Virden, Manitoba

Virden is a town in southwestern Manitoba. Oil was first discovered in 1951, and Virden has since come to be known as the "Oil Capital of Manitoba".

Virden
Town boundaries
Virden
Location in Manitoba
Coordinates: 49°51′03″N 100°55′54″W
Country Canada
Province Manitoba
Government
 • MayorMurray Wright
 • MLADoyle Piwniuk (PC)
 • MPLarry Maguire (C)
Elevation

(at airport)
439 m (1,440 ft)
Population
 • Total3,114
Time zoneUTC−5 (CST)
Postal code
R0M 2C0
Area code(s)204, 431
Telephone Exchange204 491 512 707 718 748 851 431 645
Median Income$46,604
Websitewww.virden.ca

History
Historical population
YearPop.±%
1901901—    
19111,550+72.0%
19211,361−12.2%
19311,590+16.8%
19411,619+1.8%
19511,746+7.8%
19612,708+55.1%
19963,137+15.8%
20013,109−0.9%
20063,010−3.2%
20113,114+3.5%
20163,322+6.7%
[2][3][4]

Virden has its roots as a farming community known as Gopher Creek. However, it became a railway tent town in 1882, and grew in population due to the brick and flour industry, as well as with the discovery of oil in the 1950s. The origin of the name, Virden, allegedly arose as a misspelling of the German town Verden in the homeland of the 7th Duke of Manchester's wife.

Geography

The town is located at the junction of the Trans-Canada Highway (also known as Highway #1) and Highway 83 (the "Palms to Pines" route) and is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Wallace-Woodworth. Virden is a regional service centre owing in part to its location, and it has a stable commercial sector, including several restaurants, gas stations, body shops, a movie theatre, and a performing arts theatre.

Demographics

2011

According to the 2011 Canadian Census,[5] the population of Virden is 3,114, a 3.5% increased from 2006. Virden's land mass is 8.56 km2 with a population density is 363.6 people per km2. The median age is 42.7 years old which is 2 years older than the national average at 40.6 years old. There are 1,446 dwellings in Virden with an occupancy rate of 95.1%, and the median cost of a dwelling at $159,748, more than $100,000 lower than the national average at $280,552.

According to the 2011 National Household Survey, 96.8% of Virden residents are Canadian citizens, and about 3.2% of residents are recent immigrants (from 2001 to 2011). The racial make up of Virden is mostly Caucasian (92.0%), with a moderate Aboriginal population (5.5%); First Nations (2.0%), Métis (3.5%), and a small visible minority population (2.7%), most of which are Filipino (2.0%) or multiracial (0.5%).

Tourism

Virden Tourist Information Centre

The Tourist Information Center is run by the Virden Chamber of Commerce. Located in the old train station, the Virden Tourist Information Centre provides tourists with any desired information about attractions in the Virden Area. For more information, visit their website.

Virden Pioneer Home Museum
Exterior of the Virden Pioneer Home Museum

Known as the "Victorian Home on the Prairies", the Virden Pioneer Home Museum is located within a red brick veneer home built by James Frame in 1888. With an extensive collection of over ten thousand donated artifacts relating to Virden and area, the museum is a must tourist destination. It is open May to September where guided tours are offered by knowledgeable guides. The museum is located at 390 King Street West in Virden. For more information, visit the museum's website.

Climate
Climate data for Virden
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 9.7
(49.5)		 17
(63)		 20
(68)		 36
(97)		 37
(99)		 42.8
(109.0)		 43.3
(109.9)		 38.5
(101.3)		 37.8
(100.0)		 34
(93)		 23.5
(74.3)		 12.8
(55.0)		 43.3
(109.9)
Average high °C (°F) −11.5
(11.3)		 −7.1
(19.2)		 −0.3
(31.5)		 10.5
(50.9)		 18.7
(65.7)		 22.8
(73.0)		 25.5
(77.9)		 24.6
(76.3)		 18.2
(64.8)		 11.1
(52.0)		 −0.6
(30.9)		 −8.9
(16.0)		 8.6
(47.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) −16.7
(1.9)		 −12.2
(10.0)		 −5.3
(22.5)		 4.2
(39.6)		 11.9
(53.4)		 16.6
(61.9)		 19
(66)		 18
(64)		 11.9
(53.4)		 5.2
(41.4)		 −5.1
(22.8)		 −13.7
(7.3)		 2.8
(37.0)
Average low °C (°F) −21.9
(−7.4)		 −17.3
(0.9)		 −10.2
(13.6)		 −2.1
(28.2)		 5.1
(41.2)		 10.3
(50.5)		 12.6
(54.7)		 11.3
(52.3)		 5.6
(42.1)		 −0.8
(30.6)		 −9.6
(14.7)		 −14.6
(5.7)		 −3
(27)
Record low °C (°F) −42.2
(−44.0)		 −44.4
(−47.9)		 −43.3
(−45.9)		 −26.7
(−16.1)		 −12.2
(10.0)		 −2.2
(28.0)		 0
(32)		 −4.4
(24.1)		 −10
(14)		 −21
(−6)		 −38.9
(−38.0)		 −40
(−40)		 −44.4
(−47.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 21.3
(0.84)		 17
(0.7)		 26.7
(1.05)		 30.1
(1.19)		 49.6
(1.95)		 77.2
(3.04)		 66.1
(2.60)		 61
(2.4)		 49.7
(1.96)		 30.9
(1.22)		 22.7
(0.89)		 22.1
(0.87)		 474.3
(18.67)
Source: Environment Canada[6]

Notable people

See also

References
  1. 2011 Community Profiles – Census Subdivision
  2. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link), Censuses 1871–1931
  3. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 December 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link), Census 1941–1951
  4. , Census 1961
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. Environment Canada Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000, accessed 18 May 2010

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