MEMBER PROFILE
Constructed in 2011, Virden’s Tundra
Oil & Gas Place Arena is the home of
the Manitoba Junior ‘A’ hockey team, the
Virden Oil Capitals. With a 1,200-seat,
NHL-size ice surface, a swimming pool
and waterslide, 500-seat community hall,
walking track, canteen and a fitness centre,
this LEED-certified, multi-purpose rec-reation
centre is a significant facility for
a community of Virden’s size. Outside of
Brandon, it is the largest such complex in
southwest Manitoba.
Earlier this year, Virden identified a
prime, two-acre parcel of land adjacent to
the arena grounds as an opportunity for
additional business or recreational devel-opment.
The town is seeking a high-quality
proponent to purchase and develop the
land, with the understanding that any proj-ect
must also fit the existing infrastructure
and development within the area.
Just north of the Trans-Canada
Highway is the Virden/R.J. (Bob) Andrew
Field Regional Aerodrome which, during
the Second World War, was home to both
the Royal Canadian Air Force Station
Virden and the No. 19 Elementary Flying
Training School – part of the British
Commonwealth Air Training Plan. The
airport is currently planning work that will
allow it to adhere to, and align with, new
Transport Canada regulations, as well as
improve access for medical aircraft. The
work may include moving some existing
infrastructure and buildings, and enhanc-ing
the taxiway and runway.
This past summer, Virden unveiled
its $3 million plan to secure a new water
source to replace the current source, which
has issues related to fluctuating arsenic
levels. Early groundwater exploration and
investigation have uncovered a promising
source of water close by, and a new well
was drilled to determine water quality and
volume. With those results, Virden has
awarded the tender to construct the pipe-lines
and is in the process of issuing the
tender for the mechanical building.
Although the region’s construction
sector has seen a decline over the last
few years (compounded by COVID-
19), the council has worked tirelessly to
create new construction opportunities
for Virden.
Currently, the town owns – and has
available – several industrial subdivi-sion
lots at the 77-acre Airport Industrial
Park, located adjacent to the airport.
This industrial park is comprised of 12
commercial-size lots, as well as three larger
industrial-size lots.
“Just the fact that the Town of Virden
bought this land to construct an indus-trial
park demonstrates some serious
outside-the-box thinking for a smaller
rural community,” said Park. “It’s not a
huge industrial area, but it is an innovative
project that has been doing well, seeing
as there are only a few lots still available
for development.”
Since oil was first discovered beneath
the surrounding prairie topsoil in 1951,
Virden has become informally known as
‘Manitoba’s Oil Capital.’ Thanks to the
proximity of the surrounding oil fields, its
important agricultural industry and the
aforementioned industrial park, the Town
has found some considerable success in
attracting and retaining a large pool of
highly-skilled personnel and tradespeo-ple
to contribute to the future growth of
the community.
“Along with our strong agricultural
economy, we certainly have had the benefit
of the oil industry to make our town grow,”
said Park. “But we are now at the point of
thinking about where we will be in the next
decade and what that might look like. So we
are starting to strategically plan and – with
a lot of community engagement – we are
trying to figure out a ‘roadmap’ for Virden,
expanding on what we have and identifying
some new opportunities.”
Created three years ago, Virden’s Main
Street Boost Project has canvassed town
residents to find new ways to renew and
strengthen the Town’s downtown repu-tation
as a go-to destination for people
who live in the region or are simply trav-elling
through. In January, the Virden
Boost Committee hired Winnipeg-based,
HTFC Planning & Design, to oversee
its Development and Concept Design
Revitalization Plan, which will continue to
evolve through 2021.
“Our town is increasingly buying
into itself,” said Park. “We have com-munity
interest groups like this popping
up more and more. An interested group
has formed the Scallion Creek Trail
Committee to investigate the revival of a
“All of those specialty services
that a smaller rural town
usually doesn’t have can be
found here in Virden.”
– Liza Park, Town of Virden
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