Minitonas, Manitoba, is an unincorporated urban community nestled in the Municipality of Minitonas – Bowsman. Surrounded by the picturesque Swan Valley, Minitonas is a mere 15 km east of the Town of Swan River and in close proximity to the Duck Mountain Provincial Park.
The history of Minitonas dates back to 1898 when it was founded as a campsite of tents on the West Favel River. The Cowan Trail, blazed from Dauphin to Minitonas in 1897, still exists today. In 1899, the community was relocated to its current site along the railway, marked by a cairn at the original location.
The early settlers of Minitonas hailed from the British Isles, Eastern Canada, and the US. The late 1920s saw an influx of immigrants from Czechoslovakia, Ukraine, Germany, and Poland. Immigration continued during World War II and into the 1950s. The Rural Municipality of Minitonas was incorporated in 1901, followed by the Village of Minitonas in 1948, which gained town status in 1996.
On 1 January 2015, the Town of Minitonas amalgamated with the RM of Minitonas and Village of Bowsman to form the Municipality of Minitonas – Bowsman. Since then, Minitonas has been categorized as an unincorporated urban community.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Minitonas had a population of 465 living in 228 of its 257 total private dwellings. With a land area of 2.19 km2 (0.85 sq mi), it had a population density of 212.3/km2 (549.9/sq mi) in 2021.
Schools in Minitonas are governed by the Swan Valley School Division #35. The community boasts Minitonas School, a public school serving kindergarten to Grade 8. The former Minitonas Middle Years School had been nominated in the past as one of Canada's best schools.
Minitonas is conveniently located just south of Manitoba Highway 10 on Provincial Road 366. Known as the Northern Gateway to the Duck Mountains, PR 366 leads directly to Duck Mountain Provincial Park. A CN rail line also runs through the community, terminating at the Louisiana-Pacific mill.
Minitonas offers a variety of recreational facilities. The community features an arena with artificial ice, four baseball diamonds, three soccer fields, and two playgrounds. A sports ground at the northern edge of the community includes four more baseball diamonds, a concession, and non-modern washrooms. A hiking trail follows the East Favel River, and numerous parks and benches are scattered throughout the community.
In the municipality, groomed snowmobile trails can be found. Duck Mountain Provincial Park, located 29 kilometers south of Minitonas, is a popular spot for hunting and fishing. A mile west of the community is Centennial Park, a picnic area at the original location of the tent town.
