In Manitoba, counties were originally only organized for judicial purposes. Between 1875 and 1890, they also existed for municipal purposes.
In 1875, provision was made for a majority of the electors in a judicial county to petition to have it organized for municipal purposes.[1] By 1881, the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba passed legislation to redivide the entire Province into municipal counties,[2] as a consequence of its enlargement.[3]
They existed only until 1890,[4] though the term itself lived on with respect to the County Courts and land registration districts.[5]
The Municipal Act, 1886[6] listed the counties of Manitoba as follows:
| Number | County | United County | Rural Municipalities | Cities/Towns | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lisgar | Lisgar, Plessis, and Gimli | St. Andrews', St. Clements' | East Selkirk, Selkirk | |
| 2 | Gimli | Lisgar, Plessis, and Gimli | Gimli, Rockwood | ||
| 3 | Plessis | Lisgar, Plessis, and Gimli | Plessis | ||
| 5 | Manchester | Douglas, Franklin, Montcalm | Emerson, West Lynne | ||
| 6 | Carillon | La Broquerie, Hanover, De Salaberry | |||
| 7 | Morris | Morris, Youville | Morris | ||
| 8 | La Verandrye | Hespeler, Ste. Anne, Taché | |||
| 9 | D'Iberville | Cartier, Macdonald, St. Norbert | |||
| 10 | Selkirk | Assiniboia, Kildonan, Springfield, St. Boniface, St. Paul, Varennes | St. Boniface, Winnipeg | ||
| 11 | Marquette | Marquette and Fairford | Belcourt, St. François Xavier, Woodlands | ||
| 12 | Fairford | Marquette and Fairford | Fairford, Posen, St. Laurent | ||
| 13 | Dufferin | Carleton, Dufferin, Rhineland | Nelson | ||
| 14 | Portage la Prairie | Elm River, Portage la Prairie | Portage la Prairie | ||
| 15 | Norfolk | North Cypress, North Norfolk, South Cypress, South Norfolk | |||
| 16 | Rock Lake | Argyle, Derby, Lorne, Louise | Pilot Mound | ||
| 17 | Westbourne | Westbourne | Gladstone | ||
| 18 | Beautiful Plains | Glendale, Osprey, Lansdowne, Rosedale | |||
| 19 | Riding Mountain | Minnedosa and Riding Mountain | Riding Mountain | ||
| 20 | Minnedosa | Minnedosa and Riding Mountain | Blanchard [sic],[7] Clanwilliam, Harrison, Odanah, Saskatchewan, Strathclair | Minnedosa, Rapid City | |
| 21 | Brandon | Cornwallis, Daly, Elton, Glenwood, Oakland, Whitehead | Brandon | ||
| 22 | Turtle Mountain | Deloraine, Riverside, Turtle Mountain, Whitewater | |||
| 23 | Souris River | Arthur, Brenda, Inchiquin, Medora | |||
| 24 | Dennis | Sifton, Pipestone, Wallace, Woodworth | |||
| 25 | Shoal Lake | Shoal Lake and Russell | Archie, Birtle, Boulton, Ellice, Miniota, Oak River, Shoal Lake | ||
| 26 | Russell | Shoal Lake and Russell | Rossburn, Russell, Shell River, Silver Creek |
County No. 4 (Varennes), created in 1881, occupied that part of Manitoba around Rat Portage, in an area disputed with Ontario. It was abolished subsequent to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council's decision in 1884 to award the territory to Ontario,[8] later confirmed by the Canada (Ontario Boundary) Act 1889.[9]