Having trekked more than 3500km of the Great Trail from Cape Spear
Newfoundland in 2019 and now more than 2500 km of pathways across
Ontario from the nation’s capital city of Ottawa through Toronto and
onto Thunder Bay we had arrived to our seventh province - Manitoba!
With
the fall colours settling in, we walked across the Ontario-Manitoba
border on the shoulder of the Trans Canada Highway. Now in Manitoba we
picked up the Great Trail at the closed Tourism Building beside the TCT
Pavilion.
Glad
to be back on a continuous section of path (which was off the road) we
ventured westward entering Whiteshell Provincial Park on a wide well
maintained gravel pathway making our way along the coastline of West
Hawk Lake to the community of Falcon Lake. Having spent a relaxing
evening here we rejoined the South Whiteshell Trail, a 14 km tract
stretching from the trails around Falcon Lake, back to the provincial
border, north to Caddy Lake.
A
review of the Great Trail in the province of Manitoba makes it clear
that much of the route “westward” would more charitably be seen as a
meandering trail that first ventured north prior to returning south
through Winnipeg toward the Canadian-U.S. border, before again heading
northward toward the provincial boundary with Saskatchewan. In this
manner we made our way, backtracking along our first day’s route where
upon we would begin tracing along West Hawk Lake the formation of which
is the result of a meteor impact crossing through Star Beach, around
Penniac Bay to Howe Bay.
At
Caddy Lake our time on the manicured gravel pathway gave way to the
Centennial trail, a 36 km wilderness tract to the community of Rennie.
This section would take us into the rugged and beautiful landscape of
the Boreal forest. Most of our time was spent following way-markings –
which varied from Great Trail and Centennial Trail markers, to Scouting
Logos, to rock cairns, to fading flagging tape – over the rocky shield.
However at other times, the trail would dip into low lying stretches
navigating the boggy and wet parts of the region. Much of this stretch
was develop by Vern Dutton and by the Scouts and Girl Guides in
celebration of Manitoba’s 100th anniversary.
Here
we were provided amazing views of the surrounding landscape and
wonderful sites to sit beside clear blue waters such as we found at
McGillivray Lake. Given the marshy nature of much of the area we were
grateful not to be trekking through here during either the humid black
fly season or amid the frigid cold of Manitoba’s winters.
At
one point we were delighted to come across a beautiful red arched
bridge at the juncture of a portage campsite. Its vibrant colours and
unique shape was both surprising and fascinating set amid the deep
greens of the forest around us. Weaving on the trail took us through
dense woodlands and wet marshlands, over rocky outcroppings, and over
long beaver dams. At times, and in sections following Bear Lake we
found that the trail became increasingly difficult to locate and
follow.
At
one point the Great Trail, nearing the marshlands around Jean Lake the
local pathway markers disappeared leading us to become lost whereupon we
navigated our way following flagging tape onto the local roadway. Here
with the aid of a local park ranger we were directed down HWY 44 to the
community of Rennie about an hour away on foot. The ranger, a kind
individual, offered us a ride into town, but feeling sheepish and silly
for having lost the trail we took the time to feel sorry for ourselves
trekking along the roadway.
After
an uneventful walk into town we arrived to the Rennie Hotel where we
enjoyed a meal in the restaurant and sought to warm up as well as dry
out relishing the hospitality of the kind waitresses. Having taking up a
table for the better part of an hour we headed back out navigating off
the trail to the local campground only to find that it was closed to
non-seasonal trippers.
Backtracking
in the pouring rain we made our way to the Alfred Hole Goose Sanctuary
back on the main roadway in Rennie. This birding site was started in
Rennie in 1938 by Alfred Hole, who was a local rancher who developed the
pond after being given four orphaned goslings. By 1954 it was
established as a Goose Sanctuary by Ducks Unlimited and the government.
At the Goose Sanctuary there is an established birding platform, museum
and trappers exhibit with information on traditional hunting methods.
Given
the weather there were few people around and so we backtracked along
the Great Trail until we found a spot to set up our tent an shelter from
the rain for the evening which thankfully also took us out of the path
of the hunters ranging throughout the region.
