Whiteshell Provincial Park facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Whiteshell Provincial Park
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Whiteshell river within the park
Whiteshell Provincial Park Location in Manitoba
Location	Manitoba, Canada
Nearest city	Winnipeg, Manitoba
Area	2,721 km² (1,051 sq mi)
Established	1961
Governing body	Government of Manitoba

Whiteshell Provincial Park is a large park in southeast Manitoba, Canada. It's about 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of Winnipeg. The park is a special protected area, known as a Class II protected area. This means it's a national park or similar place that protects nature and allows people to enjoy it. Whiteshell Provincial Park covers a huge area of 2,721 square kilometers (1,051 square miles).

The park helps protect a part of the Boreal Shield ecozone, which is a large natural region. It also protects the Tie Creek basin, a very important place for Indigenous peoples.

Park History
Park Geography
Visiting the Park
- Summer Activities
- Winter Activities
North Whiteshell Area
South Whiteshell Area
- West Hawk Museum
- Whiteshell Fish Hatchery Interpretive Centre
Park Wildlife
Gallery
See also

Park History

Whiteshell Provincial Park became a provincial park in 1961. It was one of the first parks created after Manitoba passed its Provincial Parks Act. People started visiting the area more often after railway lines were built. The Canadian Pacific Railway arrived in 1883, and the Canadian Northern Railway came around 1908. In 1927, people thought about making it Manitoba's first national park. But another place, Riding Mountain National Park, was chosen instead.

The Bannock Point petroform site

The Ojibway people and other Indigenous groups lived in this area for a very long time. The Ojibway, also called Anishinaabe, even made maps of the area on birch bark. The park's name, Whiteshell, comes from the cowrie shells. These shells were used in special ceremonies by the Anishinaabe, including the Ojibway and the Midewiwin group.

The Winnipeg River and the Whiteshell River are the main rivers in the park. For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples used this area. They gathered wild rice, hunted, fished, traded, and held ceremonies. They also used it for teaching and living. In 1734, La Vérendrye was the first European to explore the area. He was looking for a way to reach the Pacific Ocean. Indigenous peoples, fur traders, and trappers all used the Winnipeg River and Whiteshell River as main travel routes.

Whiteshell Provincial Park has many pink granite rocks, cliffs, and flat areas. First Nation peoples used these flat granite areas to make petroforms. Petroforms are shapes or designs made by arranging rocks on the ground. There is also proof that ancient people traded copper, mined quartz, and made stone tools here. The copper trade, which went all the way to Lake Superior, started about 6,000 years ago. Many old tools and campsites have been found in Whiteshell Provincial Park. These are protected by Manitoba's Heritage Act. Indigenous peoples still use the park today for gathering wild rice and for ceremonies.

Around 1920, new roads made it easier for tourists to visit the Whiteshell area. The first summer cottages were built near the railway lines. In 1922, Brereton Lake Dominion Park was created. Then, in 1930, this park was given to the province of Manitoba and became the Whiteshell Forest Reserve. More roads were built, connecting the reserve to Ontario in the east. They also added campgrounds and picnic spots further north.

A special sign, called a Manitoba Historical Plaque, was put up in Falcon Lake. It remembers the important role of the Dawson Road in Manitoba's history.

Park Geography

Three rivers flow through Whiteshell Provincial Park, creating chains of lakes.

The Winnipeg River forms the northern edge of the park. It flows west from Eaglenest Lake, which is on the Manitoba-Ontario border. It goes through Numao Lake, Nutimik Lake, Dorothy Lake, Margaret Lake, and Natalie Lake.
The Whiteshell River enters the park in the southeast. It connects West Hawk Lake, Caddy Lake, South Cross Lake, North Cross Lake, Sailing Lake, Mallard Lake, Lone Island Lake, Jessica Lake, White Lake, and Betula Lake. It then joins the Winnipeg River at Nutimik Lake.
The Rennie River forms a third chain of lakes. It starts in Shiaro Lake within the park. It flows through Jean Lake, Brereton Lake, Rice Lake, and Heart Lake. It then joins the Whiteshell River just below Betula Lake.

Falcon Lake is south of the Trans-Canada Highway. Big Whiteshell Lake is the largest of several lakes north of the Whiteshell River.

Piers at Falcon Lake

Visiting the Park

Whiteshell Provincial Park is on the eastern side of Southern Manitoba, right along the Ontario border. If you're coming into Manitoba from the east on the Trans-Canada Highway, this park is the first area you'll enter. The Trans-Canada Highway runs east to west through the park. Other roads like Provincial Trunk Highway 44 connect West Hawk Lake with Rennie. Provincial Road 309 links Provincial Road 307 at White Lake with Lone Island Lake and Big Whiteshell Lake.

You usually need a vehicle permit to enter Manitoba Provincial Parks all year round. You can get permits at campgrounds, park offices, or buy them online.

Many people visit the park in the summer, and the population grows a lot. Many visitors own cottages or cabins on land they lease from the government. Staying at these seasonal homes is often called 'cottaging'. If you don't want to camp, you can rent a cottage, cabin, or stay at a lodge or resort.

The province runs ten campgrounds in the park from May to October. You need to reserve your spot through the Manitoba Parks Reservation Service. The fees change depending on what services are available.

