The Pas
| Town of The Pas | ||
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| Welcome sign | ||
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| Motto: Adventure Territory | ||
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| Coordinates: 53°49′30″N 101°15′12″W / 53.82500°N 101.25333°WCoordinates: 53°49′30″N 101°15′12″W / 53.82500°N 101.25333°W | ||
| Country | Canada | |
| Province | Manitoba | |
| Census division | 21 | |
| Region | Northern Region | |
| Incorporated (town) | 1912 | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Alan McLauchlan | |
| Area[1] | ||
| • Land | 47.83 km2 (18.47 sq mi) | |
| • Urban | 14.15 km2 (5.46 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 271 m (889 ft) | |
| Population (2011)[1] | ||
| • City | 5,513 | |
| • Density | 116.9/km2 (303/sq mi) | |
| • Urban | 5,689 | |
| • Urban density | 402.1/km2 (1,041/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | CST (UTC−5) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC−6) | |
The Pas (pron.: /ðəˈpɑː/; French: Le Pas) is a town in Manitoba, Canada, located in Division No. 21, Manitoba in the Northern Region, some 630 kilometres northwest of the provincial capital, Winnipeg, and about 40 kilometres from the border of Saskatchewan. It is sometimes still called Paskoyac by locals as the first trading post was called Fort Paskoyac. The Pasquia River which begins in the Pasquia Hills in east central Saskatchewan runs into the Saskatchewan River at this point. The French in 1795 knew the river as Basquiau.
Known as "The Gateway to the North", The Pas is a multi-industry northern Manitoba town serving a district population of over 15,000 (including the Opaskwayak Cree Nation). The main components of the region's economy are agriculture, forestry, commercial fishing, tourism, transportation, and services (especially health and education). The main employer is a paper and lumber mill operated by Tolko Industries. The Pas contains one of the two main campuses of the University College of the North.
The Pas is bordered by the Rural Municipality of Kelsey, as well as part of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation.
History
The area's original inhabitants were the Cree. They are thought to have migrated from the southeastern prairies over 9000 years ago[citation needed].
The first European recorded to encounter the Cree here was Henry Kelsey, an employee of the Hudson's Bay Company. He travelled through the area between 1690 and 1692 on his way to the Canadian prairies.
During the years of New France, La Vérendrye, the first western military commander, directed the construction of Fort Pascoyac near here. It was named after the people of the Pasquia River.
For years the settlement was called Pascoyac, sometimes shortened to Le Pas. The Pas Indian Band's reserve lands around the site of the Hudson Bay trading post and the Anglican Church Mission were surrendered in the first decade of the 20th century to make way for the railroad and development of the Town of The Pas which was incorporated in 1912. The Pas Indian Band was relocated to the north side of the Saskatchewan River and changed its name to Opaskwayak Cree Nation. The area today is composed of three distinct communities: The Town of The Pas, the Opaskwayak Cree Nation, and the Rural Municipality of Kelsey.
The history of the city and the region may be seen at the Sam Waller Museum, located in the old courthouse in downtown The Pas.
Literature
The Pas was made famous for many young Canadians when author Farley Mowat published in 1956, the first of two children's'/young adults' books set in the vicinity and which mentions the town prominently, titled Lost in the Barrens. The story initially takes place at a remote trapping lodge, and then mostly in the Canadian "barren lands" further north. However, The Pas is mentioned often in parts of the book as being the main trading centre that the book's protagonists travel to, to stock up on provisions and supplies to take back to their homes in the bush. In Canada and elsewhere, the book is used as part of school reading, and so despite its size, The Pas is widely known to several generations of Canadians, much as the town of Hannibal, Missouri is known to many from Mark Twain's writings.
Government and politics
The Pas is governed by a mayor and six councillors, who are elected by residents. The mayor is Alan McLauchlan.
The region is represented in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as part of The Pas riding. The riding was held by New Democratic MLA Oscar Lathlin until his death in November 2008.
In the House of Commons of Canada, The Pas is part of the Churchill riding, held by NDP MP Niki Ashton.
Sports
The people of The Pas have always supported their local hockey, baseball, and other sports teams very loyally and enthusiastically. The OCN Blizzard is owned by the Opaskwayak Cree Nation. The team competes in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. The Pas is also home to the OCN Storm of the Keystone Junior Hockey League as well as the Huskies minor hockey league and the MBCI Spartans who compete in Zone 11 of the MHSAA.
