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Planning RV travel

RV visitors will need time to visit the multitude

of natural and historic attractions outlined in the

7-day itinerary through southern and central

Manitoba. Follow the signs to Star Attractions.

While roads appear to be endlessly straight,

there are several routes through villages, and

surprisingly varied landscapes. As a guide to

planning your RV adventure, it is comfortable

to drive an average 200 km/day which allows

plenty of time for sightseeing stops.

Most Manitoba national, provincial and regional

parks offer campgrounds with toilets, showers

and sani-dumps and are open from late spring

until early fall. Some may open in mid-June

and close after the Labour Day weekend. Many

villages welcome visitors to their municipal

campground tucked away behind a baseball

diamond or an ice hockey rink. The Canadian

Campground Directory lists more than 200

campgrounds in Manitoba.

Campground reservations are strongly advised

during July and August, and on long weekends

in May and September. Self-registration may

be required at provincial regional parks in

the shoulder seasons. Be aware that service

stations on secondary roads can be few and far

between. Some gas stations close on Saturday

evening and do not open again until Monday.

Look for interpretive markers and roadside maps

that display the history of wagon trails that criss-

cross the province.

Watch for sudden weather changes with strong

cross-winds and intense thunderstorms which

suddenly develop over the prairies. It is advisable

to pull over to wait out the approaching storm

and observe the wonderment of the sky above.

fi rst trappers entered the area in the 1700’s and were abandoned after amalgamation of the two fur trading companies in 1821. The fi rst settlers arrived in the Minnedosa valley in 1870s and the North West Mounted Police established a post in 1874.

Killarney is known as the wheat capital of Manitoba, and deeply rooted in agriculture. Three inland grain terminals and two ultra modern feed mills handle fl ax, canola, wheat, barley and oats for rail shipment to tidewater ports.

Boissevain is winner of the Most Beautiful Town award in Manitoba, and renouned for a 8.5m statue of Tommy Turtle. Painted turtles that inhabit the shallow lakes in the adjacent Turtle Mountain Provincial Park. There are twenty wall-size murals including a large prairie scene painted on a grain elevator.

International Peace Garden straddles the Canada/US border on the 49th Parallel between North Dakota and Manitoba. The Conservatory has more than 80,000 annuals and fl owering perennials. The Formal Gardens are dedicated to preserving peace and understanding of political issues around the world. A monument commemorates the boundary “vista” of land and water between Canada and the United States with a 6m wide clearing free of obstructions that runs for 8,891 km’s from coast to coast.

Where to camp

Minnedossa Beach Campground. Minnedossa

Lake. Beach pavilion. Some full service sites. Turtle

Mountain Provincial Park. Adam Lake Campground.

Electrical, sani-dump.

International Peace Garden Campground.

Hwy #10 to US border. Some cement pads, limited

electrical sites.

Thousands of snakes winter in snake dens Sand dunes at Spruce Woods Provincial Park View polar bear habitat at Assiniboine Zoo

Quiet time during Fall camping in Manitoba

Gord Rees

Gord Rees

Travel Manitoba Travel Manitoba

© RVRAC 2020

Continue due west on the Red Coat Trail through the southwest Uplands on Hwy #3 towards Melitta, then turn slightly north towards the Manitoba/Saskatchewan border on either Hwy #1 or #2.

Most people are surprised by the geological

and cultural diversity of Manitoba which lies at

the longitudinal centre of Canada. The great

inland seas divide the province between the

Canadian Shield on the eastern shores of Lake

Winnipeg, and the wheat fi elds that stretch

endlessly from Lake Manitoba to the west. The

cottage country lying next to the Ontario border

gives way to the vast beaches of the Interlake

region. The Southwest Uplands are noted for a

rolling countryside that includes the Pembina

Hills and Turtle Mountain lying adjacent to the

Manitoba Escarpment and low level prairie.

A self-drive RV tour is an easy way to

circumnavigate this prairie province and

meet the people. There are many gatherings

during seasonal events in small towns where

guests can pull in to attend fall suppers, meat

draws, strawberry festivals and tractor pulls.

Campgrounds and RV parks will always provide

helpful directions to local events.

Our route heads west through the Whiteshell

Provincial Park, and north to the eastern shores

of Lake Winnipeg. It then wanders back up

the west side to Gimli and Hecla Island, before

turning west to Dauphin and back south to

Clear Lake in Riding Mountain National Park.

The route then continues straight south through

numerous prairie towns, several provincial

parks in picturesque settings, and then

meanders west along the Northwest Mounted

Police Trail to the Saskatchewan border.

