Grand Beach (Manitoba)
Grand Beach is a freshwater beach located within the Rural Municipality of St. Clements on the eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada. It is located on the northern edge of the town of Grand Marais, Manitoba. Grand Beach is on the historic La Vérendrye Trail.
History
Originally founded by homesteaders, it was home to a substantial Metis community who were the only settlers until the Canadian Northern Railway built its line and set up the resort along the 'Grand' beach in 1917. After being made accessible by the railway it became a very popular resort for Manitobans.
In the early days the grandest of all buildings in the resort was the Dance Pavilion, rated by some as the largest dance hall of its time in the Commonwealth. It was destroyed in a fire in 1950. Along with the incredible beaches the dance hall made Grand Beach a very attractive day trip destination for Winnipeggers in the 1920s. This was made possible by regular train services to the capital (Winnipeg), with the last train for Winnipeg leaving at midnight.
Sites and attractions
Grand Beach is part of Grand Beach Provincial Park and features 3 km of fine, white sand and is backed by sand dunes that rise up to 12 meters above the beach. A boardwalk at the West end of the beach offers food and shopping. Change rooms and plumbed washrooms are available all along the beach.
The park offers 48 seasonal camp sites, all of which have electricity. There are 306 campsites in all about half offer electricity. Available activities include excellent bird watching, cycling and hiking trails, boating, fishing, kiteboarding and berry picking (saskatoons, chokecherries, and blueberries). In the winter the park offers snowmobiling and cross-country skiing. A parking pass is required to enter the park. Passes are $5 for one day, $12 for three days or $40 for a yearly pass. There are also a few "free park entry weekends" per year, including Family Fishing Weekend, Canada Parks Day and the September Long Weekend.
Annual events
- Canada Day Family Festival
- Grand Marais Family Festival
- Manitoba Summerfest
- Beaches Half Marathon
External links
- Grand Beach Tourism
- Manitoba Conservation
- Eastern Beaches of Manitoba
- Manitoba Historical Society
- Website of Great Canadian Lakes
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