Whiteshell Provincial Park is a

provincial park Ischigualasto Provincial Park A provincial park (or territorial park) is a park administered by one of the provinces of a country, as opposed to a national park. They are similar to state parks in other countries. They are typically open to the ...

in southeast

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

, approximately east of the city of

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

. The park is considered to be a Class II protected area under the

IUCN protected area management categories IUCN protected area categories, or IUCN protected area management categories, are categories used to classify protected areas in a system developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The enlisting of such areas is part ...

. It is in size. The park protects areas representative of the Lake of the Woods Ecoregion within the Boreal Shield ecozone. The park's protection also specifically extends to the Tie Creek basin, an area of great spiritual significance to Indigenous peoples.

History

Whiteshell Provincial Park was designated a provincial park by the Government of Manitoba in 1961. It was one of the first group of parks established the year following the passage of the Manitoba Provincial Parks Act. Tourism interest in the area had begun shortly after the arrival of railway lines—the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

in 1883 and the

Canadian Northern Railway The Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR) was a historic Canadian transcontinental railway. At its 1923 merger into the Canadian National Railway , the CNoR owned a main line between Quebec City and Vancouver via Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Edmonton. Man ...

around 1908. In 1927, the area was suggested as the location for Manitoba's first national park, eventually losing out to a competing proposal for

Riding Mountain National Park Riding Mountain National Park is a national park in Manitoba, Canada. The park is located within Treaty 2 Territory and sits atop the Manitoba Escarpment. Consisting of a protected area , the forested parkland stands in sharp contrast to the sur ...

Petroforms in Whiteshell Provincial Park Manitoba

The

Ojibway The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...

people and various other groups before them initially populated the area. The

, or

Anishinaabe The Anishinaabeg (adjectival: Anishinaabe) are a group of culturally related Indigenous peoples present in the Great Lakes region of Canada and the United States. They include the Ojibwe (including Saulteaux and Oji-Cree), Odawa, Potawatomi, ...

, first mapped some of the area on birch bark. The name of the park is derived from the

cowrie Cowrie or cowry () is the common name for a group of small to large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries. The term ''porcelain'' derives from the old Italian term for the cowrie shell (''porcellana'') du ...

shells that were used in ceremonies by the

, including the Ojibway, and among them the

Midewiwin The Midewiwin (in syllabics: , also spelled ''Midewin'' and ''Medewiwin'') or the Grand Medicine Society is a secretive religion of some of the indigenous peoples of the Maritimes, New England and Great Lakes regions in North America. Its prac ...

practitioners. The historic

Winnipeg River The Winnipeg River is a Canadian river that flows roughly northwest from Lake of the Woods in the province of Ontario to Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba. This river is long from the Norman Dam in Kenora to its mouth at Lake Winnipeg. Its watershed is ...

and the

Whiteshell River The Whiteshell River is one of the major rivers in Whiteshell Provincial Park, in southeastern Manitoba, Canada, near the Ontario border. This river is close to some petroform sites that are about 2000 years old or older. The name "whiteshell" ...

are the main rivers that run through the park. For thousands of years,

Indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

used the area for harvesting wild rice, hunting, fishing, trade, ceremonies, teaching, and dwelling. In 1734, La Vérendrye was the first European to explore the area during his quest for a route to the Western Sea. First Nations, fur traders, and trappers used the

as the main travel route through this area, as well as the

. Whiteshell Provincial Park has many pink

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...

ridges, cliffs, and flat granite areas used for

petroform Petroforms, also known as boulder outlines or boulder mosaics, are human-made shapes and patterns made by lining up large rocks on the open ground, often on quite level areas. Petroforms in North America were originally made by various Native A ...

making by

First Nation Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

peoples. There is also archaeological evidence of ancient copper trading, prehistoric quartz mining, and stone tool making in the area. The copper trade, which extended toward

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

, began approximately 6,000 years ago. Many artifacts and prehistoric camps were discovered in Whiteshell Provincial Park and are protected under the Heritage Act of

. The park is still used by Indigenous peoples for

wild rice Wild rice, also called manoomin, Canada rice, Indian rice, or water oats, is any of four species of grasses that form the genus ''Zizania'', and the grain that can be harvested from them. The grain was historically gathered and eaten in both ...

harvesting and ceremonies. Around 1920, the development of roads brought tourists into the Whiteshell area. The first summer cottages were close to the

and the

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN i ...

