Hecla-Grindstone Provincial Park

Last updated
Hecla-Grindstone Provincial Park
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
Hecla Provincial Park.JPG
Hecla Island welcome sign
Canada Manitoba location map 2.svg
Red pog.svg
Location in Manitoba
LocationManitoba, Canada
Nearest townRiverton, Manitoba
Coordinates 51°11′6″N96°34′54″W / 51.18500°N 96.58167°W / 51.18500; -96.58167 [1]
Area1,084 km2 (419 sq mi)
Established1969
Governing bodyGovernment of Manitoba

Hecla-Grindstone Provincial Park is a provincial park in Manitoba, Canada, which includes Hecla Island, Grindstone (the area located on the mainland peninsula along the west shore of Lake Winnipeg), Black Island, and several other small islands in Lake Winnipeg, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world. The park lies adjacent to the northeast side of the Municipality of Bifrost – Riverton in Manitoba.

Contents

History

The Government of Manitoba designated Hecla Island as a provincial park in 1969. Grindstone Provincial Park was added in 1997 to create Hecla-Grindstone Provincial Park. [2] The park is 1,084 square kilometres (419 sq mi) in size. [3] The park is considered to be a Class V protected area under the IUCN protected area management categories. [4]

The island was settled by the second wave of Icelandic immigrants in 1876 and originally called Mikley (meaning the magnificent island). The population thrived for a number of years until faced with the hardships of winters, disease and poor economic outlook for commercial fishing and farming. The only school on the island closed in 1970.

Landscapes are varied, and include areas of coniferous and mixed forests, limestone cliffs and silica sand beaches, as well as marshes, bogs, fens and wet meadows. Classified as a Natural Park, its purpose is to preserve areas that are representative of the Mid Boreal Lowland portion of the Manitoba Lowlands Natural Region; and accommodate a diversity of recreational opportunities and resource uses.

Currently, Hecla Island has a number of tourist attractions from a campground, resort hotel (formerly known as Gull Harbour, renovated and reopened as Radisson Hecla Oasis Resort). In 2013 the resort was purchased by new owners and operates as Lakeview Hecla Resort. The resort features sandy beaches, summer homes, a full-service marina, Lighthouse trail and 18-hole golf course.

Hecla Lighthouse and Lighthouse Trail. The trail is a crushed stone pathway. Provides a view of Hecla shoreline and neighbouring Black Island. Hecla Island Lighthouse.jpg
Hecla Lighthouse and Lighthouse Trail. The trail is a crushed stone pathway. Provides a view of Hecla shoreline and neighbouring Black Island.

The golf course and marina are operated privately and are independent of the provincial park.

Hecla Village

Hecla Village is a historic village consisting of a fishing museum and functional commercial fishing operation at the Hecla Fish Station adjacent to the dock; the Tomasson Boarding House; the Community Hall; the Hecla School consisting of a replica classroom in one room and a park interpretive centre in the other classroom; the Heritage House Museum, furnished as an Icelandic family house in 1920s to 1940s style, which is operated by the Descendants and Friends of Hecla; the General Store open from May to September; the log house; the Ice House Museum containing carpentry & fishing tools and sawmill artifacts; the Hecla Church featuring non-denominational services and special musical events during July & August; a bed & breakfast in a restored historic Icelandic home owned and operated by commercial fishers; and numerous privately owned cottages.

Grindstone

Grindstone is a long peninsula approximately equal in size to Hecla Island. Grindstone has more than 350 privately owned cottages, a general store and sandy beaches. The residents hold an Annual Grindstone Days in early August with family activities. Wildlife in the park includes the black bear, moose, timber wolf, fox, beaver; birds that can be seen include bald eagle, common loon, American white pelican, ruby-throated hummingbird, and various species of woodpecker, hawk, and owl.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Winnipeg</span> Large glacial lake in Manitoba, Canada

Lake Winnipeg is an extremely large, relatively shallow 24,514-square-kilometre (9,465 sq mi) lake in North America, in the province of Manitoba, Canada. Its southern end is about 55 kilometres (34 mi) north of the city of Winnipeg. Lake Winnipeg is Canada's sixth-largest freshwater lake and the third-largest freshwater lake contained entirely within Canada, but it is relatively shallow excluding a narrow 36 m (118 ft) deep channel between the northern and southern basins. It is the eleventh-largest freshwater lake on Earth. The lake's east side has pristine boreal forests and rivers that were in 2018 inscribed as Pimachiowin Aki, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The lake is 416 km (258 mi) from north to south, with remote sandy beaches, large limestone cliffs, and many bat caves in some areas. Manitoba Hydro uses the lake as one of the largest reservoirs in the world. There are many islands, most of them undeveloped.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rural Municipality of Gimli</span> Rural municipality in Manitoba, Canada

The Rural Municipality of Gimli is a rural municipality located in the Interlake Region of south-central Manitoba, Canada, on the western shore of Lake Winnipeg. It is about 75 kilometres (47 mi) north of the provincial capital Winnipeg. The rural municipality's population in the 2016 Canadian Census was 6,181, making it the 12th largest rural municipality by population. The RM of Gimli has an area of 318.75 km2 (123.07 sq mi), making it the sixth smallest rural municipality by area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake of the Woods</span> Lake on the United States–Canada border

Lake of the Woods is a lake occupying parts of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba and the U.S. state of Minnesota. Lake of the Woods is over 70 miles (110 km) long and wide, containing more than 14,552 islands and 65,000 miles (105,000 km) of shoreline. It is fed by the Rainy River, Shoal Lake, Kakagi Lake and other smaller rivers. The lake drains into the Winnipeg River and then into Lake Winnipeg. Ultimately, its outflow goes north through the Nelson River to Hudson Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Canada</span> Overview of tourism in Canada

Canada has a large domestic and foreign tourism industry. The second largest country in the world, Canada's wide geographical variety is a significant tourist attractor. Much of the country's tourism is centred in the following regions: Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Vancouver/Whistler, Niagara Falls, Vancouver Island, Canadian Rockies, British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, Churchill, Manitoba and the National Capital Region of Ottawa-Gatineau. The large cities are known for their culture, diversity, as well as the many national parks and historic sites.