While not easily accessible, the Pimachiowon

Aki UNESCO World Heritage Site covers

29,000 sq. kms of boreal forest, and can be

reached through Pine Falls in the northeast.

The southern region borders on Minnesota and

North Dakota where the International Peace

Garden straddles the 49th parallel with the

United States.

French culture and language is prevalent in

many communities along the major rivers where

coeur de bois settled during the fur trade era.

Land grants by the Canadian government in the

1880s brought a wave of Icelandic migration,

followed by Ukrainian and Polish settlers which

hastened development of farming. Outstanding

churches are landmarks in many towns and

villages. Clusters of grain elevators dot the

horizon and are strung together by rail lines

hauling wheat and

canola in unit trains

stretching mile after

mile across the golden

prairies. Winnipeg

is the capital city

centered at the

confl uence of the

Red and Assiniboine

Rivers, and named

after Lake Winnipeg.

Travel Manitoba

An RV adventure on the road less travelled

WHITESHELL | INTERLAKE | RIDING MOUNTAIN | SPRUCE WOODS | SOUTHWEST UPLANDS

Parks Canada

Where to camp in Manitoba

Reservations: 1-888-482-2267.

pc.manitoba@canada.ca(204) 983-6757 info@macap.ca

MANITOBA

RVRAC VOLUME 4. 2020 Turtle Mountain Provincial Park

Manitoba welcomes visitors at the border with Ontario.

Provincial fl ag

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Assinaboine Park Conservancy Lower Fort Gary Historical Site

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Lakes and Beaches

Lake Winnipeg is Canada’s sixth largest lake, stretching 400 km from Lockport to the far north. Known for extreme winds, the waters can suddenly whip up gale force winds in minutes. The fur brigades called it a ‘monster’. When laden with bales of furs they had to race for the eastern shore, and were often barred from landing by steep limestone cliffs. The catchment area covers a million sq kms, with 1,800 kms of shoreline.

To the west lies Lake Manitoba, with the expanse in between aptly called the Interlake Region. Large populations of waterfowl and shore birds use the lakes as staging areas during mass migration.

The Beaches are a Winnipeger’s escape. Miles of super soft sand are washed ashore all along the southern basin of Lake Winnipeg where small resort towns are havens for weekend retreats. Grand Beach and Victoria Beach fl ank the eastern side, and Winnipeg Beach and Sandy Hook line the western shores.

Grand Beach is ranked as one of the top ten beaches in the world with 8 m high sand dunes and a 3 km stretch of a broad crescent beach. A long boardwalk extends from the shore. Winnipeg Beach is easily recognized by a 40m high cylindrical steel water tower that dominates the skyline. Steam engines hauled

beach trains to the resort which then had a roller coaster and dance pavilion. The history of the so-called ‘daddy’ trains or ‘moonlight special’ were aptly named for the working husbands who would join the family on weekends.

Gimli. This historic Icelandic community was founded by Icelandic settlers drawn by the prospects of commercial fi shing on Lake Winnipeg. Stroll along the seawall gallery that extends out 200 m and serves as a boat basin to protect against fi erce winds that rage across the inland sea. A glider exhibit attests to the miraculous landing of a jetliner that ran out of fuel on a transcontinental fl ight. The aroma from the Diego distillery attests to the production of Canadian rye whiskey nearby.

Arnes. While open only on Sundays, this quirky assembly of hewn logs for a farm market is worthy of a stop on passing through. Look for local produce, baked goods, antique markets, and gift shops that include diamond willow sticks and chainsaw carvings. Stock your fridge with home-made perogies and cabbage rolls.

Hecla Island Provincial Park. For a 360 degree view over Hecla Island, climb a 20m high lookout tower perched on the edge of the upper basin overlooking Lake Wnnipeg. Keep an eye out for local vendors selling lake fi sh, and restaurants serving fresh walleye/pickerel,

whitefi sh and Winnipeg goldeye. Gull Harbour has a lighthouse and wharf. Plaques identify the historic homes in the Icelandic settlement.

Oak Hammock Marsh provides protected habitat for thousands of migrating birds on reclaimed marsh lands. Visit the Interpretive Centre and bird watching hot spots on hiking trails with information sites that explain the importance of ubiquitous prairie marshes in wildlife management areas around the wet lands.

