Manitoba’s Lakes – A Lot More Than Just Bald Canadian Prairie
Article by Kerry A. Francis
It amazes most people – be they travelers, tourists,geographers or even local Manitoba residents that for an area known for its flat Canadian prairies that the province of Manitoba Canada has a vast amount of lakes and areas of open water. Indeed the license plates of the province of Manitoba used to sport the slogan ‘Land of 100, 00 lakes”. The joke was even told of the then highway minister recalling the plates since he had discovered one more additional lake in the province.
For example and instance One large such lake is “Lake Manitoba”. Considered by geographic and cartographic map making authorities to be the 33′rd largest freshwater lake in the entire world. In terms of shape and layout Lake Manitoba it is an hour glass shaped shape, about 215 kilometers (approximately 130 miles). Lake Manitoba now can be noted both for its shallow waters, and also now as a case in point of an introduced species, the Carp fish particularly, being introduced into the lake, with good intentions, crowding out the previous native fish and fauna – most noticeably the local well known fish of Walleye, Pickerel, Bass and Manitoba Goldeye fish, to the point where the introduced species – a Carp fish, not native to the province and its lakes as well, to be the dominant fish in the lake totally. Thus Lake Manitoba now serves as a model of the ecological and green perils of introducing non native fish, flora and fauna into new and different areas, where these new introduced species become more than major pests to the environment.
Thousand of years ago, the Assiniboine River flowed northward into the southern end of Lake Manitoba, and thus became a route for Aboriginal peoples. Artifacts such as arrowheads found at Delta Beach, on Lake Manitoba, even point that would have been plentiful near that marsh.
Over time, it can be said, that the river’s course changed, but the remaining levee along its banks provided more than a bumpy ride for horses and carriages to what was initially called “Sun -Burn ‘Em Beach” or what is now called and referred to geographically as “Delta Beach”.
Those early families from Portage la Prairie and the city of Winnipeg, (which was about 5o miles southeast of the marsh), would camp along the way overnight in tents. However as time went on, and a rail line was built so that in time – around 1900 as the train began to chug into the Delta Beach areas, some cottages had already been built. These Lake Manitoba Delta Beach cottagers enjoyed wonderful summer days at the beach and as well bountiful duck hunting in the fall seasons.
Connected to Lake Manitoba through water channels, the marsh is one of Lake Manitoba, and indeed the province’s travel, history, cottagers and hunters treasures and jewels. And yet Lake Manitoba, with all its charms is but one, only one of the Canadian Province of Manitoba one hundred thousand lakes. Manitoba offers travelers, tourists, fisherman and anglers as well as outdoors and hunting sportsmen a lot more variety, adventure and scenery than just plain flat prairie lands.
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