Rural Municipality of Springfield


Springfield is a rural municipality in Manitoba, Canada. It stretches from urban industrial development on the eastern boundary of the City of Winnipeg, through urban, rural residential, agricultural and natural landscapes, to the Agassiz Provincial Forest on the municipality's eastern boundary. Birds Hill Provincial Park nestles into the northwestern corner of Springfield.

Information

Springfield was incorporated in 1880 as a result of changes made to the RM of Springfield and Sunnyside. The municipality received its name due to the presence of multiple natural springs found within its borders. While farming is still important in the municipality, today many residents are employed in nearby Winnipeg.
Springfield's population was 15,342 as of the 2016 census, making it the second most populous RM in the province and fifth most populous municipality overall.

Communities

The RM of Springfield contains many sites of historical and cultural significance such as the Sunnyside cemetery, the Springfield Hutterite colony, North Springfield school, Springfield Agricultural Society and the Dugald rail accident site. In 1996, the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception in Cooks Creek was designated a National Historic Site of Canada.

Government

Municipal

The RM is governed by a reeve and councilors representing the RM's five wards. The government has come under some scrutiny for having the highest compensation to mayor and council relative to all other municipalities in the Winnipeg capital region.
Springfield's administrative center is in Oakbank, the largest community in the RM.

Provincial

The RM is represented by two ridings in the Manitoba Legislative Assembly: Springfield-Ritchot and Dawson Trail. The former Springfield electoral district included all of the RM and parts of adjacent East St. Paul.

Federal

The RM is split between two federal ridings: Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman and Provencher. From 1914 through 1966, a federal riding was also called "Springfield" with varying boundaries not always coterminous with the municipality.