Altona, Manitoba

Altona (2006 population 3,709.)(coord|49|06|N|097|33|W|) is a predominantly Mennonite community in southern Manitoba about 100 km south-west of Winnipeg and 133 km north of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Much of the surrounding area is devoted to farming and agriculture-based business. Its sister city is Emerald, Australia [ [http://www.townofaltona.com/town/newsletter/2001/07/index.html Town of Altona website] ] .

Attractions

s.Cite web |title=A Century of Agriculturein Manitoba |url=http://www.umanitoba.ca/afs/agric_economics/Century/ACenturyofAgriculture.PDF |first=Janet |last=Honey |coauthors=Oleson, Brian |format=pdf |publisher=University of Manitoba |date=2006-09-10 |accessdate=2008-09-02] ]

It is called "The Sunflower Capital Of Canada", and is host to the annual Sunflower Festival. The Sunflower Festival has a Sunflower festival pageant where they crown a queen every year, and she wins a trip to Australia. The festival also includes a small midway, quilt show, baseball tournament, stage show, and street dance to name a few.

It is also home to the largest replica of a famous painting by Vincent Van Gogh. It was named 'The largest painting on an easel by The Guinness Book of World Records in 1998. The painting is 'Sunflowers'. The base (easel) stands at 76'6" and the canvas is made by laminating together 24 sheets of 3/4" plywood and splattering it with 17 gallons of paint to create the picture.

Economy

Altona was the site of the Rhineland Consumers Co-operative (founded 1931), the Altona Service Co-op (founded 1937) and the [http://www.altonacu.mb.ca/ Altona Credit Union] (founded 1939). These co-operative enterprises were a highly effective local response to the devastating impact of the Great Depression on local farmers' incomes. Jake Siemens played an important role in their development, and the growth of the co-operative movement in southern Manitoba.

Altona is also home to Friesens Corporation, which started off as a small stationery store and is now employs hundreds of people. It is the primary printer of yearbooks in North America, as well as printing in commercial consumer books, specializing in full color art and educational books.

The first Mennonite Central Committee Thrift Shop was founded in Altona in 1972. Staffed by volunteers, MCC Thrift stores now contribute about $4M annually to MCC projects.

References

* Robert Meyers. Spirit of the Post Road, Federation of Southern Manitoba Co-operatives (1955).

* Esther Epp-Tiessen. "Altona: The Story of a Prairie Town" an on-line resource at [http://www.ourroots.ca/e/toc.aspx?id=3854 Our Roots]

External links

* [http://www.townofaltona.com/ Town of Altona]
* [http://www.communityprofiles.mb.ca/cgi-bin/csd/index.cgi?id=4603040 Town of Altona Community Profile]
* [http://www.altonacu.mb.ca/ Altona Credit Union]