1996.
Cities
In Manitoba, a city is a type of urban municipality. The Municipal Act stipulates that an urban municipality can only be named a city if it has a minimum population of 7,500 residents.
Manitoba has 10 cities that had a cumulative population of 841,890 in the 2016 census. These 10 cities include Flin Flon, of which a small portion is located within the neighbouring province of Saskatchewan. The province's largest and smallest cities by population are Winnipeg and the Manitoba portion of Flin Flon with populations of 705,244 and 4,982 respectively. The province's largest and smallest cities by land area are Winnipeg and Dauphin with land areas of 464.33 km2 (179.28 sq mi) and 12.61 km2 (4.87 sq mi) respectively. Manitoba's newest city is Morden, which changed from a town to a city on August 24, 2012.
Towns
In Manitoba, an urban municipality may be named a town upon formation. Other than the requirements to incorporate as an urban municipality (1,000 residents and 400 people/km2), the Municipal Act has no minimum population threshold to limit the naming of them as towns. A town can alternately be named a village or urban municipality under the Municipal Act or a city if it has a minimum population of 7,500.
Manitoba has 25 towns that had a cumulative population of 56,946 in the 2016 census. The province's largest and smallest towns by population are The Pas and Grand Rapids with populations of 5,369 and 268 respectively. The province's largest and smallest towns by land area are Gillam and Lac du Bonnet with land areas of 1,996.34 km2 (770.79 sq mi) and 2.66 km2 (1.03 sq mi) respectively.
Villages
In Manitoba, an urban municipality may be named a village upon formation. Other than the minimum requirements to incorporate as an urban municipality (1,000 residents and 400 people/km2), the Municipal Act has no minimum population threshold to limit the naming of them as villages. A village can alternately be named a town or urban municipality under the Municipal Act or a city if it has a minimum population of 7,500.
Manitoba has 2 villages that had a cumulative population of 1,933 in the 2016 census. The province's largest and smallest villages are St-Pierre-Jolys and Dunnottar with populations of 1,170 and 763 respectively.
Rural municipalities
Manitoba's Municipal Act, enacted in 1987, defines rural municipality (RM) as an incorporated "area with at least 1,000 residents and a population density of less than 400 residents per square kilometre." Manitoba has 98 rural municipalities that had a cumulative population of 290,142 and an average population of 2961 in the 2011 census. These totals represent 7001240000000000000♠24% of Manitoba's population and 7001188000000000000♠18.8% of its land area. The province's largest and smallest rural municipalities are the RM of Springfield and the Victoria Beach with populations of 14,069 and 374 respectively.
Of Manitoba's 98 rural municipalities, 5 have populations less than the current minimum population requirement of 1,000. All of these were incorporated as rural municipalities prior to the Municipal Act being enacted in 1996. In the case of the RM of Shellmouth-Boulton, it was formed through the amalgamation of the former RMs of Shellmouth and Boulton in 1999.
Local government districts
Manitoba's Local Government Districts Act, enacted in 1987, defines a local government district (LGD) as "an area or areas that is or are wholly or partly in unorganized territory or in a disorganized municipality" with inhabitants. LGDs are incorporated by Manitoba's Lieutenant Governor in Council through passage of a regulation.
Manitoba has two LGDs: Mystery Lake and Pinawa. For municipal statistical purposes, Mystery Lake is considered a rural municipality while Pinawa is considered an urban municipality.