While
trekking through we received mixed comments about our experiences on
the pathway from Bear Lake region to Rennie. One park ranger noted that
“the trail didn’t really exist throughout parts of the park”, while
several individuals bluntly informed us that “in Manitoba trails are
meant to be bushwhacked and therefore have no trail signs”, while others
suggested that we simply got lost. At the same time members of the
provincial trail group bluntly told us that our assessments and
descriptions of path conditions we were incorrect. However one
individual was kind enough to write a more extensive, comprehensive, and
insightful explanation for the trail challenges we faced in this
section. “When the Centennial Trail was extended to Rennie under the
Borders to Beaches Project completed in 2016, the Scouts and Guides
advised that we did not have the resources to maintain or sign this
section. It doubled the length of our original trail of 20 km.
Unfortunately, nothing further had been done to this section until this
year. With no one stepping up to take this on, we offered to try. As
caretakers with a very limited volunteer base – basically 3 people, we
began to explore this 25+ Km section. As you have discovered there are
many challenges that we hope to correct over the next few years. The
people who designed the trail used a method different of trail design
from what we utilized and involved many areas through forest as opposed
to open ridges. However, to be fair, this terrain has additional marshy
areas. We completed flagging and an inventory of the entire trail this
year which was a huge project – ie the flagging tape in hopes that
TransCanada Trail would understand the need for additional signage.”
For these reasons, it was suggested to us that for anyone deciding to
thru-hike the trails of Whiteshell use apps like TrailForks and All
Trails for navigation.
This
commentary and the varied trail conditions across Canada also serve as a
firm reminder that it is on the basis of dedicated volunteers and their
tireless efforts that our regional and national trails are built and
maintained. Such situations also serve to reiterate that trails neither
arise from thin air nor do they maintain themselves but that they
require constant upkeep and can be easily lost if not held as part of
our national heritage ensuring that all individuals have the opportunity
to explore the outdoors.
Trekking
on we joined with the North Whiteshell Trail, a 104 km pathway from
Rennie, through Whiteshell Provincial Park to Seven Sisters Falls.
Leaving Rennie this section was a level ATV accessible pathway which
initially meandered through the wetlands of the region prior to
paralleling the main highway in sections through the park. En route the
trail wove to Whiteshell Provincial Park’s most popular points
including Brereton Lake, around Rice Lake, along the shores of both
Cabin and Jessica Lake, to Reid Falls, over Basket Falls, to Betula
Lake, around Natimik and Dorothy Lake, and through Otter Falls to the
park boundary. Throughout most of this section the path was a wide and
well maintained route, however there were also tracts that simply went
into lakes, flooded regions, or disappeared all together. Regardless,
throughout it all Whiteshell Provincial Park was beautiful in ways that
go beyond words or the images we were fortunate enough to capture.
As
we hiked we found that the Great Trail existed in two types of
conditions : amazing or non-existent. Our experiences seemed to
correlate with maps of the pathway system which we found posted
throughout the park and published in 1999. These maps detailed the
route of the TCT indicating three types of trails : those that were
completed, trails that were in development and trails that were
proposed. Our sense was that those which were completed or in
development in 1999 had been refined and been maintained, where as those
that were proposed 20 years ago were almost non-existent.
While
at times it was challenging to find places to camp along the marshy
trail or to rent lodgings owing to Covid restrictions (all campgrounds
were closed) we were nonetheless met with great kindness and support
throughout Whiteshell. In particular we were warmly welcomed and
offered places to stay in Betula Lake at the beautiful and welcoming Betula Lake Resort and in Dorothy Lake at the magnificent Pinewood Lodge – both of which we wish that we had had time to stay at longer at!
Along
the way we took the opportunity to venture off the Great Trail to visit
the fascinating Bannock Point Petroforms. These are Indigenous rock
formations and placings set on the shield amid the Boreal forest.
Stones are used and are laid out laid out in the shape of what appear to
be snakes, people, turtles, and other abstract formations.
