other buildings after the Second World War. The settlement originally intended to be founded under the name "Aurora", but was rejected by the postal authorities because of possibility of confusion with Aurora, Ontario. In 1947 the Mackenzie Highway was pushed through the region and the community became a government construction and maintenance center, and quickly eclipsed North Star and Notikewin in population. At a public meeting in 1947, the community was renamed in honour of Ernest Manning who had become Premier of Alberta four years earlier in 1943, and would serve in the role until 1968. Manning would be incorporated as a Village on December 31, 1951, and later a Town on January 1, 1957. During the 1950s the Manning Municipal Hospital would be constructed at a cost of CA$127,000, and later in September 1962, the Great Slave Lake Railway would be completed by Canadian National Railways linking the Town to the rail network. Climate Manning has a subarctic climate, very close to being a humid continental climate, with both May and September averaging only fractionally under . There are vast differences between the warm summers and very cold winters, although areas much further south more eastward in Canada have equally cold winters and cooler summers. The climate data is from minor settlement Notikewin very close to the town. Demographics In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Manning had a population of 1,126 living in 471 of its 540 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 1,183. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Manning recorded a population of 1,183 living in 484 of its 544 total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of 1,164. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2016. Attractions The Battle River Pioneer Museum is home to many pieces of antique farming equipment, vehicles and other extraordinary items, like the albino moose and Cleave Whitaker's childhood crib. The Manning Farmers’ Market has been a fixture in Manning for over 30 years. Recreation venues include the Manning R.C.M.P. Centennial Pool, a paved walking trail, a curling rink, a skating/hockey arena, two outdoor ice rinks, a ski hill, a concrete skatepark, an outdoor splash park, and the Condy Meadows