. In 1922 Brereton Lake Dominion Park was created. A decade later and in 1930 the park was transferred to the province of

and established the Whiteshell Forest Reserve. Further roadwork continued, linking the reserve to

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

in the east and campgrounds and picnic sites further north. A Manitoba Historical Plaque was erected in the community of Falcon Lake by the province to commemorate the role of the Dawson Road in Manitoba's heritage.

Geography

Three rivers flow through the park forming strings of lakes. The

defines the northern edge of the park from Eaglenest Lake, straddling the Manitoba-Ontario boundary flowing west through Numao Lake, Nutimik Lake, Dorothy Lake, Margaret Lake to Natalie Lake on the park's northwestern edge. The

enters in the south-eastern corner linking

West Hawk Lake West Hawk Lake is a impact crater lake on the Whiteshell River located in the Whiteshell Provincial Park in southeastern Manitoba, Canada. The circular shape of the main body of the lake is due to the submerged West Hawk crater, caused by a met ...

Caddy Lake Caddy Lake is a lake on the Whiteshell River in south-eastern Manitoba, Canada near the Manitoba–Ontario border. McGillivray Creek drains into the lake on its west side.It is within Whiteshell Provincial Park near West Hawk Lake. The lake ha ...

, South Cross Lake, North Cross Lake, Sailing Lake, Mallard Lake, Lone Island Lake, Jessica Lake, White Lake and Betula Lake before joining the Winnipeg River at Nutimik Lake. The Rennie River forms a third chain of lakes, arising in Shiaro Lake within the park through Jean Lake, Brereton Lake, Rice Lake, Heart Lake before joining the Whiteshell River just below Betula Lake. Falcon Lake lies to the south of the TransCanada Highway.

Big Whiteshell Lake Big Whiteshell Lake is located within the Whiteshell Provincial Park in southeastern Manitoba, Canada. The lake is about east of Winnipeg at the terminus of Provincial Road 309. The route from Rennie to Big Whiteshell Lake was originally construc ...

is the largest of a number of lakes lying to the north of the Whiteshell River.

Visiting the Park

The park is located along the eastern side of Southern Manitoba, along the Ontario border. It is the first area that is entered when arriving in Manitoba from the east on the

Trans-Canada Highway The Trans-Canada Highway ( French: ; abbreviated as the TCH or T-Can) is a transcontinental federal–provincial highway system that travels through all ten provinces of Canada, from the Pacific Ocean on the west coast to the Atlantic Ocean o ...

which runs east west through the park. Provincial Trunk Highway 44 joins West Hawk Lake with Rennie. Provincial Road 309 connects Provincial Road 307 at White Lake with Lone Island Lake and Big Whiteshell Lake. Park vehicle permits are typically required year-round in Manitoba Provincial Parks. Permits are available at all campgrounds and district offices, or can be purchased online. The population in the park increases significantly in the summer. Many of these seasonal residents own cottages or cabins built on land leased from the Crown. The word 'cottaging' is used to describe staying at these seasonal residences. Visitors to the park who are not interested in camping can choose to rent a cottage or cabin or stay in a lodge or resort. The Province operates ten serviced campgrounds in the park May through October. Reservations for these sites must be made through the Manitoba Parks Reservation Service. Fees vary depending on facilities and services provided.

Summer

* Boating – Boat launches are accessible at a variety of lakes and many resorts offer boat rentals. * Canoeing and kayaking – Up to 325 km of canoe routes are located within the park. Paddlers on the

Canoe Route pass through tunnels in a wall of rock that were created when the railways came through this area more than a century ago. * Sailing and boardsailing – Falcon Lake and West Hawk Lake maintain sailing clubs. * Fishing – There are a dozen species of fish that will provide fishing enjoyment. * Swimming – Numerous public beaches permit swimming and many lakeside cottages allow swimming at the shoreline area. * Hiking – Trails range from short 1.5 km routes to the more challenging 60 km Mantario Trail, connecting

with Block 2 of

. Part of the

Trans-Canada Trail The Trans Canada Trail, officially named The Great Trail between September 2016 and June 2021, is a cross-Canada system of greenways, waterways, and roadways that stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic oceans. The trail extend ...

is contained in the park, although construction is incomplete. * Cycling – A 4.2 km loop is available at Betula Lake on Provincial Road 307 and a 9 km trail at Big Whiteshell Lake on Provincial Road 309. The South Whiteshell Trail is a multi-use trail system that accommodates cyclists. The trail connects Falcon Lake to

and will be approximately 29 kilometres in length.