These
formations reflect Anishinaabe culture and hold deep meaning. It is
suspected, though unknown, that these formations were ceremonial serving
to heal, and were laid out to teach and tell stories. Unfortunately,
given their public placement these formations are highly susceptible to
destruction from weather, animals, and of course people.
Also
spread throughout this site were red dresses, which were hung from the
trees and laid across shrubs representing the stark reality that
thousands of Indigenous women have gone missing or been murdered in
Canada with little or no investigation as to why. These symbols of
their loss are a vivid reminder not only of the legacy of how we have
treated Indigenous persons but of the privilege we hold as Caucasian
Canadians to be able to travel from coast to coast to coast on foot
largely without fear.
As
our time in Whiteshell came to an end we again lost the pathway south
of Sylvia Lake. Here the trail ventured south first into a woodland and
then to a washout bridge. After navigating through the water and
around this section the trail signs disappeared and we followed the
usual flagging tape markers into a water filled quarry were we promptly
lost our way and were forced to backtrack to a nearby hydro line which
returned us to the roadway. Frustrated at again losing the trail in the
backcountry we trekked along the road until we came to the point where
the path again crossed.
We
found our way back onto the Great Trail and our route wove briefly
westward along an established ATV trail through marshlands filled with
hunters around Natalie Lake to the impressive structure of the Seven
Sisters Dam and hydroelectric generating station. In the nearby town we
enjoyed a brief dinner at the wonderful Seven Sisters Restaurant before
trekking across the dam to find a place to camp for the night.
The
next day we paralleled our previous day’s venture following a similar
raised gravel dyke along the northern shoreline of Natalie Lake
backtracking eastward into the community of Pinawa.
Along
the way we were excited to find a water treatment pond filled with
birds and birdwatchers. Here we saw huge numbers of birds and were
particularly excited to see lots of Northern Pelicans! Having spent
several hours on the edge of these ponds, we moved on soon arriving into
the beautiful community of Pinawa in which we would spend a few days
relaxing at a local Pinawa Motel which was immaculately clean as well as
scenically close to the marina and waterfront!
Cozy
in this welcoming community we spent our days catching up on blogs and
editing photographs of the region. We also enjoyed strolling along the
beautiful shoreline trails on the forested banks of the nearby
waterway.
Rested
and ready to continue on we ventured northward along natural and well
cared for Ironwood Trails, a wilderness path system on the shores of the
Winnipeg River. Our route took us around the Pinawa Golf Club onto the
Red Trail towards the iconic Pinawa Suspension Bridge, a 50m span over
the Pinawa Channel.
Now
tracing alongside the local roadway the Great Trail made its way to the
iconic Pinawa Dam Provincial Heritage Park. Here we explored the
majestic ruins and imposing structure of the historical Pinawa power
plant. At this site, day trippers and visitors are free to explore the
decommissioned dam on local pathways.
The
Pinawa dam was originally built as the province’s first year-round
hydroelectric power plant in the early 1900s on the Winnipeg River. The
community of Pinewa was established as a planned Company town and soon
became known as “the jewel of the wilderness”. After being shutdown in
1951 the site of the dam was used for demolition practice by the
department of National Defence prior to being transformed into a
Provincial Park and a popular tourist attraction.
Crossing
the local road the Great Trail, joined with the Blue Water South Trail,
a 40 km pathway combining natural trails, gravel routes and concessions
which takes trekkers through the boreal forest and over the rocky
terrain of the region. This section, formerly the bed of the Winnipeg
River Railway tied the communities and power plants in the region
together. Here we undertook a short concession walk to a wilderness
trail which then wove through a breathtaking local forest.
10
km on, our route intersected with and followed a regional road into the
community of Lac du Bonnet where we had hoped to set up at the local
campground only to find that it only allowed nightly RV travelers and
not campers. As such, we spent the night at Drifters Inn luxuriating
with a warm shower and enjoying pizza.
The
next day, after some road walking the path took us on what seemed to be
a railtrail which proceeded along a series of riverside dikes which
were both easy to follow and well maintained through landscape that was
awe-inspiring as well as exposed and windy.