Lower Fort Gary and the Historic Red River Trail

Follow Hwy #9A/9 from Winnipeg. Head north to the Icelandic community in Selkirk, home to the Marine Museum of Manitoba that records the history of commercial shipping on the big lakes. A cluster of national historic sites along the Red River Trail include the oldest intact stone trading post at Lower Fort Gary, and St. Andrews Heritage Centre that depicts life in the Red River colony in the 1800’s. St. Andrews Lock and Dam is one of two unique moveable dams that span the Red River. Stop by Jimmy Skinner’s restaurant in Lockport for famous hot dogs.

In the Interlake Region, look for numerous national and provincial heritage sites, and quirky statues including a Canada goose, a curling rock, a mushroom, a full-size moose, a Viking warrior, and an over-grown mosquito.

Provencher Suspension Bridge spans the Red River between Winnipeg and St. Boniface near the Riel Esplanade at the Forks.

Myra Ramos. TMB

Tour highlights on the road less travelled

Vacation homes on Hecla Island.

Gord Rees

architecture. Doukabor settlers from Russia arrived in 1899.

Where to camp

Vermillion Park Municipal Campground. Dauphin.

Downtown. Large trees. Washrooms. Some full

service sites.

Rainbow Beach Provincial Park. On Dauphin

Lake. Electrical sites.

DAY FIVE

Riding Mountain National Park is vastly different from the surrounding plains with a large ecosystem of boreal forest in the heart of the province. Situated on the Manitoba Escarpment between Dauphin in the north, and Wasagaming, it is a charming resort town on the shores of Clear Lake. It is the only commercial centre within the park boundaries.

Drive to Lake Audy to photograph a large bison herd grazing on fescus grasses on wilderness range, surrounded by isolated stands of trembling aspen and scattered white spruce. A viewing platform with info plaques explains the life cycle and behavioral habits of the animals. Beaver, bears, moose and wolves inhabit the park. There are a few sites for wilderness camping.

Where to camp

Riding Mountain National Park. Lake Audy

Campground. No service. Peaceful setting on the

shores of Audy Lake.

Wasagaming Campground. Within walking

distance of the town site. Some full service.

Electrical. Showers. Washrooms. Sani-dump.

DAY SIX

Brandon. The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum is a designated Manitoba Signature Museum located in the original hanger at Brandon Municipal Airport. The joint plan was established in 1939 to train air crew from across Canada, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand. It was recognized by President Franklin Roosevelt for Canada’s outstanding contribution to the Allied war effort. Visit the RCAF WW ll Memorial to pay tribute to the names of 19,000 lives during lost during the war that are inscribed on a 91m black granite wall.

Shilo. Canadian Forces Base and the Royal Canadian Artillery Museum are dedicated to preserving Canada’s military history that is featured in fi ve indoor galleries. The Gunners of Canada have won two Victoria Crosses in two World Wars, and now maintain Canada’s major peacekeeping roles. There is a large display of military equipment and historic depictions of Canada’s role in international confl icts.

Spruce Woods Provincial Park. Climb the towering sand hills and dunes to viewing platforms in Spirit Sands, some with rope ladders to protect the fragile vegetation, are the remains from glacial Lake Agassiz that once covered 6,500 square kilometers with delta sand. It is tempting to view the wind- driven sand as a barren desert but the heavy moisture is twice the amount of a true desert.

Pine Fort was fi rst established as a base camp for Montreal fur traders in 1786. Interpretive plaques explain the history and vegetation along self-guided hiking trails. Canoe on the slow moving Assiniboine River that skirts the park.

Where to camp

Meadow Lark Campground. Within Brandon city

limits. Electrical, showers, laundromat, sani-dump.

Grand Valley Provincial Park. West of Brandon.

Off Trans-Canada Hwy. Electrical sites, washroom,

lookout tower.

Spruce Woods Provincial Park. Kiche Manitou

Campground. Historic site. Electrical. Showers.

Sani- dump.

DAY SEVEN

Souris. The Souris Swinging Bridge spans 177m over the Souris River, and is considered the second longest free-suspension bridge in Canada.

Wawanesa has the Sipiweske Museum in a provincial heritage building and dedicated to Nellie McClung who helped women fi rst win the right to vote in Canada. The museum is housed in the original Wawanesa Insurance Offi ce that grew from humble beginnings to a giant in the industry.

Minnedosa is situated on Minnedosa Lake and fed by the Little Saskatchewan River. Follow the Flag Walk across the dam and spillway which are set close to the district museum, heritage village, and bison park. A large octagon shaped building is a designated provincial heritage building. Two small trading posts were established when the

Thousands of migrating birds fat Oak Hammond Marsh

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Bison graze in Riding Mtn. National Park. Enjoying spring camping in Grand Valley

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Elk near Riding Mountain National Park

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7-day RV itinerary crossing Canada’s most easterly prairie provinceRV renters are likely to explore Manitoba as part of a longer experience on the all-Canadian route between rental stations in Toronto and Calgary/Vancouver. Private owners can start anywhere on the route and explore the province in shorter segments.

