Manitoba RM looks to sell ghost town lots for $10

A ghost village in southwestern Manitoba could be brought back to life, as officials are looking at selling a dozen lots there for $10 apiece.

Scarthis a 15-minute drive south ofVirden, Man., and currently has a population of zero.

Settlers began arriving in the area, located in the Rural Municipality ofPipestone, around 1882 and when the railway passed through in 1907, atownsitewas developed on land owned by WilliamScarth.

By 1908, the community had a general store and post office and in 1910 theScarthSchool District was established and a one-room schoolhouse constructed. The school was shut down in 1964 and the post office shuttered in1978.

Today, there's not much toidentifywhere the villageonce stooda baseball diamond, play structure, some gravel roads dotted with light standards, and a commemorative stone cairn that was unveiled in 2008.

As well,the building that housed theScarthCurling Clubis now a community centre used for occasional suppers and otherevents by residents in neighbouring communities.No one actually lives along those gravel roads inScarth.

Bringing people back

However, the RMofPipestoneis hoping to change thatby subdividing a section of the land into a dozen lots, bringing people back and boosting economic activity in the area.

"A lot of people are looking for that rural lifestyle," saidTanisChalmers, the RM's economic development officer.

"The motivation [for the RM], I guess, would be to strive to meet one of our goals, which is to increase our population in the municipality as well. That creates a larger tax basis and then hopefully, commercial development."

Chalmerssaid living inScarthwould be an affordable option in southwestern Manitoba's oil patch for potential residents like Kelly Sparks.

"We would really enjoy it out here. More room to run around," said Sparks."You're on your own out here, and I enjoy that."

Officials with the RM ofPipestonearegauging interest in theplan. Apublic meeting was held last week and there are about six people who have said they want to be a part of it.

If there is enough interest for the 12 lots, the RM will proceed with the subdivision. Butthere will be some work to do because there is no water or sewer infrastructure.

"It will take some time because we have to wait for the rural waterpipelineto reach here and we will have to do some engineering studies to make sure the land is suitable," saidChalmers.