At
times the Great Trail moved off of the ATV tract and shoreline crossing
the road where it followed a power corridor amid a marshy landscape
into the community of Great Falls. Here we our route was marked as
continuing across the waterway on top of the Great Falls Generating
Station, which is an imposing power plant that crosses Maple Creek.
Unfortunately,
when we arrived we discovered that access to this section of the trail
had been closed off and we were unable to cross the waterway. This left
us not just with a Creek sized gap in the trail but also a 30 km
section of pathway that was not accessible to us.
Having
called around to find a solution it was made clear that we were
unwelcome to camp in this area and needed to trek the extra 20 km along
the side of the busy HWY 11 to the community of Powerview-Pine Falls.
The result would be a very long, cold, wet and windy day of hiking more
than 50 km. We eventually arrived late in the evening exhausted and
drenched through. It was shear kindness of the receptionist at the
Papertown Motor Inn who arranged warm soups to be made in the Restaurant
and allowed their laundry machines to be available to us that kept us
from breaking down. Thank you so much!
In
Powerview-Pine Falls we joined back up with The Great Trail on the Red
River North Trail, an almost 400 km network of regional pathways
stretching south through Brokenhead Reserve, Birds Hill Provincial Park
into the capital city of Winnipeg. Here we had a decision to make, as
throughout this region the Great Trail was less of a direct route and
more of a woven connection of pathways. We had graciously been offered
help and several places to stay north of Powerview-Pine Falls in resorts
and people’s cottages in communities such as Grand Marais, Grand Beach,
Albert Beach, and Victoria Beach. The decision was made more
challenging by the fact that each of these are amazing birding areas and
had beautiful landscapes. Unfortunately it was already late in the
season and we had a fixed date which we had to be in Winnipeg for. As a
result we chose the most direct route southwest toward the provincial
capital and in the processes lost out on visiting this magnificent
region.
Instead
our route from Powerview-Pine Falls followed the former Central
Manitoba Railway converted, now converted into a convenient railtrail.
This trail is a wide level gravel corridor tracking directly southwest
across a varied landscape which w followed from Powerview to the
community of Stead. After which we made our way to the coast near
Beaconia, the site of a former juncture in the local rail line which now
lays claims to being situated at the centre of Canada, at the exact
halfway mark between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts – though not the
centre point of the meandering Trans Canada Trail.
Now
on the coastline of Lake Winnipeg, we navigated through the beautiful,
though extraordinarily windy, Patricia Beach Provincial Park, trekking
along alone wide gravel spit traversing the marshlands of the region.
Trekking through this naturally amazing area we arrived into the
Indigenous community of Scanterbury, also known as Brokenhead Reserve, a
friendly Anishinaabe community where we resupplied and spent some time
being warmly welcomed by local residents who asked us about our trek.
Southward
from here the Great Trail paralleled the main highway toward Winnipeg
through the communities of Libau and Selkirk. Venturing through a treed
corridor, passing silos at the edge of the former railway track we
eventually arrived into the community of Selkirk were the trail took a
long and indirect route through thick prairie mud, strong winds, and
city parks prior to bringing us into the city centre to stay in a
motel. In town we found the famed roadside attraction, Chuck the
Channel Cat, which was built because the region is known as “the Catfish
Capital of the World” owing to record size catches taken from the
nearby Red River. Check the Channel Cat is a large statue of a catfish
named after the local fisherman Chuck Norquay who drowned in the river.
Heading
out of Selkrik the path tacked alongside the Red River as it wove
through residential areas and a wonderful Parks Canada facility – the
site of Lower Fort Garry National Historical Site. Here, despite the
fact that the buildings were closed owing to Covid, we were welcome to
venture around the property. Lower Fort Gerry National Historical site
is a restored fur-trading Hudson’s Bay post which had originally been
constructed between 1830 and 1852.
The
impressive Park’s Canada historical interpretive centre now on this
site includes traditional HBC structures, an indigenous encampment as
well as recreations of homes and a smithy for tourists to explore.
Having taken up enough of the staff’s time with our questions and
interest we moved on southward through the community of Little Britain
to Lockport. In Lockport we crossed over the waterway on the roadway
crossing on top of the impressive 270 m long St. Andrew’s Dam and
Curtain Bridge at the juncture of the Red River Floodway. As we
trekking over the Red River, we could see countless fishermen casting
their lines spread along the shores of the waterway.
