Rapid City, Manitoba
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rapid City | |
|---|---|
 Rapid City Dam and Reservoir | |
  Rapid City Location of Rapid City in Manitoba | |
| Coordinates: 50°07′15″N 100°02′09″W / 50.12083°N 100.03583°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Manitoba |
| Region | Westman |
| Rural municipality | Oakview |
| Incorporated | June 9, 1883 |
| Amalgamated | January 1, 2015 |
| Area | |
| • Land | 5.19 km2 (2.00 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
• Total | 796 |
| • Density | 77.3/km2 (200/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (EDT) |
Rapid City is an unincorporated community recognized as a local urban district[2] that also once held town status in southwest Manitoba, Canada within the Rural Municipality of Oakview. It is located about 30 km north of Brandon. Rapid City is a farming community that is developed on the banks of the Little Saskatchewan River. The dam and reservoir in Rapid City were built by the province in 1961, the reservoir stores 200 acre-feet (250,000 m3) and provides a water supply and recreational facility for the community.
As the railroad expanded in the 1870s, settlers were drawn to the area to build their homes and set up their businesses. The community was originally called Ralston's Colony (after John Ralston, an early settler). Around 1877, it was decided to rename the community Rapid City. Since the community was on the banks of the Little Saskatchewan River, and it was a "rapid stream," "rapid" and "city" were chosen and reflected the optimism of those early settlers.[3]
It was assumed that the projected northerly route away from Portage la Prairie would take it through Rapid City and its narrow river crossing; however, the route suddenly changed to a more westerly route. That brought it through the location of present-day Brandon, which resulted in that city's boom and growth.[4] In 1891, the subdistrict of Rapid City subdistrict had a population of 543.[5]
.svg){kind=small}
