Hamiota is an unincorporated urban community in the Hamiota Municipality within the

Canadian province Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British Nor ...

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

that held town status prior to January 1, 2015. It is located on Provincial Trunk Highway 21 (PTH 21) midway between the

Trans-Canada Highway The Trans-Canada Highway (Canadian French, French: ; abbreviated as the TCH or T-Can) is a transcontinental federal–provincial highway system that travels through all ten provinces of Canada, from the Pacific Ocean on the west coast to the A ...

and the

Yellowhead Highway The Yellowhead Highway (french: Route Yellowhead) is a major interprovincial highway in Western Canada that runs from Winnipeg to Graham Island off the coast of British Columbia via Saskatoon and Edmonton. It stretches across the four western ...

. It is located in

Western Manitoba The Westman Region (also known as Western Manitoba or simply Westman) is an informal geographic region of the Canadian province of Manitoba located in the southwestern corner of the province. Brandon is the largest urban centre in the Westman Re ...

, 84 kilometers northwest of Brandon. The trading area radius of 20 kilometres has approximately 10,000 people. First known as Hamilton, for Thomas Hamilton, one of the first settlers, the town name was changed to avoid confusion with Hamilton, Ontario. The new name contracted Hamilton with the Sioux word ota, "much".

Demographics

In the

2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...

conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultu ...

, Hamiota had a population of 856 living in 393 of its 438 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 841. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.

Culture

Hamiota is known for its local sports teams, arts and culture community, and health care. Hamiota was the home of Dr. John E. Hudson ("Dr. Ed": 1917–2003), a member of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...

(2001) and recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Anniversary Medal (2003). Dr. Hudson led Hamiota District Health Center to become the model rural health care facility in Manitoba. A memorial statue of Dr. Hudson was erected near the hospital in 2004. MP

Inky Mark Inky Mark (; born November 17, 1947) is a Canadian politician and a former member of the House of Commons of Canada, representing the Manitoba riding of Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette. Mark was a member of the Conservative Party of Canada, ...

was the main force behind the statue project. The community offers arts/cultural opportunities through the new Heritage Arts Center. Formerly known as the Royal Bank Building, the Heritage Arts Center was constructed as the Union Bank in 1905. Now occupied by the Mid-West Arts Council, the building provides a space for exhibiting of art, serving as the only exhibition space within the district. Hamiota Pioneer Club Museum features artifacts relating to the settlement and development of the district, including a taxidermy display, the former McConnell railway station and their most recent addition, the Oakner Church.

Economy

The

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people ...

healthcare Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health pro ...

and

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...

sectors are the major employers within the area. Within the last four years, the region has seen growth in the

sector. Over 100 new jobs have been created in Hamiota and area in the last three to four years with many of these in the expanding

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to ani ...

sector.

Education and health

Hamiota District Health Care Centre embraced the "community health care concept in the early 1970s. The Pope National Wildlife Reserve was used as a water storage area for the railway during the age of steam locomotives, these parcels of land were returned to the federal government with the advent of the diesel engine. The area was designated as a national wildlife reserve in 1972. It is one of the few federally-owned parcels of land remaining in

, and is an important water source for the wetlands and marshes located downstream.

Biodiversity

Hamiota has one of the few known nesting sites for the Western Plains

garter snake Garter snake is a common name for generally harmless, small to medium-sized snakes belonging to the genus ''Thamnophis'' in the family Colubridae. Native to North and Central America, species in the genus ''Thamnophis'' can be found from the sub ...

a species once thought to be extinct. A hibernaculum was built for the snakes 6.5 kilometres west of the community.

Leisure

The Pitlockery Trail takes walkers east of Hamiota to view the marsh life and enjoy the sounds of the bird population. Spring brings warblers, blackbirds and ducks; many stay to raise their young for the summer, only to migrate south in the fall season. Chickadees keep watch over the frozen marsh during winter, awaiting the return of spring. The trail is located along the former railway line. The Chumah Trail allows outdoor enthusiasts west of Hamiota to enjoy the prairie grasslands and native vegetation. A viewing platform for birds has been constructed at the end of the trail branching off to the north. With more tree and bush cover, this trail is better situated for cross country skiing in the winter and is groomed regularly. The trail is located along the former railway line. Hamiota Municipal Park was established in 1967 as part of Canada's centennial celebrations. It is home to seven ball diamonds, an outdoor equestrian arena, horse and cattle barns, soccer pitch, beach volleyball, children's playground, 28 site serviced campground, Hamiota Municipal Museum and the Hamiota Aquatic Centre. Located next to the Hamiota & District Sports Complex and the 9-hole Hamiota Golf Course, the park is the host for sports.

Notable people

Sandra Birdsell Sandra Louise Birdsell, CM (née Bartlette) (born 22 April 1942) is a Canadian novelist and short story writer of Métis and Mennonite heritage from Morris, Manitoba. Life and career Born in Hamiota, Manitoba, Birdsell was the fifth of eleven c ...

, writer * Grahame Budge, rugby player * Dallas Smith, hockey player * John Marks, hockey player

References

External links

Hamiota website
{{Authority control Designated places in Manitoba Former towns in Manitoba Populated places disestablished in 2015 2015 disestablishments in Manitoba