Taking
the opportunity, we ventured into Heritage Park, to the water’s edge
where we birded, spotting various shore species, as well as a number of
herons and hawks while being treated to finding a flock of pelicans –
also termed “a pod”, “ pouch”, “scoop”, or “a squadron”.
From
this point onward, the Great Trail joined the well cared for path on
the Duff Roblin Parkway Trail paralleling the constructed Red River
Floodway. Popularly known as “Duff’s Ditch”, the Floodway is an epic
engineering undertaking was constructed between 1962 and 1968 to protect
the region from flooding in spring and other unexpected flood
conditions. It is credited with controlling the power of the local
rivers such as the Red and Assiniboine Rivers which were subject to
disastrous overflow and flood conditions which regularly created
expensive damage throughout the region. Given its length, and the sheer
volume of water it regularly diverts, the Duff Roblin Floodway is
considered the largest public-works project in Manitoba’s history. This
stretch was generally an easy stroll on a wide and level trail along
the tiered embankments of the floodway. Our time here however was one
which foretold of the coming prairies as the surrounding landscapes was
dotted with the recognizable the yellowing bales of hay that were
scattered about.
About
8 km onto the trail we did something that we normally don’t do – we
followed a branch of the Great Trail instead of the main route, which
led us across a floating bridge over the water in the flood way into
Birds Hill Provincial Park to camp for the night. Here we followed the
circular trail around the park on a wide and accessible pathway. Our
route took us around the park’s artificial lake and swimming area,
through grasslands, and forests showcasing the natural beauty of the
region. Here we spent the night relaxing and drying out while also
attracting quite a bit of attention having walked in with our small tent
from those visiting in large RVs complete with huge TV screens,
satellites, and full amenities.
Having
explored the beautiful Birds Hill Provincial Park we backtracked along
the network of pathways back onto the Duff Roblin Parkway Trail.
Trekking southward we entered the suburbs of Winnipeg arriving into East
St. Paul, a quiet rural community which soon gave way to a dense
residential region, prior to crossing the Red River along the Chief
Peguis Trail.
Having
crossed the Red River, the Great Trail ventured into Winnipeg only to
find that there were profound differences between the city trail
signage, online map, and the Great Trail app. We navigated through
Kildonan Park and took the time to bird this wonderful green space, and
then wove through city streets and along the banks of the water way to
Point Douglas and into Winnipeg’s city centre.
Thankfully
en route we met up with two local hikers and dog walkers who helped us
orient ourselves and kept us to the pathway’s new route.
Here
we found ourselves lodgings, and took the opportunity to explore the
Forks National Historical Site as well as a loop of the Great Trail
which took us back across the waterway through beautiful urban parks
past Saint Boniface Cathedral, the two story Grey Nun’s Convent, local
museums and through green spaces filled with local art. Downtown we
were also fortunate to be able to pass by the Canadian Museum for Human
Rights and Winnipeg’s Railway Museum (both of which were closed due to
Covid), and venture through Upper Fort Garry Heritage Provincial Park.
We enjoyed walking on the shores of the Assiniboine River to the
Manitoba Legislative Building and being able to see the iconic Golden
Boy, as well as visit the monument of Louis Riel.
While
we had the possibility of continuing south to the U.S.-Canadian border,
with the fall weather fading and winter eminent, combined with the
rising number of issues we were having with Air Canada with our
pre-purchased tickets we decided that it was time to conclude our second
year on The Great Trail in the beautiful city of Winnipeg. It was a
central location, accessible by both transit and filled with a
hospitable community making it a wonderful high note to conclude 2020 on
and great place to return to in order to continue on in 2021.
Over
all, we found that the natural environment, wildlife possibilities,
bird sightings and wonderful trail systems made our venture through
Eastern Manitoba from Falcon Beach, through Whiteshell to Powerview-Pine
Falls, to Birds Hill Provincial Park and the provincial capital in
Winnipeg to be amazing!
