Settled as early as the 19th century, it was incorporated in 1964 as a village—a status it lost upon amalgamating with the Municipality of McCreary on 1 January 2015.

It is located on flat prairie land, but lies immediately east of Riding Mountain National Park.

McCreary has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) with cold winters and warm summers.

[5] McCreary was formerly known for the nearby Mount Agassiz Ski Area at Riding Mountain National Park which opened in 1961 (and renovated for the 1979 Canada Winter Games at the cost of nearly $500,000).

[7] In contemporary times, the former village still features some public recreational facilities, including a tennis court shared with McCreary School, a curling arena, three baseball diamonds and a swimming pool.

[10] McCreary played a role in the 1979 Canada Winter Games, as some events were held at the nearby Mount Agassiz Ski Area.

[3][11] The remaining council consists of councillors Clayton Kohlman, Allan Whyte, Dave Smith, Linda Cripps, Shawn Buchanan, and Coreen Roy.

[12] The former village lies within the federal riding of Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, which is represented by MP Dan Mazier, a member of the Conservative Party of Canada.

The service ran along the Burrows Trail, an early north-south thoroughfare through the Parkland area that was constructed by the federal government to facilitate settlement of the region.

[2] While the village is no longer serviced by CN, the station remains intact today as a historical site.