Best Places to Live in Manitoba

Manitoba, one of Canada’s Prairie Provinces, is midway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Manitoba was made into Canada’s fifth province when the former Red River Settlement area was admitted to the confederation by official statute in 1870.

Today, the province lies adjacent to the boundary between the prairie and central Canada, and it has a huge agricultural sector and topography similar to the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta. It’s an urban-oriented mixed economy with a multi-ethnic socio-economic character.

If you are interested in immigrating to Manitoba, one of the questions you would have considered is what is the best place to live in Manitoba? The best place in Manitoba to live in is a question that is difficult to get a definitive answer for.

The are a variety of towns and cities in Manitoba that can lay claim to the title of the best place to live in Manitoba depending on an aspect or criteria of assessment applied such as affordability, employment opportunities, etc.

No individual city or town meets or fulfills all criteria, therefore we have compiled a list of the best places to live in Manitoba as an alternative list to consider while deciding where, when and how to immigrate to Manitoba.

Top Ten Best Places to Live in Manitoba

top ten best places to live in Manitoba

Are you Looking to move to Manitoba but still looking for the most suitable place? Don’t worry. Here are the top ten best places to live and work in Manitoba.

St. Andrews

St Andrews is located on the West Red River with the southern border around 8 km from the provincial capital, Winnipeg.

The municipality has many historic and significant buildings, including St. John’s Cathedral Boys School and St. Andrews Lock and Dam. These and several others have been officially recognized as national, provincial, or municipal historic sites.

Other establishments that are noteworthy include the St. Andrews school, the municipal office, River Road Provincial Park, Larter's golf course, and Oak Hammock Marsh.

St. Andrews Airport provides an alternative to Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport for smaller aircraft. This includes visitors, permanent residents, and citizens flying to remote First Nation communities.

Residents of St. Andrews have a relatively high quality of life. The contributing factors to the town's high living standards include clean, liveable communities and a healthy environment.

Thompson

Thompson, in north-central Manitoba, resides along the Burntwood River, 210 km (120 miles) north of Lake Winnipeg. Conceptualized in 1957, the city is one of Canada's largest completely planned communities.

Thompson relies on nickel extraction from the Thompson and Birchtree mines, listed among Canada's most productive mines. The International Nickel Company of Canada, a company town planned in 1956 and named after John F. Thompson, the company chairman, is one of the largest planned communities in Canada.

The town was completed in 1961 in time for the opening of the company’s integrated nickel mining-smelting-refining plant, the first of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.

Taché

The Seine River flows through Taché, irrigating the fertile farmland in the municipality. Taché attracts several specialized construction and agriculture businesses due to its strategic location.

Dairy, grain, and leisure farms are prevalent in the area, along with Maple Leaf Foods, Richardson Seeds, and Hutlet Seeds, supplying farmers with products for their operations. The homeownership rate in the province is very high at almost 89%.

Hanover

Hanover is a vibrant municipality located in southeastern Manitoba. It's located in a rich agricultural area about twenty minutes from Winnipeg. It has five urban centers:

  • Mitchell
  • Blumenort
  • Grunthal
  • New Bothwell
  • Kleefeld

Hanoverian communities have unique characteristics and offer a dynamic menu of services, housing, employment, shopping, and recreation.

Agriculture is the most prominent industry in Hanover, with many residents employed in agriculture or agricultural businesses and their support services. Manufacturing, construction, and retail offer strong alternative economic initiatives in the town.

Winnipeg

Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba, is located at the confluence of the Assiniboine and Red Rivers, 40 miles southwest of Lake Winnipeg.

Winnipeg is a major grain market and warehousing and distributing point for the prairie region of Canada. It remains the headquarters of Canada’s grain industry.

The city serves the mining districts of Northern Canada and is the country’s largest communications, commercial, financial, and industrial center making it the largest hub for job opportunities in Winnipeg.

Selkirk

Selkirk has a rich history shown through many landmark tourist sites. Take a day to see them all since all the cultural landmarks are cant-miss attractions in Selkirk. The center of a growing region, Selkirk is a shopping and service destination for 70,000 people.

Residential developments –single-family homes, apartments, and condos – make Selkirk a place all demographics can call home. Recent expansions of industrial and commercial areas and population, and a pro-business orientation make Selkirk the ideal place for relocating or establishing new businesses.

Winkler

The largest city center in Pembina Valley, Winkler’s roots lie in agriculture. It is the shopping, entertainment, and industrial center of Southern Manitoba. Triple E RV and other large manufacturing plants and foundries dot the landscape of the city.

The Harvest Festival is the largest annual event in the city. Bethel Heritage Park is a prominent summer gathering place in the city.

The Arts and Culture Centre at 547 Park Street offers art shows, children's and adult classes, and many monthly special events.

Steibach

Steinbach is among the fastest-growing cities in Manitoba. It has a strong business community with a wealth of domestically generated economic activity. The town's hub of economic activities in southeastern Manitoba is the country's regional shopping, service, and agricultural supply center.

Steinbach has a large and available workforce and benefits from a strong work ethic in its communities. Favorable tax rates and proximity to several financial and commercial markets further assure its economic success.

Springfield

Springfield is a rural municipality (RM). It ranges from urban industrial development east of Winnipeg, across urban, rural, residential, agricultural, and natural landscapes, to the Agassiz Provincial Forest that forms the eastern boundary.

Springfield's administrative center is Oakbank, its largest community. The rural municipality has a mayor and representative ward councilors. Farming is important in the municipality with many residents employed in the industry’s primary or secondary sectors in Winnipeg.