Provincial Trunk Highway 8 is a provincial primary highway located in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It runs from the north limit of the City of Winnipeg, where it meets with Route 180, north to Hecla-Grindstone Provincial Park. The highway between Winnipeg and PR 230 is known as McPhillips Street. At PR 230, McPhillips Street becomes McPhillips Road and continues along PR 230 to PTH 9. The route is a major road connecting Winnipeg with the communities of Winnipeg Beach and Gimli. The speed limit is 100 km/h (60 mph).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whiteshell Provincial Park</span> Provincial park in Manitoba, Canada

Whiteshell Provincial Park is a provincial park in southeast Manitoba, approximately 120 kilometres (75 mi) east of the city of Winnipeg. The park is considered to be a Class II protected area under the IUCN protected area management categories. It is 275,210 hectares in size.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Beach Provincial Park</span> Provincial park in Manitoba, Canada

Grand Beach Provincial Park is a provincial park in Manitoba, Canada, noted for its large white sand dunes and ancient beaches from the end of the last ice age. It is located on the eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world, and the largest lake completely within the borders of southern Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nopiming Provincial Park</span> Provincial park in Manitoba, Canada

Nopiming Provincial Park is a natural provincial park in Manitoba, Canada, located on the southeast side of the province, along the boundary with Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riverton, Manitoba</span> Place in Manitoba, Canada

Riverton is an unincorporated urban community in the Municipality of Bifrost – Riverton within the Canadian province of Manitoba that held village status prior to January 1, 2015. It is located approximately 110 kilometres north of Winnipeg. The CPR's train conductor is reputed to have named the community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duck Mountain Provincial Park (Saskatchewan)</span> Provincial park in Saskatchewan, Canada

Duck Mountain Provincial Park is a provincial park, located in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) east of the town of Kamsack and stretches about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) eastward to the Saskatchewan / Manitoba boundary. The park covers approximately 150 km2 (58 sq mi). Road access to the park is via Highway 57, which connects Saskatchewan Highway 5 to Manitoba Highway 83.

New Iceland is the name of a region on Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba where Icelandic explorers settled in 1875.

Caddy Lake is a lake on the Whiteshell River in south-eastern Manitoba, Canada near the Manitoba–Ontario border. McGillivray Creek drains into the lake on its west side. It is within Whiteshell Provincial Park near West Hawk Lake. The lake has a surface area of about 300 hectares and a maximum depth of 5.7 metres (19 ft).

The New Iceland Heritage Museum, located in Gimli, Manitoba, is a museum dedicated to preserving the history and artifacts of the large population from Iceland who migrated to the Interlake Region of Manitoba, the area known as New Iceland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boreal Plains Ecozone (CEC)</span> An ecozone

The Boreal Plains Ecozone, as defined by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), is a terrestrial ecozone in the western Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. It also has minor extensions into northeastern British Columbia and south-central Northwest Territories. The region extends over 779,471 km2, of which 58,981 km2 is conserved.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Division No. 18, Manitoba</span> Census division in Manitoba, Canada

Census Division No. 18 is a census division located within the Interlake Region of the province of Manitoba, Canada. Unlike in some other provinces, census divisions do not reflect the organization of local government in Manitoba. These areas exist solely for the purposes of statistical analysis and presentation; they have no government of their own.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rural Municipality of Victoria Beach</span> Rural municipality in Manitoba, Canada

Victoria Beach is a rural municipality (RM) in the Eastman Region of Manitoba, Canada, located on the southeastern shores of Lake Winnipeg, approximately 100 kilometres (62 mi) north of Winnipeg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gimli, Manitoba</span> Community in Manitoba, Canada

Gimli is an unincorporated community in the Rural Municipality of Gimli on the west side of Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada.

Birch Island Provincial Park is a remote provincial park located on Lake Winnipegosis in Manitoba, Canada. The park is bordered on its western boundary by the Swan-Pelican Provincial Forest and on its eastern side by Chitek Lake Anishinaabe Provincial Park.

Hnausa Beach Provincial Park is a provincial park in Manitoba, Canada, on the west shore of Lake Winnipeg north of Gimli, Manitoba. The beach within the park is named after the nearby community of Hnausa. Hnausa is an Old Icelandic word for a piece of turf. This part of Manitoba is known as New Iceland due to the significant Icelandic settlement of the area that began in 1875.

Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park is a provincial park on the western shore of Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada. The park is considered to be a Class Ib protected area under the IUCN protected area management categories. It is 144.9 km2 (55.9 sq mi) in size.

References

  1. "Hecla-Grindstone Provincial Park". Geographical Names. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  2. "Hecla/Grindstone Provincial Park". Find Your Favorite Park. Government of Manitoba. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  3. A System Plan for Manitoba's Provincial Park (PDF). Government of Manitoba. March 1997. p. 39. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 July 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  4. "Hecla-Grindstone Provincial Park". Protected Planet. United Nations Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Retrieved 1 July 2017.