First pick
Memorial Provincial Park
Park or garden · 300 m outside town
2.1 ha1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
1.0 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
1.6%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Spence · parks, protected land & trails
Within 10 km of Spence: 21 public protected areas
Walkers have 4 mapped routes close by, starting with the Portage Skywalk and Graham Skywalk. For a provincial park, Birds Hill Provincial Park lies 19 km off. The largest named area nearby is Assiniboine Forest, 286 ha, 6.2 km away.
Protected land
1.6%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
21
within 10 km, 21 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
19 km
Birds Hill Provincial Park
Walking routes
4
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What Spence has going for it outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Out of doors, Spence leads with the number of public protected areas close by, with its choice of walking routes close behind.
Against other towns
Spence against other Canadian towns
Each figure against the 2,611 Canadian towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500+ (not city hubs or reserves), with the town marked and the typical one’s line. Outdoors isn’t one of Canada’s graded subjects, so there’s no letter here: each figure is set against other Canadian towns instead.
Protected within 10 km1.6%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas21Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes4Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Spence sits 15th from last of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (4,305 to 4,460 residents), by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected. Hover for each one’s figures; click for its page.
Protected within 10 km
Spence1.6%
Towns its size2.1%
Towns in Manitoba1.1%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Spence21
Towns its size3
Towns in Manitoba12
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Spence4
Towns its size0
Towns in Manitoba0
Typical Canadian town0
Spence beats most towns its size for public protected areas; 3 of 39 do better. For protected land nearby, though, 23 of 39 are ahead.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay BC | 26% | 31% | 24 | 2 | 14 |
| 2 | Beresford NB | 24% | 6.2% | 6 | 0 | 18 |
| 3 | Oka QC | 20% | 26% | 53 | 0 | 12 |
| 4 | Beaupré QC | 16% | 1.2% | 26 | 1 | 2 |
| 5 | Invermere BC | 10% | 13% | 8 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 | Bancroft ON | 9.5% | 2.3% | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 7 | Bells Corners West ON | 9% | 11% | 13 | 3 | 1 |
| 8 | Deep River ON | 8.1% | 1% | 18 | 0 | 10 |
| 9 | Bellerive QC | 6% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | Golden BC | 5.5% | 12% | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Highlands East ON | 5.2% | 2.1% | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| 12 | Bruleville ON | 4.9% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Grand Forks BC | 4.5% | 0.9% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Queensland AB | 4% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 11 |
| 15 | Deer Ridge AB | 3.7% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 16 | Montague ON | 3% | 2.8% | 10 | 5 | 2 |
| 17 | Geraldton ON | 2.8% | 2.2% | 10 | 0 | 7 |
| 18 | Richmond County, Subdivision A NS | 2.7% | 1.4% | 149 | 0 | 27 |
| 19 | Bartonville ON | 2.5% | 0% | 16 | 1 | 4 |
| 20 | White City SK | 2.3% | 0% | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 21 | De Salaberry MB | 1.9% | 0.2% | 46 | 0 | 2 |
| 22 | New Maryland NB | 1.7% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Oxford AB | 1.7% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Central Park MB | 1.6% | 0% | 20 | 4 | 0 |
| 25 | Roslyn MB | 1.6% | 0% | 23 | 4 | 0 |
| 26 | Spence MB | 1.6% | 0% | 21 | 4 | 0 |
| 27 | Eganville ON | 1.5% | 0.4% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 28 | Rossland BC | 1.4% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Glenridding Heights AB | 1.1% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | South Calgary AB | 0.8% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 31 | Inglewood AB | 0.6% | 17% | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 32 | Lorelei AB | 0.4% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Montgomery AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 34 | Ormsby Place AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 35 | Patricia Heights AB | 0.3% | 0% | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 36 | Pollard Meadows AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 37 | Winston Heights/Mountview AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 38 | Prescott ON | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 39 | High Level AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Beacon Heights AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
The map
The green map of Spence
Green space, woods, protected areas and footpaths in and around the neighbourhood; tap a number for its park or wood.
Green: OpenStreetMap parks, gardens, playing fields and woods. Hatched: CPCAD protected areas.© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); CPCAD (OGL-Canada)
Places to walk
4 named parks and woods to walk in near Spence
The biggest is Memorial Provincial Park, 2.1 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
4 named parks and woods, 6 ha in all
Parks & gardens 5.8 ha
The bulk, 68%, is Memorial Provincial Park and Central Park.
Central Park
Park or garden · 160 m outside town
1.9 ha0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
Centralin the middle of Spence
Directionsto a point inside
Jacob Penner Park
Park or garden · 210 m outside town
1.3 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
0.9 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Magnus Eliason Recreation Centre
Park or garden
0.5 ha0.2 km of path
Centralin the middle of Spence
Directionsto a point inside
Source: OpenStreetMap parks, gardens, commons and woods with a name, in the town or within 400 m, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Sizes are the mapped outline’s.
Close to home
In Spence, a park is close to every home
Residents of each 2021 dissemination area, at a point inside it, within 400 m (about a 5-minute walk) of a park or playing field mapped on OpenStreetMap.
Within 400 m (100%)Further (0%)
Spence100%
Towns in Manitoba97%
Typical Canadian town83%
Few do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%.
Protected areas
Around Spence, protected areas make up 1.6%
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Spence0%
Within 10 km1.6%
Towns in Manitoba1.1%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Governments or Indigenous nations hold all 21. Assiniboine Forest leads for size with 286 ha.
