A small hamlet 100 km north of Winnipeg, on a lower-traffic highway would seem to be a recipe for boredom and stagnation, but that is not the case with Poplarfield.
While it is not growing in population, it still has an interesting history and historical sites that are well-worth visiting. Of course, the well-known statue of King Buck, a white-tailed deer, is a good reason to visit, so is King Buck Store, a convenience store, service station/restaurant and post office in one.
A community built almost entirely of Ukrainian and Ukrainian/Polish settlers in the late 1800s, Poplarfield has experienced its share of downturns.
As the name suggests, it used to boast vast stands of poplar trees, used as cordwood, rail ties and construction materials until the 1960s.
One family, the Ledohowskis, contributed much to the community. A very detailed book written by Ed Ledohowski offers one of the most thorough accounts of a Manitoba community from origins to the early 2000s.
https://mhs.mb.ca/docs/archives/ledohowski/PoplarfieldDistrictAlbum2001.pdf
An interesting note about this area is that it offers still-standing samples of homes built entirely of poplar and stuccoed over, not just poplar timers, but slab walls. Many of these were built by the Ledohowski family.
That same family started the CanadInns chain of hotels in Winnipeg, North Dakota and Brandon, beginning with the original Coronation Hotel in Poplarfield.
Poplarfield also is home to several prominent provincial politicians, including Bill Uruski, Cliff Evans and Tom Nevakshonoff.