Lögberg-Heimskringla - 17.03.1995, Síða 19

Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 17. mars 1995 »19
Pull and the popular Veselka Ukranian
Dance Festival.
Travel north on Highway 17 to
Inwood to the Narcisse Wildlife
Management Area home of the garter
snake dens where thousands of snakes
emerge from the limestone pinholes and
tangle in a mating ritual the last week of
April and the first two weeks of May.
Further north at the intersection of
Highway 68 and Highway 17 visit
Poplarfield, home to the majestic “ICing
Buck” statue. The area encompassing
Fisher Branch, Hodgson, Broad Valley
and Fisherton is considered by many to
be the best hunting area of the Interlake
for big game, waterfowl and upland
birds. Fisher Branch hosts fishing der-
bies, winter and summer at nearby
Mantagao lake known for its jackfish,
pickerel and perch. The annual Grouse
Shoot is held in late fall. The pride and
joy of the area is the newly opened
Fisher Branch Golf and Country Club.
Arborg at the junction of Highway
68 and Highway 7 serves as the regions
agricultural service centre. Lying at the
hub of connecting routes to Lake
Winnipeg Beaches and Hecla
Provincial Park, to Highway 6 and
Manitoba’s north and to Lake
Manitoba Narrows and western
Manitoba the Village of Arborg pro-
vides excellent shopping and services.
Major attractions are the three day
Summerfest in June and the Manitoba
Grouse Shoot in September. A must in
your visit to Arborg is the Arborg
Bakery, famous for its bread and pastry.
Highway 8
interlake’s Island
Experíence
ravelling along Highway 8,
r A visitors will be treated to
l M lush beauty, wildlife, histo-
K ry and the magnifícence of
the 1 lth largest freshwater
lake in the world complete with a unique
attraction — Hecla Island.
Today, the descendants of the early
pioneers of the area which settled the
Eastern Interlake some 100 years ago
still maintain much of their Icelandic
traditions and customs. The Village of
Riverton is nestled between PTH 8 and
the picturesque Icelandic River. Known
as the Gateway to Hecla Island and
Grindstone Provincial Parks, Riverton
in a busy supply centre for vacationers.
Riverton offers restaurants, motels,
medical and dental facilities and recre-
ation facilities. Winter months feature
the Snowmobile Drag Races in January
and the Riverton Ice Show Camival in
MaTCkecla Provincial Park
7
his scenic park is a mosa-
ic of wooded islands with
rocky shorelines, tucked
along the western shore
of Lake Winnipeg. The
largest of these, Hecla Island, is best
known for its moose population, but
the mgged scenery and other wildlife
sightings rank a close second. All of the
islands in the park (except Hecla) are
undeveloped and in a wildemess state.
Grassy Narrows Marsh, located on
the south end of Hecla Island, provides
trails to hike or cycle along the dikes,
as well as boardwalks and viewing
blinds. Located on the central flyway of
North America, this marsh is an impor-
tant stop over for migrating ducks and
geese as well as providing prime nest-
ing habitat and a home for muskrats,
beavers, fox, deer, owls, and pelicans.
A wildlife viewing tower, adjacent to
and overlooking the marsh was built
specifically for viewing moose as they
browse and feed.
Hecla Village, a collection of newly
restored buildings and tidy homes,
stretches along the rocky shoreline of
Mill Bay. The Hecla Village Self-
Guiding Trail takes the visitor on a
short walk through the history of this
scenic Icelandic fishing village. During
the summer season, a stop at the R.H.
Williams General Store to pick up a
souvenir of your visit is a must. The
Hecla Island Heritage Home Museum
shows an early Icelandic household,
and the Hecla Fish Station provides a
first hand look at the artifacts and his-
tory of commercial fishing on Lake
Winnipeg, as well as fresh fish sales in
season. Step outside the door, and you
(L-R) Sylvia Brynjólfsson and Oli Hjartarson discuss the state ofthe lcelanders In
Manitoba at íslendingadagurinn '94 with Neil Bardal, Gunnþóra Gísladóttir, Norman
Nordal and Barbara Gislason in the background.
can watch commercial fishing as it is
carried out by the local fishermen. A
European-style bed and breakfast, the
Solmundson Gesta Hus, is available
year round, complete with home-
cooked meals and a gift shop offering a
selection of Icelandic woolens.
The north end of the island boasts
two white sand beaches for swimming
or enjoying the sun, and some impres-
sive limestone cliffs overlooking the
lake. There are interpretive programs,
an amphítheater, playgrounds, picnic
areas, tennis courts, hiking trails and a
fitness trail. Summer accommodations
include spacious, well treed 213 site
Gull Harbour Campground and 15
Family Vacation Cabins. Services for
Lake Winnipeg boaters are available
from the Gull Harbour Marina, as well
as boat rentals and tours for visitors.
The Little Viking Bar and Grill located
by the dock in Gull Harbour, is also
open for the summer season. Gull
Harbour Resort and Conference Centre
provides luxurious year round accom-
modation including tennis courts, a
miniature golf course, indoor pool and
sauna, sports equipment for the gym, a
restaurant and snackery, and the 19th
Hole Lounge. For both the serious
golfer and those that enjoy just a few
rounds every season, there is the beau-
tiful 18 hole Hecla Golf Course, well
known as one of the best in North
America.
Winter brings new opportunities to
try out cross-country ski trails, snow-
mobile trails, tobogganing, snowshoe-
ing, ice skating, and ice fishing. Ice
fishing shacks with wood stoves are
provided by the doclc at Gull Harbour
for public use.
For further information contact the
Hecla Hotline 1-204-279-2023.
Gimli
Your Place
In The Sun
he Rural Municipality of
Gimli and the Town of
Gimli are indeed a trav-
eller’s paradise. Access-
ible by Highways 8 and 9,
there are miles of clean, sandy beaches
for swimming, sunbathing, sailing,
boating and fishing.
Take a scenic drive along the shores
of Lake Winnipeg on PTH 9 and enjoy
the hospitality of Sandy Hook, Hus-
ivik, Gimli, Camp Morton and Arnes.
Located on the llth largest freshwa-
ter lake in the world, Gimli has become
home to some world class sailing com-
petitions. With miles of beautiful sandy
beaches, lakefront developments have
been increasing steadily. Recreational
opportunities abound with tennis
courts, three golf courses in the area,
and a bowling alley at the Gimli
Industrial Park. Tourist services include
a new resort hotel, hotels and motels, a
museum, restaurants, grocery and other
retail stores and four campgrounds
within 9 miles of the town. There is a
trailer park with full service hookup
operated by the RM of Gimli. A fly-in
service to northern lakes is available to
sport fishing enthusiasts. Parachuting/
skydiving is available as well.
The heart of cottage country, the
population increases dramatically as the
Continued on next page
A Complete Line of Parts and
Accessories for Cars, Trucks and
Farm Equipment
Main Street South
Arborg, Manitoba ROC OAO
376-2667
Bruce Sigurdson, Owner
SIGVALDASON
TRAVEL
Travel Arrangements For All Destinations
ICELAND s699
RETURN
JUNE 14™ TO 28™ VIA CALGARY
Our service to you is free.
PHONE 376-5655
334-T AVE.
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