Carman, Manitoba

Carman is a small agricultural town of about 3,000 people in the Pembina Valley Region of southern Manitoba. Carman is at the junction of Highways 3 and 13, 40 minutes southwest of Winnipeg. It is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Dufferin, in the heart of a rich prairie agricultural belt, 60 km (37 mi) north of the American state of North Dakota.

Carman
Town boundaries
Carman
Location in the province of Manitoba
Coordinates: 49°29′57″N 98°0′3″W
CountryCanada
ProvinceManitoba
RegionPembina Valley
Census division3
Settled1870
Incorporated (town)January 1, 1905
Government
 • MayorBrent Owen
Area
 • Land4.31 km2 (1.66 sq mi)
Elevation
270 m (880 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total3,027
 • Density702.4/km2 (1,819/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
Postal code
R0G 0J0
Area code(s)204 & 431
Websitetownofcarman.com

Culture
Historical population
YearPop.±%
19011,439—    
19111,271−11.7%
19211,591+25.2%
19311,418−10.9%
19411,455+2.6%
19511,867+28.3%
19611,930+3.4%
19962,704+40.1%
20012,831+4.7%
20062,781−1.8%
20113,027+8.8%
[1][2][3]

The Golden Prairie Arts Council fosters participation in many disciplines. The organization facilitates music lessons with various instruments. GPAC supports local artists by providing a venue for exhibitions. GPAC is in a historic railway station building, where many local arts activities are sponsored. An eclectic variety of performance artists provides a wide cultural experience for the community.

The Carman Active Living Centre (ALC) was established in 2002. The organization is dedicated to enhancing the physical, emotional, and social well-being of senior citizens in Carman and surrounding area. ALC is governed by volunteers who form a Board of Directors. As of 2018, the ALC offers shuffleboard, fitness classes, carpet bowling, choir, and pickleball. Members also enjoy different levels of bridge, as well as cards, table tennis, movie nights, and field trips. The ALC also hosts special dinners and entertainment evenings.

Carman has several arts events. Every April the Canadian Wall of Fame for exceptional violin talent is held. In February (vocal/choral/speech arts and band/instrumental) and April (piano/strings and dance), Carman hosts the Tempo Festival of the Arts. This includes speech arts, strings, vocal, choral, piano and band classes in association with the Association of Manitoba Music Festivals. One of Manitoba's longest existing choral groups is the Sonatrice Singers. The group has been meeting and performing since 1972. This choir has earned bronze and silver at choralfest Canada as well as Manitoba Provincial honours. Their spring concert takes place in early May every year. In addition to this, the Sontrice Singers sing to support the Carman/area Christmas cheer board, Canadian Cancer Society's Relay for Life, seniors homes, hospitals, schools and other places.

Carman has long been recognized as a sports town. Facilities include a modern ice arena and a challenging 18-hole golf course. An active curling club shares clubroom space with golfers. Several baseball diamonds are utilized by teams of all ages, and local soccer pitches are always busy. Hockey is well-supported, with fans following the Carman Beavers and the Carman Collegiate Cougars.

Carman is home to a University of Manitoba campus as well as the high school Carman Collegiate

Large agricultural businesses include Aubin Nurseries (perennials, shrubs and trees), and Vanderveens Greenhouses, (annuals) both of which are large Canadian wholesalers of plants.

Carman has a moderate Dutch population, most of which are descendants from Dutch immigrants in the 1950s.

Events

Carman Country Fair

The Dufferin Agricultural Society Inc. hosts one of the oldest running fairs in Manitoba; the Carman Country Fair. The fair was established in 1879 and is an affiliate of the Canadian Association of Fairs and Exhibitions.

The Canadian Association of Fairs and Exhibitions believe fairs "hold deep cultural, traditional and emotional connections to the people of their local area and define a sense of community that grows social capital and quality of life." In Carman, we find this statement to be true as the fair gives people an opportunity to showcase their skills, knowledge, and talent. Carman Country Fair would not be a success without the support of generous sponsors and the many volunteers.

The 3 day event is held annually on the second weekend in July. Events of the fair include 4-H and livestock shows, craft, flower and baking competitions, trade show venues, motor sports shows and a midway, along with incredible entertainment throughout the weekend.

Climate

The highest humidex reading in Canada was recorded in Carman in 2007 with an extreme high of 53.[4][5][6]

Health services

Carman is a part of the Southern Regional Health Authority.

Carman Memorial Hospital

The 28-bed Carman Memorial Hospital, at 350 - 4th Street S.W. on the south edge of town, was built in 1982 and is served by several doctors and a staff of 75. It provides family medicine, a surgical program, pediatrics, a dietitian service, physiotherapy, diagnostics services, an internal medicine consultant and an in-house pharmacy.

There are 2 Medical Clinics in the Town of Carman. One clinic imports doctors from neighboring Winkler, Manitoba. The other clinic has 2 well established doctors (one being a surgeon) who have served Carman for many years.

Boyne Lodge

For the elderly and physically disabled, there is the 70-bed Boyne Lodge personal care home, with an attached housing unit for seniors. The members are well respected and kept well entertained with music, arts and crafts.

Emergency services

The Carman Fire Department has approximately 25 volunteer firefighters. The department coverage includes both the Town of Carman and the R.M. of Dufferin.

Carman Ambulance is one of many ambulance services within the Southern Regional Health Authority. The service area covers about 600 square miles (1,600 km2) and includes the town of Carman, Elm Creek, Stephenfield, Graysville, Roland, Homewood and Sperling.

Media
  • The Valley Leader (newspaper), is published weekly and delivered to every home in Carman on Thursday.
  • Up until 1964, a 500' transmitter for CBC Radio was in Carman, Manitoba, at which time a new centralized communications tower at Starbuck, Manitoba was constructed to house CBW-AM, CBW-FM, CBWT, and CBWFT. In February, 1952 a small plane with 3 passengers struck the Carman tower due to heavy fog. None of the passengers survived.
  • Numerous movies have been filmed in and around the Town of Carman, including The Defender (1989), We Were the Mulvaneys (2002), One Week (2008), Make It Happen (2008), The Box Collector (2008), and I Still See You (2018).

Notable residents
  • Actor Jack Carson was born at 145 Main St. South in Carman in 1910
  • NHL Hall of Fame goaltender Ed Belfour, nicknamed "Eddie the Eagle", was born in Carman.
  • Kelly Hand, Canadian Olympic sailing coach, was born in Carman.
  • Writer and humourist Paul Hiebert, best known for Sarah Binks, retired to and died in Carman.
  • Sports administrator and executive Frank McKinnon, CM, Member of the Order of Canada, principal of Carman Collegiate.
  • Singer-songwriter Faouzia grew up and went to school in Carman after moving from Morocco at the age of three. She mentions the town of Carman in her music video for "The Road."

References
  1. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-19. Retrieved 2014-08-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link), Censuses 1871-1931
  2. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-12-09. Retrieved 2014-08-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link), Census 1941-1951
  3. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-23. Retrieved 2014-08-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link), Census 1961
  4. "City error sends sewage into Winnipeg basements". CBC News. 2007-07-26. Archived from the original on 2009-01-16.
  5. "Canada's Top Ten Weather Stories for 2007". Environment and Climate Change Canada. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  6. Hildebrandt, Amber. "The humidex, the flawed Canadian way to calculate summer discomfort". CBC. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  7. "Canadian Climate Normals 1981-2010 Station Data". Environment Canada. Environment Canada. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  8. "Index of /pub/Normals/ENGLISH/MAN/ A-O". Climate Normals FTP. Environment Canada. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
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