About This Project

The Rural Municipality of Prairie Lakes was created on January 1, 2015 via the amalgamation of the RMs of Strathcona and Riverside. Strahthcona, incorporated in 1906, was originally part of Argyle Municipality, which was incorporated in 1881.  Riverside was incorporated in 1883. The history of the region is well documented in the volumes of local history produced some time ago in each of the founding municipalities. This project aims to enhance and accompany those volumes with additional visual elements that an online project allows. If you have something to contribute:  additions, corrections or especially, photos or documents, please contact me at: kenstorie3@gmail.com An Introduction to Our Region.... The Municipalities were formed before the railway lines arrived. The names on this map indicate post offices rather than towns.  Rowland had a store and a Stopping Place. Roseberry had a sawmill. Note that although Ninette is on the map, it refers to a post office quite a distance from where the village would later be located. The villages we know today were all created in the 1890's. In 1890 the Canadian Northern Pacific Railroad (a branch of the American company), completed a line linking Morris with Brandon and passing through the center of what was then Argyle Municipality. Belmont and Hilton were created almost overnight. A few years later as we approached the end of the 19th century, another branch, beginning at Departure (also called Hartney Junction) provided service to the west. Ninette, Dunrea and Margaret were created. The name Prairie Lakes reflects the presence of Grass Lake, Overend Lake, Bone Lake, Lorne Lake, Louise Lake, Lloyds Lake, Noble Lake and many more including, of course, Pelican Lake. A Brief Look at Origins Belmont When the railway arrived, a town site was chosen on a quarter section owned by Mr. John O. Bell. The land was purchased from Mr. Bell and in deference to this early pioneer; the town was named Bell's Mount. This was later abbreviated to Belmont. The Post Office was moved from Craigilea to the new settlement and Craigilea was destined to disappear from the map. Belmont, however, flourished, as stores, homes, businesses, railway buildings and elevators were built. The new railway brought prosperity and growth. Belmont became a junction point in 1898 and was the junction of the Belmont-Virden extension of the Canadian National Railway. The railway offered free return trips to Winnipeg to celebrate the event. For many years there was a return daily service both on the Brandon-Wawanesa-Hilton-Belmont-Baldur line and on the Hartney-Ninette-Belmont line. Dunrea The village of Dunrea was created in 1898 when the Northern Pacific and the Manitoba Railway built a rail line from Hartney Junction through Ninette and westward. It was surveyed in land owned by John N. Dunlop  and Thomas Rea...thus Dunrea. Prior to that. a small hamlet had grown up around St. Felix Church and Rectory west of the current town. Hilton As with every other town in Prairie Lakes, its origins are tied to the railway. The village was created in 1899 and by 1895 it had about 200 residents. The community and the name did however exist before that - Hilton School was established in 1885, a bit west of where the town would be located. Margaret In 1891, pioneer John Magwood applied for and received a Post Office, which he named Margaret after his mother. It was located in his home, about a kilometre north of the current village. Margaret was registered as a village in 1900. The first business was a store built in 1899 by John Dalgliesh.