Carman, Manitoba, a small agricultural town nestled in the Pembina Valley Region of southern Manitoba, Canada, is a community of approximately 3,000 people. Located at the junction of Highways 3 and 13, Carman is a mere 40-minute drive southwest of Winnipeg. The town is enveloped by the Rural Municipality of Dufferin, situated in the heart of a fertile prairie agricultural belt, and is just 60 km (37 mi) north of the American state of North Dakota. The Boyne River adds to the town's scenic beauty as it meanders through Carman.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Carman had a population of 3,114 living in 1,402 of its 1,466 total private dwellings. This represented a slight decrease of -1.6% from its 2016 population of 3,164. With a land area of 4.32 km2 (1.67 sq mi), Carman had a population density of 720.8/km2 (1,866.9/sq mi) in 2021.
Carman is a hub of local arts activities, facilitated by the Golden Prairie Arts Council, which is located in a historic railway station. The Carman Active Living Centre (ALC), established in 2002, is another cultural landmark. Every April, Carman hosts the Canadian Wall of Fame for exceptional violin talent. The Tempo Festival of the Arts, featuring vocal/choral/speech arts and band/instrumental in February, and piano/strings and dance in April, is another highlight. The Sonatrice Singers, one of Manitoba's longest existing choral groups, has been meeting and performing in Carman since 1972.
The Dufferin Agricultural Society Inc. hosts the Carman Country Fair, one of the oldest running fairs in Manitoba, established in 1879. Affiliated with the Canadian Association of Fairs and Exhibitions, this three-day event is held annually on the second weekend in July. The fair features 4-H and livestock shows, craft, flower and baking competitions, trade show venues, motor sports shows, a midway, and entertainment throughout the weekend.
Carman experiences a humid continental climate (Dfb). The town holds the record for the highest humidex reading in Canada, recorded in 2007, with an extreme high of 53.
Carman is a part of the Southern Regional Health Authority. The town is served by the Carman Memorial Hospital, a 28-bed facility located at 350 - 4th Street S.W. on the south edge of town. Built in 1982, the hospital is staffed by several doctors and a team of 75. It offers family medicine, a surgical program, pediatrics, dietitian service, physiotherapy, diagnostics services, an internal medicine consultant, and an in-house pharmacy. Additionally, there are two medical clinics in Carman, one of which imports doctors from neighbouring Winkler, Manitoba, while the other is served by two well-established doctors, one of whom is a surgeon.