Margaret Barbour Collegiate Institute made history in 2004 when it became the first team in history of MHSAA High School Darts to defeat the powerhouse Neelin Spartans team. Mayor Alan McLauchlan called the victory a great achievement in the city's history and proposed a monument to be constructed on the south side of the Saskatchewan River. [2]
The Intermediate 'A' version of The Pas Huskies won the 1968-69 Manitoba championship. The Pas has produced a lot of hockey talent over the years. The son of former Husky star defenceman Jack Giles, Curt Giles, was a dazzling skater at age three and later had a good career in the NHL with New York Rangers, St. Louis, and Minnesota. The Pas native Murray Anderson, however, was the first known locally-born player to make the NHL, with Washington Capitals in the 1970s. Warren Harrison, younger brother of ex-Husky Roger Harrison, was drafted 53rd overall by the Oakland Seals in the 1969 NHL amateur draft.
The Pas Teepees were baseball champions in the Polar League in 1959. The team included several members of the Huskies, and were inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 2005
Education
The Pas's public school system is the Kelsey School Division, which consists of two elementary schools (Kelsey Elementary and Opasquia School), One middle schools (Scott Bateman Middle School), One Adult learning centre (Mary Duncan) and one high school (Margaret Barbour Collegiate Institute)
There is also a K-6 school (Joe A. Ross) and a junior high/high school (Oscar Lathlin Collegiate) located on the Opaskwayak Cree Nation.
The town hosts one of the two main campuses of the University College of the North.
Local media
- Radio
- AM 1240: CJAR, adult contemporary
- FM 92.7: CITP-FM, First Nations community radio
- FM 93.7: CKSB-3-FM, Première Chaîne (repeats CKSB Winnipeg)
- FM 94.5: CBWJ-FM, CBC Radio One (repeats CBWK-FM Thompson)
- Television
CBWIT first went on the air in June, 1962 as CBWBT-1. The station broadcast kinescope recordings sent to the transmitter from CBWT. On March 1, 1969, the province-wide microwave system replaced the kinescope recordings, and The Pas has enjoyed live television since then.[3]
All stations serving The Pas are repeaters of Winnipeg-based stations.
Shaw Communications is the local cable television provider serving The Pas, and operates the local Shaw TV channel on cable channel 11.
- Newspapers
- Opasquia Times
Climate
The Pas experiences a borderline subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc/Dfb) with long cold winters and short warm summers.
| Climate data for The Pas Airport | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high Humidex | 9.1 | 9.6 | 15.1 | 27.8 | 38.6 | 44.5 | 43.9 | 41.9 | 35.0 | 26.8 | 18.3 | 7.8 | 44.5 |
| Record high °C (°F) | 9.4 (48.9) |
10.2 (50.4) |
15.6 (60.1) |
30.0 (86) |
33.3 (91.9) |
35.6 (96.1) |
36.7 (98.1) |
35.0 (95) |
31.7 (89.1) |
25.6 (78.1) |
18.4 (65.1) |
8.3 (46.9) |
36.7 (98.1) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −15.8 (3.6) |
−10.6 (12.9) |
−2.9 (26.8) |
7.0 (44.6) |
15.4 (59.7) |
20.7 (69.3) |
23.4 (74.1) |
22.2 (72) |
14.9 (58.8) |
7.2 (45) |
−4.1 (24.6) |
−13.0 (8.6) |
5.4 (41.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −20.6 (−5.1) |
−16.1 (3) |
−8.9 (16) |
1.0 (33.8) |
9.0 (48.2) |
14.8 (58.6) |
17.7 (63.9) |
16.5 (61.7) |
10.0 (50) |
3.1 (37.6) |
−7.8 (18) |
−17.4 (0.7) |
0.1 (32.2) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −25.5 (−13.9) |
−21.6 (−6.9) |
−14.9 (5.2) |
−5.0 (23) |
2.6 (36.7) |
8.9 (48) |
12.0 (53.6) |
10.8 (51.4) |
5.0 (41) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
−11.4 (11.5) |
−21.9 (−7.4) |
−5.2 (22.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −45.0 (−49) |
−49.4 (−56.9) |
−39.4 (−38.9) |
−30.0 (−22) |
−12.8 (9) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
1.4 (34.5) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