Winter

* Icefishing * Snowmobiling – Over 200 km of marked and groomed snowmobiling trails offer winter recreation. * Snowshoeing – In winter, this snow allows for snowshoeing on the trail systems and on the frozen lakes.

North Whiteshell

The northern portion of the park may be accessed by road from the west via PR 307 at Seven Sisters Falls or Highway 44 at Rennie."Whiteshell Interpretive Park Map", ''Manitoba Parks'', March 2007. Pointe du Bois can be reached by road via PR 313. Provincial campgrounds located in the North Whiteshell are Otter Falls, Nutimik Lake, Betula Lake, White Lake, Big Whiteshell Lake and Brereton Lake.

Whiteshell Natural History Museum

The Whiteshell Natural History Museum, opened in 1960 and located in a log building, features

mounted Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, Co ...

wildlife displays of local animals. Other displays include the boreal forest, Canadian Indigenous peoples, petroforms, sturgeon and the Winnipeg River. The museum is located 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 at PTH 44, slightly east of Rennie. The sanctuary protects nesting

Canada geese The Canada goose (''Branta canadensis''), or Canadian goose, is a large wild goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North America, and it is o ...

each spring. The interpretive centre provides information about the biology of the geese and the history of the sanctuary, as well as an observation gallery for the lake and interpretive programs.

Whiteshell Trappers Museum

The Whiteshell Trappers Museum is located on the grounds of the Alfred Hole Goose Sanctuary. Built in 1997, the museum resembles a

fur trapper Fur is a thick growth of hair that covers the skin of mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an insulating blanket ...

's cabin. Interpreters discuss the history of fur trapping, trapping techniques, and local wildlife.

South Whiteshell

The park may be accessed from the south side via exits on the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy 1), where visitors may enter near Falcon Lake on the western side or West Hawk Lake on the east. The main park entrance is located at Falcon Lake, immediately south of the

. Falcon Lake has two provincially operated campgrounds, a beach, golf course, ski resort, riding stables and many other tourist services. It is the west end of Manitoba Provincial Road 301 which runs east through Faloma, Toniata, and Star Lake to the community of West Hawk Lake. Provincial campgrounds in the southern portion of the park are Caddy Lake, Falcon Beach, Falcon Lakeshore and West Hawk Lake. West Hawk Lake, the deepest lake in the province, was formed by a meteorite, and is a popular spot for scuba diving and ice diving.

West Hawk Museum

Located at West Hawk Lake, the West Hawk Museum features exhibits about the area's geology, area gold mining, and the formation of the lake from the impact of meteorite that formed the West Hawk crater.

Whiteshell Fish Hatchery Interpretive Centre

The Whiteshell Fish Hatchery Interpretive Centre allows visitors to learn about the hatchery's activities in raising lake sturgeon, trout and walleye. The hatchery is located along the Whiteshell River just north of West Hawk Lake. The fish in the hatchery are used to help stock lakes throughout Manitoba. It is open during the summer months.

Ecology

Fauna

Whiteshell Provincial Park is home to a variety of large mammals including

black bear Black bear or Blackbear may refer to: Animals * American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), a North American bear species * Asian black bear (''Ursus thibetanus''), an Asian bear species Music * Black Bear (band), a Canadian First Nations group ...

moose The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult ma ...

white-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...

, timber wolf and

lynx A lynx is a type of wild cat. Lynx may also refer to: Astronomy * Lynx (constellation) * Lynx (Chinese astronomy) * Lynx X-ray Observatory, a NASA-funded mission concept for a next-generation X-ray space observatory Places Canada * Lynx, Ontar ...

. Smaller mammals such as river otter, marten,

fisher Fisher is an archaic term for a fisherman, revived as gender-neutral. Fisher, Fishers or The Fisher may also refer to: Places Australia *Division of Fisher, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives, in Queensland *Elect ...

red fox The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the Order (biology), order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe ...

mink Mink are dark-colored, semiaquatic, carnivorous mammals of the genera ''Neogale'' and '' Mustela'' and part of the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, otters, and ferrets. There are two extant species referred to as "mink": the A ...

hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The ge ...

beaver Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...

bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most ...

skunk Skunks are mammals in the family Mephitidae. They are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong, unpleasant scent from their anal glands. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown, cream or ginge ...

raccoon The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...

