The Pas

The Pas (/ðəˈpɑː/; French: Le Pas) is a town in Manitoba, Canada, located at the confluence of the Pasquia and the Saskatchewan rivers, at Saskin Division No. 21, Manitoba in the Northern Region. It is some 630 kilometres northwest of the provincial capital, Winnipeg, and about 40 kilometres from the border of Saskatchewan. It is sometimes still called Paskoyac by locals after the first trading post, called Fort Paskoyac and constructed during French colonial rule. The Pasquia River begins in the Pasquia Hills in east central Saskatchewan. The French in 1795 knew the river as Basquiau.

Known as "The Gateway to the North", The Pas is a multi-industry northern Manitoba town serving a district population of over 15,000 (including the Opaskwayak Cree Nation). The main components of the region's economy are agriculture, forestry, commercial fishing, tourism, transportation, and services (especially health and education). The main employer is a paper and lumber mill operated by Tolko Industries. The Pas contains one of the two main campuses of the University College of the North.

The Pas (electoral district)

The Pas is a provincial electoral division in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was created in 1912 following the expansion of the province's northern border, and has existed continuously since that time. It is named for the rural city of The Pas.

Until the 1960s, elections in The Pas were deferred until a few weeks after the rest of the province for logistical reasons. It was not unheard of for politicians from the south of the province to run in The Pas after being chosen as cabinet ministers by newly elected provincial governments; Edward Brown and John Bracken were both elected in this manner.

The Pas is located in the north of the province. It is bordered by Rupertsland to the east and south, Thompson and Flin Flon to the north, Swan River and Lake Winnipeg to the south, and the province of Saskatchewan to the west. Besides The Pas, it also includes Easterville and Norway House.

The riding's population in 1996 was 19,449. In 1999, the average family income was $42,878, and the unemployment rate was 17.80%. Health and social services account for 14% of the riding's economy, with retail trade accounting for another 14%.