Summer Activities

Mountain biking

Boating – You can launch your boat at many lakes. Many resorts also rent boats.
Canoeing and Kayaking – The park has up to 325 kilometers (200 miles) of canoe routes. On the Caddy Lake Canoe Route, you can paddle through tunnels in rock walls. These tunnels were made when the railways were built over a century ago.
Sailing and Boardsailing – Falcon Lake and West Hawk Lake both have sailing clubs.
Fishing – There are a dozen different kinds of fish to catch in the park's waters.
Swimming – Many public beaches are great for swimming. You can also swim at the shoreline near many lakeside cottages.
Hiking – Trails range from short 1.5-kilometer (1-mile) walks to the challenging 60-kilometer (37-mile) Mantario Trail. This long trail connects Caddy Lake with Block 2 of Big Whiteshell Lake. Part of the Trans-Canada Trail is also in the park, but it's not fully built yet.
Cycling – There's a 4.2-kilometer (2.6-mile) loop at Betula Lake on Provincial Road 307. A 9-kilometer (5.6-mile) trail is at Big Whiteshell Lake on Provincial Road 309. The South Whiteshell Trail is a multi-use trail system that cyclists can use. This trail connects Falcon Lake to Caddy Lake and will be about 29 kilometers (18 miles) long.

Winter Activities

Icefishing – You can enjoy fishing on the frozen lakes.
Snowmobiling – Over 200 kilometers (124 miles) of marked and groomed snowmobiling trails are available for winter fun.
Snowshoeing – In winter, the snow makes it perfect for snowshoeing on the trails and across the frozen lakes.

North Whiteshell Area

You can reach the northern part of the park by road from the west. Use PR 307 at Seven Sisters Falls or Highway 44 at Rennie. Pointe du Bois can be reached by road using PR 313. Also, Via Rail's train, the Canadian, stops at Brereton Lake, Ophir, and Winnitoba stations in the park.

Campgrounds in the North Whiteshell area include Otter Falls, Nutimik Lake, Betula Lake, White Lake, Big Whiteshell Lake, and Brereton Lake.

Whiteshell Natural History Museum

The Whiteshell Natural History Museum

The Whiteshell Natural History Museum opened in 1960. It's in a log building and shows mounted animals found in the area. Other exhibits teach about the boreal forest, Canadian Indigenous peoples, petroforms, sturgeon fish, and the Winnipeg River. The museum is on PR 307 at Nutimik Lake. It has been closed since 2018.

Alfred Hole Goose Sanctuary

The Alfred Hole Goose Sanctuary and Interpretive Centre is located on PTH 44, just east of Rennie. This sanctuary protects nesting Canada geese every spring. The interpretive center teaches you about geese and the sanctuary's history. It also has a viewing area for the lake and offers special programs.

Whiteshell Trappers Museum

The Whiteshell Trappers Museum is on the same grounds as the Alfred Hole Goose Sanctuary. Built in 1997, the museum looks like a fur trapper's cabin. Guides talk about the history of fur trapping, different trapping methods, and local wildlife.

South Whiteshell Area

You can get to the south side of the park from the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy 1). You can enter near Falcon Lake on the western side or West Hawk Lake on the east. The main park entrance is at Falcon Lake, just south of the Trans-Canada Highway. Falcon Lake has two government-run campgrounds, a beach, a golf course, a ski resort, riding stables, and many other tourist services. It's the western end of Manitoba Provincial Road 301, which goes east through Faloma, Toniata, and Star Lake to the community of West Hawk Lake.

Campgrounds in the southern part of the park include Caddy Lake, Falcon Beach, Falcon Lakeshore, and West Hawk Lake.

West Hawk Lake is the deepest lake in Manitoba. It was formed by a meteorite hitting the Earth! It's a popular place for scuba diving, even in winter under the ice.

West Hawk Museum

The West Hawk Museum is located at West Hawk Lake. It has exhibits about the area's geology, gold mining, and how the lake was formed by a meteorite impact.

Whiteshell Fish Hatchery Interpretive Centre

At the Whiteshell Fish Hatchery Interpretive Centre, you can learn how the hatchery raises fish. They raise lake sturgeon, trout, and walleye. The hatchery is along the Whiteshell River, just north of West Hawk Lake. The fish from the hatchery are used to stock lakes all over Manitoba. It is open during the summer months.

Park Wildlife

Whiteshell Provincial Park is home to many different animals.

Mammals

Large mammals you might see include black bears, moose, white-tailed deer, timber wolves, and lynx. Smaller mammals also live here, like river otters, martens, fishers, red foxes, mink, hares, beavers, bats, skunks, raccoons, muskrats, and red squirrels.

Birds

The park is filled with birds such as owls, bald eagles, ruby-throated hummingbirds, chickadees, blue jays, grosbeaks, turkey vultures, redpolls, woodpeckers, osprey, loons, ruffed grouse, ducks, and Canada geese.

Reptiles, Amphibians, and Insects

You can also find snakes, turtles, and many different kinds of insects in the park.

Fish

The lakes and rivers are home to fish like perch, walleye, jackfish, lake sturgeon, black crappie, burbot, whitefish, trout, white bass, smallmouth bass, and mooneye. Smoked mooneye meat is very popular and sold as "Winnipeg goldeye."