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Scoping Country Life
I’m always up for a drive in the Manitoba
countryside. And I’m more than just a
little interested in acreage. I dream about
it all the time. It seems so simple. You buy
fi ve to 20 acres, build a house, put up some
fencing, add some chickens, a cow, a dog,
and you drive 45 minutes into Winnipeg
every day for work. That is, if you can fi nd
property that close, with water underground
so a well can be dug, and of course it must
have trees.
No doubt you’ll fi t right in with the
community. Well, on second thought, your
hypothetical neighbours aren’t holding their
breath awaiting you, unless you’re Paris
Hilton, and even then, they may be frosty.
It’s not for everyone, and if you’d rather
watch people than birds, you have to decide
how small you are willing to go. So now you
have to choose a small town, and well, it’s up
to you if Winnipeg is worth the commute.
However, some folks are dyed-in-the-wool
country people who would fi ght tooth and
nail if you tried to move them to the city.
The city is a place where bad things happen.
But bad things can happen in small towns
too. While the province appears on the
surface to be one community, it’s hardly
that way. Each town has its own personality
created by the people who live there.
Depending on your needs, there are many
small towns where you can still be in contact
with the big city that are but a stone’s
throw from the city. Stonewall, Steinbach,
Beausejour, Pinawa, Selkirk, Gimli, St.
Adolphe, Garson and Oakbank are all
possibilities.
But what if you found the perfect place
for you and it is 2½ hours from Winnipeg.
The commute is out unless you own a gas
station. Now you have to fi nd a job for
yourself or start a business.
Our feature stories this month illustrate
what life is like for some smaller
communities in Manitoba. Clearwater,
in the southeast part of the province, is
profi led, and Neepawa in north central
Manitoba is compared to Virden in the south.
All this brought to us by our long-time rural
correspondent Angela Lovell, who keeps an
eye on life in the country for us.
We also have an intriguing story on how
buildings can become “green.”
As always, we wish you a good read. See you
in April and hope that spring has sprung in
whatever community you call home.
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