| | [[York Factory]] was founded in 1684 and was the provinces oldest settlement. [[Charles II]] had granted the entire [[Hudson Bay]] watershed to the [[Hudson's Bay Company]], which was purchased from them by the Canadian Government in 1869 for 300,000 pounds. Manitoba joined confederation in 1870. The total area of Manitoba is 649,950 km<sup>2</sup> and had a population of 1,182,921 in 2007 accounting for 3.6% of the national total.<ref>[http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/070628/d070628c.htm |Statistics Canada: Canada's Population estimates]</ref> | | [[York Factory]] was founded in 1684 and was the provinces oldest settlement. [[Charles II]] had granted the entire [[Hudson Bay]] watershed to the [[Hudson's Bay Company]], which was purchased from them by the Canadian Government in 1869 for 300,000 pounds. Manitoba joined confederation in 1870. The total area of Manitoba is 649,950 km<sup>2</sup> and had a population of 1,182,921 in 2007 accounting for 3.6% of the national total.<ref>[http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/070628/d070628c.htm |Statistics Canada: Canada's Population estimates]</ref> |
| − | At the provincial level, Manitoba is led by the socialist [[New Democratic Party]] majority. They have imposed one of the highest [[tax]] rates in the country, unnecessary bureaucratic waste, and useless crown corporations and government "programs". These have stunted Manitoba's economic growth, continuing its status as a have-not province, receiving even more equalization payment per capita than [[Quebec]]. Manitoba's vast economic potential, with its central location, abundant resources, agriculture, hyrdo, and the cosmopolitan [[Winnipeg]], has been grotesquely hindered. | + | At the provincial level, Manitoba is led by the socialist [[New Democratic Party]] majority. They have imposed one of the highest [[tax]] rates in the country, unnecessary bureaucratic waste, detrimental regulation, and useless crown corporations and government "programs". These have stunted Manitoba's economic growth, continuing its status as a have-not province, receiving even more equalization payment per capita than [[Quebec]]. Manitoba's vast economic potential, with its central location, abundant resources, agriculture, hyrdo, and the cosmopolitan [[Winnipeg]], has been grotesquely hindered. |