Elma, Manitoba

The area settlement was known as Janow, after the name of its post office.[1] This was a name settled on between the store owner, John Giliewich, and the post office inspector.[1] The preferred name Yaroriw was turned down as the inspector thought there might be difficulty with name. After the railway was built the name changed to Elma.[1]

Its name is said to have originated from a man named Thomas Koivu and his wife Maria, who worked for the CPR and had a baby who was named Elma (1905). And so, Elma became the name that the town all decided on,[1] though it is more likely the name was given when the National Transcontinental Railway (a predecessor of the Canadian National Railway) was built through the area in 1905. It was common for small railroad towns to be named by the railroad engineers or other planners. Elma Station was demolished in the late 1960s and a small rail station (hut) was used frequently by people going to isolated cabins in the eastern Whiteshell and North Western Manitoba. The station hut was removed in 2014 by Canadian National Railways.

Its population is approximately 90 full-time residents. This grows during the summer as many people have small cabins for summer use. The Community Club is active and opens for private and community functions and rentals. Elma is central to a large recreational area. Agassiz Forest, Sandilands, Lakes of the Whiteshell, Snowmobile trails, and whitewater canoeing, kayaking, are all within a few minutes drive.

Property costs in S.E. Manitoba are lower than areas to the North, North East and West of the City of Winnipeg. The town of Whitemouth, a 7-minute drive from Elma, has several conveniences such as a clinic, dentist, pharmacy, hardware store, convenience store, school, RCMP station, Credit Union, Insurance Agency.

The biggest employers in the area are the Canadian National Railways, Sun Gro Horticulture Income Fund, and Seer Logging. A Hemp plant 25 minutes from Elma is starting up in 2019/2020 and is expected to employ up to 200 workers.[2] Many residents commute to Winnipeg or Beausejour for work.

There were several debates in the town over sewer and water being installed over the years. In 2010 a bid by the RM of Whitemouth was quashed by the courts. Most of the residentially funded opposition was due to the large cost, on average 20,000 dollars per property, Under an updated Provincial Order in September 2010 some commercial properties as much as $100,000,[3]

In the Fall of 2011, the RM of Whitemouth installed a municipal water pipeline (originating in Seven Sisters, 35 Kilometres away) for those residents who wanted it. The costs were to be shared between those people and a small government grant. Costs averaging 13,000 dollars per household. As of 2018, the Municipality passed a bylaw requiring homeowners to hire their own contractor to install water service. It is expected to be lower than the Municipal original charge. A recent report (August 2019) noted a significant amount of treated water was unaccounted for from the local water utility (Estimated 55,000 Cubic Meters in 2018.) This was reportedly corrected.

A new home building incentive forgiving municipal taxes for two years was instituted in 2014. Many people have used this incentive. A report by the Whitemouth Reynolds Planning District (2018) states there has been an overall population decline over the preceding fifteen years. To encourage new builds and residents to come into the area subdivisions for residential purposes may be permitted, and there have been some subdivisions already made suitable for new builds. Some restrictions limiting where new builds can go are land cleared or improved for agricultural purposes, and areas where wildlife may be impacted. The proposed lot should be a minimum of 2 acres in size and have direct access to a municipal road or highway. Elma has several town lots ready for new builds.

Elma did not have any reliable Cellphone Service until September 2019 when the old microwave tower in Whitemouth was retrofitted with (Bell MTS) cell equipment. Elma residents report between 2 and 5 bars depending on location and provider. Another tower is being built 29 Km to the West in St. Rita in the next couple of years. This will complete coverage along Highway 15.