The Burntwood Region includes most of Manitoba lying above the 53rd Parallel, excluding areas around Flin Flon, The Pas, and Churchill. The region is sparsely populated and great distances separate the various communities. Thompson is the only city within this area. There are 4 Local Government Districts, and 19 First Nations (most of which have adjacent non-treaty communities of various size), 7 non-First Nations Communities administered under the auspices of the Provincial Department of Northern Affairs, and multiple hamlets/cottage settlements/individuals dispersed in unorganized territories across the region.

Thompson is the third largest city in Manitoba with a population of 15 000. It is 750 kilometers north of Winnipeg, and has become a centre for transportation, communication, education, health care, and government services.

Transportation is costly and difficult as many of the communities in the region do not have all-weather roads. Some of the communities are linked by rail, but many can only be reached by air.