DAY ONE

Manitoba/Ontario border. Visit the Tourism Manitoba Visitor Centre starting west on the Trans Canada Hwy #1 from the Ontario border. Explore the rugged Canadian Shield heading north on Hwy #44 through the Whiteshell Provincial Park to Seven Sister Falls, then north on Hwy #11 to a number of spectacular waterfalls and eight dams on the Winnipeg River.

West Hawk Lake is a resort town in Whiteshell Provincial Park and situated on a picturesque circular lake that was created by a meteorite impact.

Steinbach. Make a side trip on Hwy #12 to the Mennonite Heritage VIllage in Steinbach that pays tribute to the early migration in 1874 when the Prairies welcomed many new European settlers. They came west to avoid persecution, to practice passive resistance to military service, and to establish Mennonite education in their social communities scattered through southeastern Manitoba.

Where to camp

Whiteshell Provincial Park. A large area with

numerous campgrounds including Big Whiteshell,

Falcon Beach and Lakeshore with electrical,

and West Hawk Lake with full service sites and

laundromat. All have modern washrooms, showers,

sani-stations.

Grand Beach Provincial Park. Grand Beach.

Electrical, modern washrooms, showers.

DAY TWO

Winnipeg. The Golden Boy statue on the dome of the stately Manitoba Legislature Building dominates the city skyline. Learn some of Manitoba’s rich history from displays and plaques. Winnipeg is known for its culture and community support for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.

Where to camp

Lilac Resort. St. Anne. Trans-Canada. Hwy #1. 20

minutes east of Winnipeg. Hookups, water park.

Town & Country Campground. Winnipeg outskirts

on by-pass Hwy 100.

Winnipeg West KOA. St. Xavier. Water and

electrical, modern washrooms.

DAY THREE

Narcisse. Discover one of nature’s oddities at the Narcisse snake dens where red-sided garter snakes hibernate in the limestone dens and create massive mating balls around a single female when thousands emerge in

spring. Arborg Multicultural Heritage Village displays period buildings from Icelandic, Polish, Ukrainian and Indigenous communities in the Interlake Region.

Where to camp

Winnipeg Beach Provincial Park. Full service

sites, modern washrooms, showers, sani-station.

Gull Harbour Campground. Hecla Provincial

Park. Some electrical sites, modern washrooms,

sani- station.

DAY FOUR

Lake Manitoba Narrows. Passing through

the Interlake wheat lands, a bridge crosses the

lake between Vogar and Eddystone on Hwy #68

heading west. Hardly expected, Ste. Rose du Lac

is known as the Cattle Capital of Canada.

Dauphin. A replica of a fur trading post complete with wooden palisade surrounds Fort Dauphin Museum. The history of the region is recorded with large easy to-read descriptions and maps meticulously drawn by Peter Fiddler for the Hudson’s Bay Company in the 1800’s that covered vast areas of trade routes from Hudson Bay to Athabasca and the Rocky Mountains. The Dauphin Rail Museum is housed in a landmark railway station built in 1912 during the heyday of rail expansion, and designated as a Manitoba heritage building. The historic Ukrainian Church known as the “Prairie Cathedral” features Eastern Byzantine

Miles of sand at Grand Beach line the shores of Lake Winnipeg.

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Black bears roam in Whiteshell Provincial Park Longitudinal centre of Canada display.

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International Peace Gardens at USA border

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Pelicans at St. Andrew’s Locks and Dam

Clear Lake in Riding Mountain National Park Grain elevators in rural Manitoba

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Gord Rees Enviro Foto Gord Rees

Heritage and Culture

Winnipeg. Winnipeg was the heart of the fur trade, and instrumental in developing Canada’s gateway to the west. The Canadian Museum of Human Rights pays tribute to world leaders that have dedicated policies to the improvement of universal human rights. Take a break to enjoy the open space in Assiniboine Park, and home to the Leatherdale International Polar Bear Conservation Centre. Tour the Royal Canadian Mint, located alongside the Trans-Canada Hwy on the outskirts east of Winnipeg, that produces coins for over 75 countries.

