var trivia = new Array;

trivia.push("The origin of the Swan River town name is unknown, but it is believed to be linked to Black Swans that used to inhabit the area.");

trivia.push("Minitonas was named after Minitonas Hill, which was named by the Sota and meant Home of Little God");

trivia.push("Benito was named by Postmistress Mrs. A. Dykeman after a character in a novel.");

trivia.push("Kenville originated as a Post Office and Canadian National railway point, the latter established in 1906 as a combination of MacKENzie and Mann plus VILLE.");

trivia.push("Durban was named after Duban, the capital in Natal in South Africa.  The settlement was established during the South African War.");

trivia.push("Mafeking was named after Mafeking, South Africa as construction of the railroad took place during the Boer War.");

trivia.push("Birch River was named after the Birch River which is believed to be a desciptive name reflecting the birch trees common in the region");

trivia.push("Lenswood was named to commemorate the Battle of Lens in 1917 in which many had fought.  Wood was added to Lens since the area was thickly treed and had to be cleared.");

trivia.push("Bowsman was named for the man from the bow of the canoe.  The bowsman, being the first to step on the shore of the new settlement, originated the name Bowsman River which was later extended to the settlement.");

trivia.push("Cowan was named after railway contractor William J. Cowan.");

trivia.push("Thunderhill was named for the thunder and lightening that seemed to flash around it during thunderstorms.  The Ojibwa referred to the dark clouds on the crest of the hill as thunderbirds and settlers reported that changes in weather caused by warmer air created sounds like thunder.");

trivia.push("Renwer was named by the Canadian National Railway in 1904 from a combination of the last three letters of the name A. W. WarREN and the initials of W.E.Roberts.");

trivia.push("Bellsite was named for its close proximity to the Bell River.");

trivia.push("Novra was named as an amalgamation of NOV, derived from the Latin word NOVa, meaning new, and RA, the first two letters of RAilway.");

trivia.push("Activity in The Valley began with the Hudson's Bay fur traders in the early 1700's.  Settlement dates back to 1770.  The first true homesteaders arrived by 1897 and the Town of Swan River was incorporated in 1908.");

trivia.push("With more than 2,300 cases, Manitoba was the hardest hit in Canada's 1953 polio epedemic.");

trivia.push("At the Swan Valley Historical Museum in Swan River a plaque was unveiled on May 28, 2006 to commemorate Gertrude Twilley Richardson who was instrumental in organizing the first Women's Suffrage Society in Manitoba on March 22, 1912 which survived until women got the vote in 1917.");

trivia.push("The average rainfall per year in Swan River is 14.36 inches.");

trivia.push("The average snowfall per year in Swan River is 5.56 inches.");

trivia.push("Swan River has an average of 105 frost free days per year.");

trivia.push("Swan River was designated as the Forest Capital of Canada in 1998.");

trivia.push("Manitoba has more than 25,000 farms.");

trivia.push("The first train arrived in Tent Town in September 1899.");

trivia.push("The Pelly Trail was a Hudson Bay wagon trail that ran from Fort Ellis, Manitoba, to Fort Pelly leaving grooves as deep as the axles of the large wheeled wagons.  An area that was once part of the Pelly Trail can be seen by looking south east from Thunderhill.");

trivia.push("Emily Murphy, the first female Magistrate in the British Empire, lived with her family in Swan River until 1907.");

trivia.push("Swan Valley Star & Times first appeared as Swan River Star on January 11, 1900.");

trivia.push("Baldy Mountain is the highest point in Manitoba at 2726 feet.  Located in the Duck Mountains it is easily accessible and has an observation tower.");

trivia.push("Kettle Stones Provincial park is located 45 miles northeast of Swan River.  It is only 4km sq in size and features sandstone concretions know as the kettle stones.  Scientists believe the kettle stones were formed over millions of years.");

trivia.push("East Blue lake is 200 feet at its deepest and is a popular scuba diving destination.  On a clear day you can see the bottom down to 60 feet.");

trivia.push("Thunderhill diamond slides is an area along the slopes of Thunderhill where diamond shaped crystals can be found.");

trivia.push("Highway 83 runs for 3000 miles from Swan River to Mexico and is known as the Pine to Palm highway.");

trivia.push("There is a Pike's Peak in the Porcupine Mountains overlooking the Bowsman River and a Pike's Peak in the Duck Mountain overlooking the Favel River.");

trivia.push("Dial telephones were first available in Swan River in 1965.");

trivia.push("In April 1962, 300 sticks of dynamite were used to break up an ice jam on the Swan River.");

trivia.push("Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburg Prince Philip, Princess Anne and Prince Charles visited Swan River on July 11, 1970 ");

trivia.push("The reverse osmosis water treatment system in Minitonas was the first municipal system of its kind in Manitoba.");

trivia.push("In 1926, wild rice was sown by government sea-planes in the marshes and lagoons of Northern Manitoba.");

trivia.push("The Bank of Toronto (which became the TD Bank and later TD Canada Trust) first opened its doors in Swan River in 1906.");

trivia.push("In July, 1993 the Swan River Valley was declared a state of emergency by the Minister of Government Services as a result of heavy rains.");

trivia.push("In August, 1987 Brian Mulroney was the first Canadian Prime Minister to visit Swan River.");

trivia.push("The Lady Hubble School was built in 1923 and is now located at the Swan Valley Museum.");

trivia.push("On September 18, 1988 MTS began requiring Swan Valley residents to dial all 7 digits of phone numbers.  Prior to this, only the last 5 digits were required.");

trivia.push("In May, 1989 approximately 100 people were evacutated from Cowan as a result of forest fires moved dangerously close to the village.");

trivia.push("The Kenville Memorial Community Hall was dedicated and officially opened on November 20, 1946.");

trivia.push("The population of Swan River in 1906 was 500.");

trivia.push("On July 1, 1908 Swan River celebrated its inauguration as a town.");

trivia.push("In 1919 the population of Swan River was 1000 and the population of the Swan River Valley was approximately 20,000.");

trivia.push("Electric lights debuted in Kenville in 1918.");

trivia.push("In August 1959 a swinging bridge was constructed across the Swan River north of Drew Avenue and Crescent Drive.  At a cost of $2,500, approximately 1500 feet of cable was used to construct the bridge 8 feet above the ground with a 200 foot suspension span.  In April 1983, the bridge was severely damaged in the spring run-off.  A Regina firm of consulting engineers estimated cost of repairs in the areao of $40,000. The bridge was removed in January 1984.");

trivia.push("Swan Valley School Division buses have been running since September 1967.");

trivia.push("In 1934 the cost of MTS phone service in Swan River was $22 per year.");

trivia.push("July 24, 1976, the Co-op opened the first Self-Serve gas station in the Swan River Valley.");

trivia.push("In 1960 the Swan River Curling rink was the second largest curling rink in Manitoba.");

trivia.push("The first Auction Mart opened in Swan River on October 3, 1961.");

trivia.push("On December 6, 2000 a closing ceremony was held for the 1949 and 1965 hospital buidings that were demolished in 2001.");

document.write(trivia[(Math.floor(Math.random() * trivia.length))]);