Southwest Manitoba is one of the greatest locations to be living and working in all of Canada!  You and your family will have the opportunity to be part of our kind-hearted communities. Come and experience our wonderful world of success in industry, agriculture, community, health and education.  This is where you and your family will have the opportunity to succeed in employment, lifestyle, and as a family.

The Southwest Regional Immigration Committee is comprised of eight communities and municipalities within the southwest region of Manitoba: Boissevain, Deloraine, Melita, Rivers, Rural Municipality of Pipestone, Rural Municipality of Whitewater, Souris and Virden. Our communities have all come together with the same purpose in mind; to attract and retain immigrants from around the globe.  We want to insure your success as the newest member of our community.

We offer our services at no charge. We encourage you to contact the community of your choice for more information about immigrating to the Southwest!

Click here to view a map of Southwest Manitoba.

Start Your Exploration of the Southwest

• Select Southwest -- Information about our region, its history and our people, lifestyle and economy.
• Destination Southwest -- Determine your options for immigrating to the Southwest, including the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program.
• Settle Southwest -- Find out more about working and living in the Southwest, including healthcare, education, childcare, seniors programs and important documents required.
• Indulge in Southwest -- Discover the recreation, arts, culture and leisure activities which can be part of your new life in the Southwest!

Family Success Stories

The Ayre Family

Although for most the immigration process is long and gruelling, the Ayre Family had an unusually easy experience. They applied through the federal system and only six months later received their visas! Heather and Andrew Ayre and their children, Jake and Caitlin, arrived in Southwest Manitoba in 2002. The children are very much into ice hockey and figure skating in the winter. Jake also plays baseball and basketball. As a family they ski in winter and swim and fish in the summer. The Ayres own a grain farm and seed plant. Andrew works at this full-time and Heather works in the office. She also work part-time as an economic development officer and teach aerobics and yoga — so they are pretty busy!

Heather and Andrew chose Southwest Manitoba because it was one of the few areas they could get information on. They attended a presentation by a Canadian real-estate agent in England. They started looking in 1999 and finally arrived in 2002 after a couple of visits.

Heather likes the friendliness of the people and the lifestyle. Andrew appreciates the business opportunities and has been very successful here. The kids really enjoy the sports. They would never have had the opportunity to skate or ski in England. The family have their own swimming pool here, something they would never have had in England because they could not have afforded it and the weather is terrible. They also like the fact that it is safe here, the crime rate is low and people are very helpful and trusting.

Unfortunately, Heather hates the winter — it is too long (but most people who live here hate winter, too!) The driving scares her in winter; it is something you have to get used to. She also find the distances a hassle — it takes so long to get anywhere, but again you get used to it. And of course, there are the mosquitoes — they aren't too keen on the mosquitoes.

Before the Ayres arrived they would have liked to know more about winter clothing, driving, etc. Rabies (an animal-born disease) is something they knew nothing about and which was a bit of a shock (Caitlin was bitten by a stray cat). They also would have liked to have understood how the Pharmacare program works.

But the good outweighs the bad. They Ayres feel safe and at home. It is also a very peaceful country and full of opportunities. Jake loves the winter sports and Caitlin loves the summer. The Ayres feel this is definitely a land of opportunity, but you still have to work hard and accept the Canadian way of daily things. They have a much better lifestyle than in the UK, but it is something you have to work for. There is everything here but you may have to look a bit harder; it is not necessarily obvious. You have to talk to people and take their advice. This is a fairly young country. The country's beauty is not in the buildings but in the landscape which is a bit different compared to the UK. The Ayres are a close family as they don't have any other family here; the move has brought them closer together. They enjoy a far higher standard of living and feel very safe in Manitoba.

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