, muskrat and

red squirrels The red squirrel (''Sciurus vulgaris'') is a species of tree squirrel in the genus ''Sciurus'' common throughout Europe and Asia. The red squirrel is an arboreal, primarily herbivorous rodent. In Great Britain, Ireland, and in Italy numbers ...

also inhabit the park. The birds in the park include

owl Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers a ...

bald eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...

s, ruby throated hummingbirds,

chickadee The chickadees are a group of North American birds in the tit family included in the genus '' Poecile''. Species found in North America are referred to as chickadees, while other species in the genus are called tits. They are small-sized bird ...

s, blue jays, grosbeaks, turkey vultures,

redpoll The redpolls (genus ''Acanthis'') (in Great Britain also historically known as redpoles) are a group of small passerine birds in the finch family Fringillidae, which have characteristic red markings on their heads. They are placed in the genus ' ...

woodpecker Woodpeckers are part of the bird family Picidae, which also includes the piculets, wrynecks, and sapsuckers. Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Madagascar, and the extreme polar regions. ...

osprey The osprey (''Pandion haliaetus''), , also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than in length and across the wings. It is brown o ...

, loons,

ruffed grouse The ruffed grouse (''Bonasa umbellus'') is a medium-sized grouse occurring in forests from the Appalachian Mountains across Canada to Alaska. It is the most widely distributed game bird in North America. It is non-migratory. It is the only specie ...

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...

s and

Snake Snakes are elongated, Limbless vertebrate, limbless, carnivore, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales. Ma ...

turtle Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked tu ...

s and a wide variety of

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...

s are found in the park. The lakes and rivers contain

perch Perch is a common name for fish of the genus ''Perca'', freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which three species occur in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Percif ...

walleye The walleye (''Sander vitreus'', synonym ''Stizostedion vitreum''), also called the yellow pike or yellow pickerel, is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the Northern United States. It is a North American close relat ...

, jackfish,

lake sturgeon The lake sturgeon (''Acipenser fulvescens''), also known as the rock sturgeon, is a North American temperate freshwater fish, one of about 25 species of sturgeon. Like other sturgeons, this species is a bottom feeder with evolutionarily basal t ...

, black crappie,

burbot The burbot (''Lota lota'') is the only gadiform (cod-like) freshwater fish Freshwater fish are those that spend some or all of their lives in fresh water, such as rivers and lakes, with a salinity of less than 1.05%. These environments di ...

, whitefish,

trout Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salmoni ...

white bass The white bass, silver bass, or sand bass (''Morone chrysops'') is a freshwater fish of the temperate bass family Moronidae. commonly around 12-15 inches long. The species' main color is silver-white to pale green. Its back is dark, with white ...

, smallmouth bass and

mooneye Hiodontidae, commonly called mooneyes, is a family of ray-finned fish with a single included genus ''Hiodon''. The genus comprise two living species native to North America and three to five extinct species recorded from Paleocene to Eocene age ...

. Smoked mooneye meat is highly valued and sold as "Winnipeg goldeye".

Gallery

File:Pelicans on Big Whiteshell Lake.jpg, Pelicans on Big Whiteshell Lake File:Big Whiteshell Lake in the Fall.jpg, Big Whiteshell Lake in the Fall Image:Longpine creek winter.jpg, Longpine Creek Image:West hawk lake sampson's cove.jpg, Sampson's Cove File:McHugh Lake Loop.jpg, McHugh Lake Loop Image:West Hawk Lake Whiteshell Provincial Park Manitoba Canada Summer 2008 (2).JPG, Sand Art at West Hawk Lake

References

External links

Whiteshell Provincial Park
- official site

Travel Manitoba: Whiteshell Provincial Park

iNaturalist.org:Observations in Whiteshell Provincial Park
* eBird hotspots in the park
Whiteshell PP

Whiteshell PP--Big Whiteshell Lake

Whiteshell PP--White Lake

Whiteshell PP--Jessica Lake

Whiteshell PP--Alfred Hole Goose Sanctuary

Whiteshell PP--Caddy Lake

Whiteshell PP--West Hawk Lake

Whiteshell PP--Falcon Lake

Whiteshell Cottagers Association
a non-profit organization advocating for those who lease or own land in the park {{Coord, 49, 55, N, 95, 20, W, region:CA_type:landmark_source:GNS-enwiki_scale:1000000, display=title Parks in Eastman Region, Manitoba Provincial parks of Manitoba Museums in Manitoba Natural history museums in Canada Protected areas established in 1961 1961 establishments in Manitoba Protected areas of Manitoba