Whittier Park Riparian ForestMunicipal park · 6.4 ha · 1.8 km from the edge of town
Seine River CorridorMunicipal park · 111 ha · 2.2 km from the edge of town
Manchester ParkMunicipal park · 1.4 ha · 4.9 km from the edge of town
Sandra Crowson ParkMunicipal park · 3.2 ha · 5.4 km from the edge of town
Crescent Drive ParkMunicipal park · 16 ha · 5.6 km from the edge of town
Kildonan ParkMunicipal park · 5.6 ha · 5.8 km from the edge of town
Assiniboine ForestMunicipal park · 286 ha · 6.2 km from the edge of town
St. Vital ParkMunicipal park · 24 ha · 6.4 km from the edge of town
McBeth and River Ridge ParksMunicipal park · 8.6 ha · 7.4 km from the edge of town
Moray ForestMunicipal park · 3.3 ha · 7.7 km from the edge of town
11 more named areas within 10 km are in the figures.
Source: Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD) 2.9.0, Environment and Climate Change Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
National & provincial parks
Birds Hill Provincial Park is 19 km away
National parks (Parks Canada) and provincial or territorial parks by direction and distance from the town’s edge: every one within 10 km, and the nearest of each within 100 km.
National parkProvincial park
Provincial park
Birds Hill Provincial Park
19 km north-east21 km²since 1964
There is no national park within 100 km; for big parks, Spence has its province’s.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Spence and its edge hold 28 km of footpath
OpenStreetMap footpaths, paths, bridleways and steps, and tracks open on foot, in the town and 1 km around it; woods as mapped (landuse=forest, natural=wood).
Footpaths
28 km
in and around the town (7.2 km²)
Woodland
0.2%
about 0 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
SpenceTowns in ManitobaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths3.9
02.55 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
SpenceTowns in ManitobaTypical Canadian town
Woodland0.2%
0%50%100%
Few places match it for paths: more than 82% of Canadian towns have fewer. Woods cover less of it than in 90% of Canadian towns.
Source: OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Mapping varies by place: a dense figure can mean keen local mappers as much as many paths.
Walking routes
4 walking routes near Spence
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Local
Portage Skywalk1.1 km
Graham Skywalk0.9 km
Main Underground0.8 km
St. Mary Skywalk0.7 km
4 are short walks under 3 km.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
September is the best month for walking in Spence
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Winnipeg Richardson (Airport) (6.1 km), and daylight at the town’s latitude. Good months: 12½+ hours of daylight, highs of 15–30 °C, little rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.5 | 10.0 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.4 | 16.3 | 15.9 | 14.4 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 9.0 | 8.1 |
| High (°C) | -11 | -9 | -1 | 10 | 18 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 20 | 10 | 0 | -8 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 18 | 13 | 26 | 33 | 70 | 74 | 77 | 74 | 53 | 38 | 25 | 19 |
A typical year sees 126 cm of snow. In July the typical high is 26 °C; in January, -11 °C. Summer storms make July the wettest month, 77 mm; February sees 13 mm. The climate in Spence →
Things to do
5 viewpoints near Spence
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Playgrounds lead the count with 71.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 5
Belvédère Saint-Boniface1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 4 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 71
Slide Hill0.3 km from town
DirectionsSargent Park Playground1.5 km from town
DirectionsFort Parka1.7 km from town
DirectionsPlus 68 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Downtown Dog Park1.2 km from town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Spence
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Central ParkWest AlexanderSt. MatthewsSouth PortageDaniel McIntyreCentennialSpence
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spence | 1.6% | 21 | 4 | 0 |
| Central Park 0.4 km | 1.6% | 20 | 4 | 0 |
| West Alexander 0.7 km | 1.4% | 19 | 4 | 0 |
| St. Matthews 0.8 km | 1.6% | 22 | 4 | 0 |
| South Portage 1.0 km | 1.5% | 20 | 4 | 0 |
| Daniel McIntyre 1.0 km | 1.5% | 21 | 4 | 0 |
| Centennial 1.1 km | 1.5% | 18 | 4 | 0 |
Next door, protected shares stay within twice Spence’s.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Protected land. The 10 km band starts at the town’s outline, not its centre, so a large municipality reaches further than a small town.
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
- Walking routes. A route counts when 300 m or more of it lies within 2 km of the town. Coverage of trails on OpenStreetMap varies by region.
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
Questions about the outdoors in Spence
Is there a provincial park near Spence?
The closest is Birds Hill Provincial Park, at 19 km.
When should you visit Spence for the outdoors?
September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
What is the largest protected area near Spence?
Assiniboine Forest, a municipal park of 286 ha.
Where can you walk near Spence?
Try the Portage Skywalk, Graham Skywalk and Main Underground; more are on the map.
How far is Spence from a national park?
The nearest national park is more than 100 km from Spence.
Is there protected land near Spence?
Within 10 km, 1.6% of the land lies in protected areas.
Sources
Where Spence’s outdoors figures come from
Protected areas: Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD) 2.9.0, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 2026: every area within 10 km and the nearest national and provincial parks, measured outline to outline.
Walking routes and beaches: OpenStreetMap, November 2026: named hiking, foot and walking route relations within 2 km and beaches within 5 km.
Towns: Statistics Canada 2021 Census boundaries and populations; the comparison is the Canadian towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500+, not city hubs or reserves.
When to go: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020, from the nearest station that publishes them.
Green space, paths, woods, things to do: OpenStreetMap (Geofabrik’s Canada extract), November 2026: parks, gardens, playing fields, woods, footpaths, the coastline and things to do in and around each town.
Residents: Statistics Canada 2021 Census dissemination areas (population, boundaries), each at a point inside it.
Walking routes and beaches © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database Licence (ODbL).
Not on this page: trailheads and trail grades, and beach water quality. No open Canadian dataset gives these for every town yet.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).