−7.2 (19) |
−16.7 (1.9) |
−35.5 (−31.9) |
−44.4 (−47.9) |
−49.4 (−56.9) |
| Wind chill | −59.8 | −56.3 | −48.8 | −42.4 | −20.6 | −6.8 | 1.6 | −1.6 | −12.2 | −27.3 | −44.9 | −54.1 | −59.8 |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 16.1 (0.634) |
13.4 (0.528) |
19.2 (0.756) |
25.9 (1.02) |
36.3 (1.429) |
67.6 (2.661) |
64.8 (2.551) |
62.5 (2.461) |
55.4 (2.181) |
40.3 (1.587) |
23.0 (0.906) |
18.3 (0.72) |
442.8 (17.433) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 0.1 (0.004) |
0.4 (0.016) |
2.1 (0.083) |
10.0 (0.394) |
32.2 (1.268) |
67.6 (2.661) |
64.8 (2.551) |
62.5 (2.461) |
54.2 (2.134) |
27.3 (1.075) |
2.4 (0.094) |
0.3 (0.012) |
323.8 (12.748) |
| Snowfall cm (inches) | 23.0 (9.06) |
18.6 (7.32) |
22.5 (8.86) |
18.1 (7.13) |
4.3 (1.69) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1.4 (0.55) |
14.6 (5.75) |
26.9 (10.59) |
25.6 (10.08) |
154.9 (60.98) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 11.5 | 8.5 | 8.4 | 7.1 | 9.2 | 11.6 | 13.1 | 12.1 | 11.5 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 10.6 | 125.8 |
| Avg. rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 0.17 | 0.33 | 0.72 | 3.7 | 8.4 | 11.6 | 13.1 | 12.1 | 11.1 | 7.8 | 1.0 | 0.33 | 70.4 |
| Avg. snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 12.9 | 9.4 | 8.6 | 4.5 | 1.3 | 0.07 | 0 | 0 | 0.57 | 4.9 | 11.9 | 11.8 | 65.9 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 100.1 | 127.1 | 189.6 | 240.6 | 273.8 | 285.2 | 297.6 | 273.2 | 173.1 | 117.8 | 76.2 | 81.5 | 2,235.9 |
| Source: Environment Canada[4] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1921 | 1,858 | — |
| 1931 | 4,030 | +116.9% |
| 1941 | 3,181 | −21.1% |
| 1951 | 3,376 | +6.1% |
| 1961 | 4,671 | +38.4% |
| 1981 | 6,390 | +36.8% |
| 1986 | 6,283 | −1.7% |
| 1991 | 6,166 | −1.9% |
| 1996 | 5,945 | −3.6% |
| 2001 | 5,795 | −2.5% |
| 2006 | 5,589 | −3.6% |
| 2011 | 5,513 | −1.4% |
| [5][6][7][8][9][10] | ||
References
- ^ a b "2006 Community Profiles". Canada 2006 Census. Statistics Canada. 2006. Retrieved 2010-02-14.
- ^ http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/darts-phil-taylor-rules-out-retirement-after-latest-victory-3341388.html
- ^ "Microwave Hook-Up Gives North Live TV". Winnipeg Free Press. April 29, 1969. p. 28.
- ^ "The Pas A, Manitoba". Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000 (in English & French). Environment Canada. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
- ^ http://www66.statcan.gc.ca/eng/acyb_c1932-eng.aspx?opt=/eng/1932/193201450107_p. 107.pdf
- ^ http://www66.statcan.gc.ca/eng/acyb_c1955-eng.aspx?opt=/eng/1955/195501700144_p. 144.pdf
- ^ http://www66.statcan.gc.ca/eng/acyb_c1967-eng.aspx?opt=/eng/1967/196702240192_p. 192.pdf#tphp
- ^ http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/english/census96/data/profiles/Rp-eng.cfm?TABID=1&LANG=E&APATH=3&DETAIL=0&DIM=0&FL=A&FREE=0&GC=0&GK=0&GRP=1&PID=35782&PRID=0&PTYPE=3&S=0&SHOWALL=0&SUB=0&Temporal=1996&THEME=34&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=
- ^ http://www12.statcan.ca/english/profil01/CP01/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=4621045&Geo2=PR&Code2=46&Data=Count&SearchText=The Pas&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=
- ^ http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/hlt-fst/pd-pl/Table-Tableau.cfm?LANG=Eng&T=307&S=11&O=A&RPP=699
External links
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to: The Pas, Manitoba |
- Town of The Pas website
- The Pas & District Chamber of Commerce
- Northern Manitoba Trappers Festival
- Map of The Pas at Statcan
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Flin Flon Cranberry Portage |
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| Nipawin | The Pas/Grace Lake Airport | |||
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| Swan River |
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