Oakbank, Manitoba
Encyclopedia
Oakbank is a small community in Manitoba
, Canada
located about 15 km east of the provincial capital Winnipeg
, in the Rural Municipality of Springfield. It has a population of about 3,000 persons and serves as a dormitory town or bedroom community
for Winnipeg, as a majority of the residents work and play in Winnipeg. Oakbank's rapid population growth is representative of small towns in the capital region, as two new housing developments are being expanded in the town.
church was moved to the community and a Baptist church built in 1908. In 1906, the Canadian Pacific Railway built a track that passed through the village; by 1927 the line was double-tracked. A train station existed until 1968. Electricity was supplied by the Winnipeg Electric Company
starting in 1930. Rural electrification did not reach the surrounding area until 1949. In 1887, a telephone was installed in the home of the municipal secretary treasurer. Various private telephone companies, often with only a dozen subscribers, operated until they were all absorbed by Manitoba Telephone System in 1950. A local manual telephone exchange was in operation until 1966 when an automatic exchange was installed. A credit union was founded in the village in 1945 and continues to operate today. Another credit union opened for business in 2009, and is completing the construction of a large branch. In 1964, local school divisions were consolidated and Oakbank became the local center for elementary, junior high and high school students, against many people's wishes.
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
located about 15 km east of the provincial capital Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, in the Rural Municipality of Springfield. It has a population of about 3,000 persons and serves as a dormitory town or bedroom community
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
for Winnipeg, as a majority of the residents work and play in Winnipeg. Oakbank's rapid population growth is representative of small towns in the capital region, as two new housing developments are being expanded in the town.
History
In 1899, a post office was established in the present location of Oakbank and the village grew around it. In 1901, a PresbyterianPresbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
church was moved to the community and a Baptist church built in 1908. In 1906, the Canadian Pacific Railway built a track that passed through the village; by 1927 the line was double-tracked. A train station existed until 1968. Electricity was supplied by the Winnipeg Electric Company
Manitoba Hydro
Manitoba Hydro is the electric power and natural gas utility in the province of Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1961, it is a provincial Crown Corporation, governed by the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board and the Manitoba Hydro Act. Today the company operates 15 interconnected generating stations. It has...
starting in 1930. Rural electrification did not reach the surrounding area until 1949. In 1887, a telephone was installed in the home of the municipal secretary treasurer. Various private telephone companies, often with only a dozen subscribers, operated until they were all absorbed by Manitoba Telephone System in 1950. A local manual telephone exchange was in operation until 1966 when an automatic exchange was installed. A credit union was founded in the village in 1945 and continues to operate today. Another credit union opened for business in 2009, and is completing the construction of a large branch. In 1964, local school divisions were consolidated and Oakbank became the local center for elementary, junior high and high school students, against many people's wishes.