Canada's 'tropical' escape
Soft, sandy beach north of Winnipeg a sweet Prairie surprise
By Tamara King, The Canadian Press (posted on Yahoo.ca)
GRAND BEACH, Man. - It's far from palm trees and ocean vistas, but Manitoba's Grand Beach can sometimes feel like a tropical getaway.
White sand stretches for several kilometres on the southeast shore of Lake Winnipeg, which is so vast that land is not visible on the other side.
On a hot, sunny Saturday, thousands of people make the one-hour drive north of Winnipeg.
Families create small encampments with their beach umbrellas, coolers and colourful sand pails. Fashion-savvy teens and 20-somethings congregate with friends on the beach or nearby volleyball court.
Freakishly bronzed sunbathers lie in folding lounge chairs and rotate throughout the day to follow the sun's movements - although the number of such sun worshippers seems to dwindle every year.
"The big thing at Grand Beach is people watching," says Ron Joyce, president of Grand Beach and Area Development Corp.
Morgan Bourne of Winnipeg, 16, agrees.
"Especially for our demographic, this is where it's at," said Bourne, relaxing with over a dozen friends and schoolmates after exams on a Friday afternoon in late June.
When asked what they like best about Grand Beach, a chorus of teens shouts at once: "The sand!"
The stretch of fine, white sand was left behind thousands of years ago by melting glaciers.
Massive sand dunes reach 12 metres high at some points. Wind whips the sand, so it's constantly shifting into different shapes.
Dotted with leafy green trees, the dunes are a perfect spot to catch some shade and hide away from the crowds at the water's edge.
"Coming from Victoria, we're used to beaches and water, but this is special," said Joan Wenman, visiting Grand Beach for the first time.
"The sheer expanse of the sand dunes, and the white sand . . . And it looks like the ocean, you can't see the other side," said Wenman.
"The beach is beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous," said Wenman's husband, Doug McPherson.
If you like to swim, Grand Beach has a massive designated swimming area. But the appearance of the water is the real departure from the tropical look. The lake's clay bottom gives the water a murky brown appearance.
Occasionally, park staff post warning signs telling swimmers to be careful - or even avoid going in the water because of raised E. coli bacteria counts in Lake Winnipeg.
The province's Water Stewardship Department regularly tests the water at Grand Beach and issues a weekly online update (
http://www.gov.mb.ca/waterstewardshi...ch-table.html).
Boating, fishing and water sports such as water skiing and wakeboarding are popular activities, especially in a large lagoon that's separated from the main lake. There are also several self-guided hiking trails.
But for many families, the beach is the real draw.
"We come up every summer," said Laurie Heneman, a mother of five from Warroad, Minn. "The kids love it. They love the sand."
Heneman, whose kids range in age from 15 months to 14 years old, said she first started visiting Grand Beach with her own parents when she was in elementary school.
It's now a tradition with her own family. Every summer, they rent a cabin nearby, usually for a week.
There are surprisingly few hotel rooms in the immediate area, although two small hotels are located within minutes of the beach.
One website,
www.grandbeachtourism.com, advertises one B&B in Grand Marais, a tiny town that touches Grand Beach Provincial Park but is technically outside its boundaries.
Vacationers turn to renting private cottages, sometimes for weeks at a time.
For outdoorsy types, there's a massive campground run by the provincial government. It has 350 temporary sites, including some with electricity.
In spite of its size, however, it's a busy campground, so finding a spot on long weekends can be tricky. It's best to book well in advance.
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If you go . . .
A car is virtually a must for getting to Grand Beach. There is limited bus service to the popular summer spot about 80 kilometres north of Winnipeg's outer ring road.
Because it's located within a provincial park, there is a fee to visit the beach. Admission is $7 for a three-day sticker, or $28 for a pass that's good for a year. Camping passes are extra.
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