The Forks, at the confl uence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, sits close to downtown. The national historic site commemorates the fur trade, settlement and a vital transportation link to the west. The Winnipeg Rail Museum is located adjacent to the Forks and houses the Dufferin steam locomotive as the fi rst engine to reach the Canadian prairies. A Travel Manitoba Visitor Information Centre offers trip planning services with a 60-minute video as part of Parks Canada’s interpretive program.

The Exchange District National Historic Site includes thirty blocks of early 20th century warehouses turned into luxury condos, with trendy galleries and fashionable restaurants serving Manitoba specialty foods. The Winnipeg Grain Exchange was established in 1887 to provide a marketplace for wheat, rye and barley

production from the Canadian prairies The ’Peg has always been seen as a fashion centre, where glamorous mink coats were made for the highest style and comfort during winter wear. Trappers still supply gauntlets, mukluks and moccasins from rawhides in the north.

The Winnipeg Floodway, a 50-km man-made diversion channel allows fl ood waters from the Red River to by-pass the City of Winnipeg. Our route follows on the ring road that circles the outskirts and makes for easy access into downtown.

St. Boniface is the heart of French Manitoba. The Musée de Saint-Boniface curates Manitoba’s francophone and Metis heritage. The Louis Riel gravesite is located in the cemetery at the stunning St. Boniface Cathedral. Fort Gibraltar with palisade attests to the early dominance of the Northwest Company.

Louis Riel House National Historic Site commemorates Metis culture and the birth of Manitoba in 1870 known then as the “postage stamp province”, and the struggles to protect the rights of his people in the region after the Hudson’s Bay Company sold Rupert’s Land to the Dominion of Canada. More national historic sites to commemorate French culture are located along the Red River. St. Norbert is one of the many settlements that offer French-Canadian cuisine such as split-pea soup and poutine royale.

Fur Trade Routes

Travels across Canada would be noticeably incomplete without acknowledgement of the fur trade starting with Louis-Joseph La Verendrye in 1731. Although Canada has changed greatly since the fur trade era, visitors to Manitoba will fi nd many aspects of early history to explore.

Canoes opened the waterways to Europeans. Paddling west from Montreal in spring with trading goods, and back east in the fall laden with bales of beaver pelts. The trade fl ourished throughout the 1800s until European haber-dashers found top hats were no longer in fashion.

Entire communities in some parts of Manitoba can trace their lineage to the voyageurs that eventually settled along the rivers. They adapted a lifestyle dependent on buffalo hunting, and many married Ojibwa women with their children growing up as French-speaking Metis.

It was during this period in the 1880s the Dominion of Canada began settlement of the prairies with generous land grants to encourage immigration. The Metis were opposed to encroachment on their farm lands around Winnipeg. Louis Riel emerged as their provisional leader. The standoff spread across the prairies leading to the North-West Rebellion in 1885. There are many commemorative markers of this enduring Canadian hero in St. Boniface and the Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg.

Paddle canoes on the Assiniboine River

St. Boniface Museum

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Gimli Seawall Gallery

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Assiniboine River

Shilo

InternationalPeace Garden

Wawanesa

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MINNESOTA© April 2020 - RVRAC

Best known for polar bears and beluga whales that inhabit Hudson’s Bay in the true north, Manitoba was awarded a Top 10 Tourism Region by Lonely Planet in 2019.

Manitoba’s Star Attractions showcase more than sixty

iconic destinations, cultural centers, historic hot spots, and

provincial parks throughout the province. These varied and

unique attractions are identifi ed by highway directional signs

visible upon approaching each location. Our itinerary passes

through fi ve regions in Manitoba with some of the notable

attractions along the way.

WINNIPEG

● Assiniboine Park & Zoo

● Canadian Museum of Human Rights

● The Forks National Historic Site

● Manitoba Museum

● Manitoba Legislative Building

● Fort Gibraltar

EASTMAN

A Whiteshell Provincial Park

B Mennonite Heritage Village – Steinbach

C Royal Canadian Mint

INTERLAKE

D Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre

E Marine Museum of Manitoba – Selkirk

F Lower Fort Gary National Historic Site

G New Iceland Heritage Museum – Gimli

H Hecla/Grindstone Provincial Park

I Arborg Multicultural Village

PARKLAND

J Fort Dauphin Museum

K Riding Mountain National Park

L Inglis Grain Elevators National Historic Site

CENTRAL MANITOBA

M Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre – Morden

N Manitoba Agricultural Museum – Austin

WESTMAN

O Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum – Brandon

P Royal Canadian Artillery Museum – Shilo

Q Spruce Woods Provincial Park

R International Peace Garden

S Souris Swinging Bridge

Watch for Star Attractions

throughout Manitoba.

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