Leaf Rapids

History

In 1969, Sherritt Gordon Mines discovered a vast copper and zinc ore body at Ruttan Lake. As a result of this substantial discovery, there was an urgent demand for a community to provide support services for the mine and its workers. The first residents of Leaf Rapids arrived in 1971 and the community's infrastructure was completed in the fall of 1976. During this same year, the community's population exceeded 2,000 residents. Leaf Rapids is sometimes described as the "instant town" due to the fast construction time and the large population that gathered during the short time period. In March 2007, Leaf Rapids became the first municipality in Canada to ban the use of single-use plastic shopping bags. The Ruttan Mine closed down in June 2002, leading to an immediate impact on Leaf Rapids' economy: businesses such as CIBC and Northern closed their Leaf Rapids locations, and 900 residents indicated that they planned to leave. The state of the town has continued to decline in the years that followed, with a dwindling population (having fallen to 350 in 2021), lack of employment opportunities, high levels of crime, and degrading infrastructure (including roads in need of repair, and having been under a boil-water advisory since 2013). The town is vulnerable to wildfires, while a 2024 Canada Post strike impacted the ability for resources such as medication to be sent to the town. In 2019. the province of Manitoba dissolved the municipal council because quorum could not be reached after two representatives were removed for not attending meetings and a third resigning. As a result, Leaf Rapids was placed under third party administration, hired and paid for by the province, which has further complicated efforts to manage the town. During the 2025 wildfires, the town…