Manitoba town revives fortunes after selling land for $10

A construction crew works on a lot in Reston, Manitoba, Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012.

For the first time in years, the population of a small southern Manitoba town is beginning to rise after officials offered up plots of land for around the same price as a movie ticket.

Before the deal was offered, the small, scenic town of Reston had a population of just 550 people.

In an effort to capitalize on the mini oil boom underway in southwestern Manitoba, officials in the quaint Prairie town recently decided to sell land for $10.

The hope was to attract families and businesses to the town with the rock-bottom price tag, said official Ross Tycoles.

“We really took a challenge to try and repopulate and that’s really where we are. We want to make the town grow,” Tycoles said.

And so far the plan is working.

More than half of the 24 original $10 lots have been sold. And for the first time in years, student enrollment at the town’s elementary school is up.

Recent arrival Todd Vanloo told CTV News that the offer is what brought him and his family to Reston.

“We couldn’t pass up this opportunity of a house of this nature for this kind of money, and a lot for $10,” he said.

In fact, the idea has been so successful that town officials are already working on plans to expand the offer to a nearby town next spring.

“We’ve already actually had people phoning and showing interest in those lots and they aren’t even for sale yet,” said economic development officer Tanis Chalmers.

With a report from CTV News’ Winnipeg Bureau Chief Jill Macyshon