Morris is a small town in the

Pembina Valley region The Pembina Valley (french: Vallée-de-la-Pembina) is an informal geographic region of the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is named for its major geographical feature, the Pembina Valley, which runs through the southwestern part of the region. ...

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 ...

, Canada, located 51 km south of

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...

and 42 km north of Emerson.

Morris Morris may refer to: Places Australia *St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia Canada * Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry * Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba ** Morris, Manitob ...

is home to 1,885 people (2016). Named after Alexander Morris, the second Lieutenant Governor of

. Highway 75, which turns into

Interstate 29 Interstate 29 (I-29) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern United States. I-29 runs from Kansas City, Missouri, at a junction with I-35 and I-70, to the Canada–US border near Pembina, North Dakota, where it connects with Manitoba ...

, is the major highway which runs from

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

. Morris is the only town in which Highway 75 is called "Main Street". The town of Morris is mostly surrounded by the

Rural Municipality of Morris Morris is a rural municipality (RM) in the province of Manitoba in Western Canada. The Town of Morris, a separate urban municipality, is located in the southeastern corner of the RM. The RM has a population of 3,047 persons as of the 2016 Canada ...

, except for a relatively small eastern border with the northwest corner of the

Rural Municipality of Montcalm Montcalm (french: Municipalité rurale de Montcalm) is a rural municipality (RM) in the province of Manitoba in Western Canada. The Canada 2016 Census reported a population of 1,260 persons, a decrease from the 1,309 reported in the 2011 Census. ...

, across the

Red River of the North The Red River (french: rivière Rouge or ) is a river in the north-central United States and central Canada. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota, it fl ...

. Morris is host to the annual Manitoba Stampede and Exhibition.

History

The town has a very long history involving floods and fur trade companies. Fur traders started to settle in the Morris area in the late 18th century because of its strategic location along the Red River. By 1801, there were two fur-trading stations at the settlement, the

North West Company The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what is present-day Western Canada and Northwestern Ontario. With great weal ...

and the XY Company. Barges came up and down the Red River, and the

Red River ox carts The Red River cart is a large two-wheeled cart made entirely of non-metallic materials. Often drawn by oxen, though also by horses or mules, these carts were used throughout most of the 19th century in the fur trade and in westward expansion in Ca ...

that travelled between

Fort Garry Fort Garry, also known as Upper Fort Garry, was a Hudson's Bay Company trading post at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers in what is now downtown Winnipeg. It was established in 1822 on or near the site of the North West Company' ...

and the Pembina Settlement went right through Morris, and offered many opportunities for trade. (See ''

Red River Trails The Red River Trails were a network of ox cart routes connecting the Red River Colony (the "Selkirk Settlement") and Fort Garry in British North America with the head of navigation on the Mississippi River in the United States. These trade route ...

'') By 1874, the ox carts began to carry

settlers A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a pioneer. Settle ...

to the areas around the Scratching River (now the Morris River) and the population began to grow. The town of Morris was named after Alexander Morris, the second Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, and was officially incorporated in 1883. Morris is one of 18 communities in the

Red River Valley The Red River Valley is a region in central North America that is drained by the Red River of the North; it is part of both Canada and the United States. Forming the border between Minnesota and North Dakota when these territories were admitted ...

of Manitoba surrounded by a ring dike. The first ring dike was built to protect the town from the 1966 Red River Flood, by the Canadian Army Engineers, the

Mennonite Disaster Service The Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) is a volunteer network through which various groups within the Anabaptist tradition assist people affected by disasters in North America. The organization was founded in 1950 and was incorporated as a 501(c)( ...

and local volunteers. A permanent dike protected Morris during the

1997 Red River flood The Red River flood of 1997 was a major flood that occurred in April and May 1997 along the Red River of the North in Minnesota, North Dakota, and southern Manitoba. It was the most severe flood of the river since 1826. The flood reached through ...

Geography

The town of Morris lies in the middle of the Red River Valley. The shallow valley spreads for many kilometres to the east and west, but only rises a few metres at most. The land is remarkably flat. Repeated flooding in the past has left the valley floor covered in rich river silt. The fine black soils are some of the best-producing agricultural soils in the world. The Red River Valley is part of the remnants of the prehistoric

Lake Agassiz Lake Agassiz was a large glacial lake in central North America. Fed by glacial meltwater at the end of the last glacial period, its area was larger than all of the modern Great Lakes combined. First postulated in 1823 by William H. Keating, i ...

, which was once much larger than

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

, which is the biggest of the five Great Lakes.

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 ...

, Morris had a population of 1,975 living in 826 of its 868 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 1,885. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. In 2016, the median age was 38.8, slightly higher than the provincial average of 38.2.

Economy

The economy of Morris is based on

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 ...

. The town of Morris is a major service provider to the surrounding agricultural community. Currently, businesses and manufacturers in Morris produce and supply a variety of goods to both national and international markets.

Attractions

Manitoba Stampede and Exhibition

Manitoba Stampede 2008 Morris Manitoba (2)

The town of Morris holds a variety of annual events, which brings many visitors to the community each year. Each July, the Valley Agricultural Society hosts the Manitoba Stampede and Exhibition, known as the Big "M". For four days, thousands of spectators and participants from across North America come to watch the competition. One of the largest dairy shows in the province, light and heavy horse shows, school work and home-craft competitions, commercial and craft displays, Loule's famous petting zoo, midway rides, free family entertainment, indoor cabaret Friday and Saturday evening featuring top country bands, community church service and the kids' pedal tractorpull on Sunday. The Manitoba Stampede and Exhibition is the largest professional rodeo east of

Calgary, Alberta Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...

. The Valley Agricultural Society, formed in 1895, was originally established as an agriculture fair. This fair was combined with a professional rodeo in 1964 to become an annual event.

Sports

Morris is the home of the

Pembina Valley Twisters The Pembina Valley Twisters are a junior ice hockey team based in Morris, Manitoba, Canada. A member of the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League (MMJHL), the Twisters play their home games aMorris Multiplex History The Pembina Valley Twisters fi ...

of the

MMJHL The Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League (MMJHL) is a junior ice hockey league in Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1970, the league was operated as an independent league. MMJHL affiliated with Hockey Manitoba and Hockey Canada in the mid-1990s. T ...

having joined in 2001

Transportation

Morris is located along PTH 75, which is the main route for Manitobans to get into the United States. Morris is also served by PTH 23, running east and west, providing access to much of southern Manitoba. Morris is also served by two railroad companies. The first is the

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN i ...

whose line runs north-south from

to the Canadian-U.S. border. The second is the

Canadian Pacific The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

that has a branch which currently ends (it was formerly a line all of the way to the US border at Gretna) in Altona. The Southern Manitoba Railway which ran west from Morris for 80 miles was torn up in 2008, due to non-use.

Climate

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 * William Clubb, politician *

Paul P. Enns Paul P. Enns (born June 17, 1937) is an evangelicalism, evangelical Christianity, Christian pastor, biblical studies, biblical scholar and writer who serves as a full-time minister at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Florida, and as adjunct professo ...

, theologian *

George Minaker Clement George Minaker (September 17, 1937 – April 30, 2012) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1973 to 1981, and served in the cabinet of Premier ...

, politician * A. James Reimer, theologian *

Harry Shewman Harold Proctor Shewman (April 14, 1900 in Winnipeg, Manitoba – July 13, 1968) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1949 until his death in 1968. Shewman was educated at Wellin ...

, politician

References

External links

Town of Morris Website
{{Authority control Towns in Manitoba Urban municipalities in Pembina Valley Region