The Icelandic Canadian - 01.09.2008, Side 19

Vol. 61 #4
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
157
behind the founding of the camp was
Monsignor Morton and Archbishop A.A.
Sinnott of the Winnipeg Roman Catholic
Diocese. The property was purchased in
1919 and the buildings constructed
between 1920 and 1940. It was first used as
a summer camp for disadvantaged children
and families from Winnipeg and St.
Benedict’s orphanage in Arborg. Now it is
a Provincial Recreation Park. The Water
Tower and Chapel (now a picnic shelter)
are build in the Italianate style with wood
frames, exterior mortar and stone facade.
Cabins are in stackwall style. The gazebo
has people’s names carved into it dating
from 1929. The gates were padlocked after
the property was sold to the province
because people were stealing urns, pictures
etc. Someone came by boat and took the
stained glass windows from the chapel.
MADDEN COTTAGE
The construction date is 1910, and the
cottage was purchased in 1955 by Herdis
Madden. Two wicker chairs and two iron
beds came with it. One day, Herdis visited
neighbour Barbara Almasy with baby Guy
in her arms saying “Here is our latest
adventure.” Guy became a film producer
and director. The beach and cottage scenes
for his internationaly famous cult film,
Tales of Gimli Hospital, were filmed here.
Madden family and friends were the actors
in the film. It was shown on a bed sheet in
Orris’s back yard, at the beginning of the
Gimli Film Festival. The cottage is still the
Madden’s summer cottage.
SEAFORTH
This cottage sits on land that originally
belonged to Gisli Sveinson in 1904. Lt. Col.
Hugh Mackenzie (‘Old Guts and Gators’),
Madden cottage at Loni Beach