Grosse Isle is a rural community north-west of

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

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 ...

. It is partially in the Rural Municipality of Rosser and partially in the

Rural Municipality of Rockwood In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically describ ...

. The name is from the French "Grosse Île", meaning ''big island''.

History

French hunters were the first to refer to the area as "Grosse Isle." The name, which translates to "Large Island," was chosen because the tract of land was heavily wooded and surrounded by a swamp, creating the appearance of an island. The name began to be more widely used during the 1852 flood, when people fleeing floodwaters sought refuge on "the island". In 1904, a

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company () is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN is Canada's largest railway, in terms of both revenue a ...

point was established there.

Attractions

Grosse Isle is home to a heritage railway Prairie Dog Central Railway and a heritage site encompassing a school, church, prairie home, caboose and picnic spaces.

In media

In 2014, the Western TV show ''

The Pinkertons ''The Pinkertons'' is a Canadian Western (genre), Western police procedural television series which features crime cases of the Pinkerton (detective agency), Pinkerton detective agency. The show is officially licensed with the Pinkerton detectiv ...

'' was filmed in Grosse Isle. Grosse Isle was among the Manitoba filming locations for the 2022 Christmas movie ''We Wish You a Married Christmas.''

References

{{MBDivision14 Unincorporated communities in Manitoba