Brandon

Brandon is a city in southwestern Manitoba, Canada, across the Assiniboine River, 131 miles (211 km) west of Winnipeg. Settled in the late 1870s and officially founded after the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1881, Brandon is one of the most socio-culturally vibrant cities in the province.

Located on the Trans-Canada Highway, the city is a transportation and regional service center. Labeled the “Wheat City of Canada,” it processes and manufactures flour, meat, fertilizers, chemicals, and petroleum products. It also acts as the province's regional arts and cultural facilities center.

Brandon is a tourist hub for Riding Mountain National Park, Spruce Woods Provincial Park, and Turtle Mountain Provincial Park.

How can I Move to Manitoba?

how can I move to Manitoba?

The following presents a list of immigration pathways specific that eligible foreign immigrants interested in moving to Manitoba can use to apply to immigrate to the province.

Permanent Residency

Manitoba has various permanent residency programs that you can use to immigrate to Canada. The most prominent among them are the Express Entry system and Provincial Nominee Programs.<./p>

Express Entry system

The Express Entry system is the most popular immigration program for skilled foreign workers because of its quick application processing times. The fast processing time is due to the IRCC’s focus on keeping and reuniting families as quickly as possible. Applicants must create an Express Entry profile account if they wish to apply to immigrate to Canada using the Express Entry system.

The Express Entry system is made up of three programs. These programs are as follows.

  • Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP): The FSWP was created for skilled workers with a degree or equivalent qualification from a recognized tertiary educational institution.
  • Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP): The FSTP targets eligible foreign skilled tradespeople with a recognized diploma or certified job-specific training to immigrate to Canada.
  • Canadian Experience Class (CEC): The CEC was designed for skilled workers with prior working experience in Canada (minimum of 1 year) via a study, work permit, or Working Holiday Visa to apply for permanent residency status in Canada.

Find out more about the Express Entry eligibility requirements and how to apply.

Provincial Nominee Programs

Provinces can nominate eligible foreign immigrants who wish to live and work in that province for permanent residency in Canada. To receive a valid immigration visa using Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP), applicants must elect a province they want to move to and apply for a provincial nomination from that province.

PNPs allow for accelerated immigration processing based on the set needs for labor, i.e., in-demand occupations prevalent in that province.

Manitoba’s PNP comprises the following streams::

Find out more about Manitoba PNP eligibility requirements and how to apply.

Temporary Residency

If you are unsuccessful in your application for permanent residency in Canada, then you can use work permits to obtain temporary resident (TR) status, putting you on a pathway to eventually receiving PR status.

Work Permits

Work permits authorize eligible foreign recipients to work in Canada for a period specified on the permit. Additionally, they show how long the recipient can work in Canada, ranging up to several years depending on the work permit issued and extensions granted.

There are two different types of Canadian work permits, which are:

  • An employer-specific work permit
  • An open work permit.

Learn more about work permit eligibility requirements and how to apply for a work permit here.

IEC Working Holiday Visa Program

International Experience Canada (IEC) allows foreign youth (18-35 years old) from eligible countries to live and work in Canada for up to two years. Recipients of the Working Holiday Visa program obtain international working experience and get to explore Canada’s cities and natural landscapes.

Find out more about eligibility criteria and how to apply for the IEC Working Holiday Visa here.

What Does Manitoba Have to Offer You?

What Does Manitoba have to offer you?

Manitoba’s many unique factors make it an excellent province. Here are five reasons to make Manitoba your new home.

High Quality of Life

Manitoba, much like the rest of Canada, has a high quality of life with universal access to quality healthcare, education, and recreational facilities and institutions. Additionally, the province has beautiful lakes, forests, and hiking trails, making it an ideal destination for outdoor enthusiasts.

Manitoba also has a well-known cost of living compared to other Canadian provinces and national living costs. For example, using the primary cities in Manitoba and Ontario, Winnipeg and Toronto respectively, the average monthly consumer prices, rent prices, restaurant and grocery prices in Toronto are higher than in Winnipeg according to numbeo.com.

Moreover, according to numbeo.com, you need 7,637.2 CAD in Toronto to have the same standard of living that you can have in Winnipeg with only 6,000 CAD.

Friendly and Welcoming Community

Manitoba is known for its welcoming communities with many friendly residents. The province is rich in cultural diversity and a sense of community that is among the strongest in Canada.

Strong Economy

Manitoba has a growing and diverse economy with many industries ranging from agriculture and manufacturing to technology and finance. The province has a low unemployment rate of 4.8%, according to the Canadian government’s Jobbank.

Accessible Urban Centers

Winnipeg is a vibrant city with a rich cultural scene, great restaurants, and various entertainment options. The city is home to many post-secondary institutions, including the University of Manitoba and the University of Winnipeg, offering a range of programs and courses.

Now that you know the Best Places to Live in Manitoba, it's time to make your move one of the best ways to do this is to use the services of Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs).

RCICs can assist clients with immigration matters, including how and when to submit applications for Canadian visas, work permits, and study permits, and assisting clients in preparing for interviews and fulfilling eligibility requirements.

FAQs

What is the Best Place to Move to in Manitoba?

The best place to move to Manitoba depends on individual needs such as your eligibility to move, work experience, climate preferences, and wage/salary. However, Winnipeg, is still the most cited place for the best socio-economic opportunities in Manitoba.

What is the Most Culturally Diverse City in Manitoba?

Winnipeg, Manitoba’s capital city with the largest population by a significant margin, is the most culturally diverse city in the province, according to the provincial government website.