Arborg, Manitoba

Arborg(2016 Population 1,252) is a town located in the Rural Municipality of Bifrost in Manitoba's Interlake Region, 103 kilometres north of Winnipeg.

The picturesque setting along the Icelandic River was first settled more than 100 years ago. Its first postal address was Ardal (Meaning "River Valley") but in 1910 when the Canadian Pacific Railway reached the settlement, the name was changed to Arborg (Meaning "River Town").

Icelanders established homesteads to the east, west, north, and south of the village, and by 1908 the first Polish and Ukrainian settlers had arrived in the area. The coming of the railroad brought large numbers of Ukrainians who settled throughout the district along with groups from other European countries. This mixture gave Arborg a rich cultural diversity and its own distinct character. The many different churches, the ethnic foods and the social activities are all evidence of the cultural complexity of the town.

James Reimer, a goaltender for the Florida Panthers, is a notable Arborgian.

The Arborg & District Multicultural Heritage Village Committee is committed to creating an interpretive center dedicated to preserving and showcasing the multicultural history of the area in a working village, depicting a rural Manitoba farming community. The very first building, the Trausti Vigfusson house was moved on site by a team of horses, commemorating the community spirit that built the area in the early 1900s. The Village will be located on the south side of the Icelandic River, just outside the town.

The Heritage Village will provide a link between all cultures, a link between young and old. The Arborg & District Multicultural Heritage Village is a community concept envisioned to promote and preserve for tomorrow those memories of the past. The Heritage Village had its grand opening May 24, 2008. To date a hall, church, caboose, outdoor bake oven and three houses have been completed. A school has been moved on the site and is currently awaiting restoration along with a foreman’s rail car. Two Ukrainian log houses, a windmill as well as numerous farm equipment and artifacts have been added to the village in 2010.

Arborg has a similar summer to other prairie cities with an August high of 23.6C, compared with 22.5C in Calgary or 24.4C in Saskatoon. Winters are cold and Spring and Fall contain pleasant weather. Annual precipitation equals 506.1mm (19.9 inches).

...
Wikipedia