Lake Manitoba Narrows 'should be bigger on the map' for its natural beauty, unique history: residents

This one is called After the Storm. My inspiration was right out to the West of us here to the West, Lake Manitoba, a place called the Narrows. The lake here transforms in the winter into a frozen moonscape ideal for ice fishing, Moody sunsets, and picturesque wildlife sightings. And there was this guy sitting right at the edge of a little Creek, just waiting to catch a an early fish. The narrows booms with activity in the summer, mostly campers and Cottagers, hunting and fishing. It’s what lured and Shirley and Dwayne Germaine in the 90s, seasonal residents for years. They chose to retire right here. It also gets quiet in the winter. Only a few dozen live here year round. It’s kind of a, it’s kind of a forgotten area that gets to Dwayne. It can be so much more, you know, We want to be able to tell people about it and encourage them to come here. Like so many people have never even heard of it. Even in Winnipeg, people say like, where where do you live? The Narrows is about a two hour drive north of Winnipeg, the only place you can get across Lake Manitoba by bridge. But long before that bridge was built in the late 60s, The Narrows was a place that drew people in from all over. Many Manitobans may not even know this fact, but just behind me here is Manitou Island, and it’s actually where the namesake of the province comes from. First Nations people, when they would hear the sounds of the north winds crashing up against the northern limestone cliffs here, it would create a drumming sound, which they attributed to the Great Spirit Manitou. Off over here is where the North Basin and South Basin come together through this narrow stretch of water, which First Nations people gave the name Manitoba, which translates to Straits of Manitou, across from Manitou Island, another source of the building blocks of Manitoba’s history. These are the killing. So there’s there’s history out here that people aren’t necessarily aware of as they drive through. Two derelict kilns are all that remain from a once active quarry. Formed in 1896, the Rose Hill Kilns would burn limestone drawn from local quarries to produce lime used in plaster and mortar that was bagged and dragged by horse to the Lakeshore, loaded onto barges pulled by Steamboat to the South of the lake. From there it was transported by train to build up places like Winnipeg through the Narrows Enhancement Initiative. Volunteers like Dwayne Germaine and Mark Lloyd hope to get historical status for this spot. So obviously the focus is always at the lake and at the narrows and you know your recreational things. But I think it’s also important that we recognize some of the history that’s around here, whether it be the killings or the old school yard and creating opportunities to educate and make sure we’re maintaining these these sites. Neither Dwayne nor Mark from here originally, but both invested in preserving what remains of the lesser known local history, enhancing the pickerel fishery and overall experience in the community they’ve chosen to be here. We we were here because we were born here, actually. They probably appreciate our area more than we do that grew up here. We’re always looking to travel somewhere else and see the world and they’re happy. Arthur Jonasen is Reeve of the area. A lot of our family roots come from right around the Narrows, his grandparents among a wave of Icelandic immigrants to settle around the Narrows in the late 1800s. My obvious sailed A sailboat from the Narrows into a little Bay just West of Ashland here, and he called it Silver Bay. He took a homestead there, and I was born and raised in Silver Bay. My Avi came from Faroe Islands. By winter, Harry Davidson commercial fishes the same waters his grandfather did in the late 1800s. By summer the 70 year old runs Darwin Greenhouse. I’m a big pusher of the passion flower. Both passions his offi would approve of. From what I remember, he was a bit of a gardener also, so he’d like to be quite happy that we’re into this greenhouse business and fishing. I think he’d be even happier to have him fishing. Amber Davidson runs the business alongside her dad. After decades living in a big city in Texas, she’s glad to be back planting roots again at the Narrows. You look at my phone, it’s all sunset pictures and pictures of flowers, and it’s just a pretty way to live. Dwayne and Shirley feel the same about this hidden gem known for its big skies and sunsets and its own role in shaping Manitoba’s history, the good fishing and the beautiful sunsets. That pretty much says it all. It’s beautiful, tranquil. There’s no words. You have to paint a picture. Bryce Hoyt, CBC News, Lake Manitoba Narrows.