Morden is a city located in the Pembina Valley region of southern Manitoba, Canada near the United States border. It is about west of the neighbouring city of Winkler; together Morden and Winkler are often referred to as Manitoba's Twin Cities. Morden, which is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Stanley, is the eighth largest and fastest-growing city in Manitoba. According to Statistics Canada, the city had a population of 9,929 in 2021, an increase of 14.5% from 2016, making it Manitoba's fastest growing city. History Morden was founded in 1882, when the Canadian Pacific Railway built a railway line crossing the Dead Horse Creek (called Le Cheval Mort by the French fur traders) at a place then known as Cheval. This spot became a popular resting place as it was ideal to provide water for drinking and locomotives. The settlement was renamed "Morden", after Alvey Morden, on whose family's land the community was established. Morden was incorporated as a municipality on January 1, 1882. The Manitoba government granted Morden town status in 1903 and later city status in 2012. Geography Climate Morden has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb, USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 3a) with hot summers and cold winters. The average high in July is and the average low is . Since the Morden area experiences some of the warmest temperatures in Manitoba, it has become a centre for agricultural and horticultural research. Since 1915, the city has been home to the Morden Research and Development Centre, which is operated by the Government of Canada. The average high in January is and the average low is . The highest temperature ever recorded in Morden was on 11 July 1936. The coldest temperature ever recorded was on 16 January 1993. Demographics In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Morden had a population of 9,929 living in 3,995 of its 4,162 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 8,668. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. Arts and culture Morden is home to the largest collection of marine reptile fossils in Canada, located at the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre. Their collection includes a 13-metre-long, 80 million year old mosasaur; it is a Guinness Record holder as the largest mosasaur on public display. Pembina Hills Art Gallery is located in Morden. In 2008, Morden was