Thursday, June 22, 2017
A Mysterious Manitoba Vacation 2017
A Mysterious Manitoba Vacation 2017
Chris Rutkowski is a science
writer and educator, and author of Unnatural
History: True Manitoba Mysteries (1993), as well as several other books on
strange phenomena including the Big Book
of UFOs (2010) and co-author of the bestseller When They Appeared (2017). Born and raised in Manitoba, Rutkowski
has traveled the province widely, researching stories and listening to
Manitobans’ tales of strange events and mysterious experiences.
Rutkowski suggests that
vacationers consider visiting some of Manitoba’s more unusual places of
interest as a vacation alternative. Most Manitobans aren’t aware of the weird
and wonderful history behind some popular and not-so-popular places in their
own province. Many sites are off the beaten track, but others are visited every
day by hundreds of people who don't know the stories there.
These are just some of
Rutkowski’s picks for the most interesting off-beat vacation spots in Manitoba.
“Charlie Redstar” and His Friends
During the 1970s and early
1980s, dozens of people watched, filmed and photographed unusual lights that
seemed to tease observers positioned on mile roads just south and east of
Sperling, and also just northwest of Carman, Manitoba. People would drive
towards the lights that seemed to hover some distance down the road, then
retreat quickly away, always keeping just out of reach. The most famous of
these lights was the Carman UFO named “Charlie Redstar” that darted around the
countryside in 1975 and 1976. These LATERs (Lights At The End of the Road) were
reportedly seen literally every night by anyone who went looking for them. Some
locals claim the lights can still be seen today, if you know where to look.
Sasquatch Near West Hawk Lake
A Sasquatch was seen near the
Lily Pond, about 15 kilometres north of West Hawk Lake on Highway 44 on June 7,
1990. It was raining, and as a woman drove around a bend at about 1:00 p.m.,
she said she was forced to brake suddenly when a tall creature appeared on the
road in front of her car. It was six to seven feet tall, with dark, “patchy,”
wet and matted hair all over its body. When the car swerved, she hit her head
on the steering wheel, requiring medical attention. That evening, in the muddy
ground, eight footprints were found, each about 18 inches long and nine inches
wide. Sasquatch have also been reported during the last 20 years in widely
separated locations in Manitoba, such as Beaconia and Gillam.
Cast of Sasquatch Footprint
In September 1973,
conservation officer Bob Uchtmann was working near Landry Lake, west of The
Pas. He came upon several large footprints, each about 18 inches long, in hard,
compacted ground. They were 28 inches apart, indicating an extremely long
stride. The cast of one footprint is currently on display in the Sam Waller
Museum in The Pas, and is suggested to be that of a Sasquatch. The Sam Waller
Museum is known for having an eclectic collection of many other artefacts,
including: a Judi-Dart Meteorological/Sounding Rocket used at Fort Churchill in
1969; a Daisy XZ-35 Buck Rogers Rocket Wilma Pistol Ray Gun; a brass sundial
owned by explorer Sir John Franklin; a crystal radio set manufactured by the
Martian Manufacturing Company of Newark, New Jersey; and a human appendix. (Map shows location of Landry Lake)
Linear Mounds National Historic Site
Near Coulter, Manitoba, close
to the Saskatchewan border, is a little-known National Historic Site where
unusual linear mounds can be seen and climbed. These are long, manmade ridges,
more than 500 feet in length, built more than 1000 years ago by First Nations
peoples for driving bison into a ravine where they could be killed by hunters.
The Haunted Nunnery
A former nun’s residence, L'Auberge
Clémence Inn on the Prairie B&B and Retreat Centre in Elie is said to be
haunted. Guests have heard footsteps on the wooden stairs, without anyone being
near. Doors have opened and closed by themselves, and glimpses of a figure have
been seen moving in several rooms.
Pilot Mound
The 116-foot-high “Old Mound,”
as local people refer to it, is one of the most important historical landmarks
in Manitoba. This large hill was caused by an upheaval of natural gas beneath
the ground many, many years ago. But on its summit is a small circular hill
that was built by ancient Indigenous peoples. In 1908 a Toronto University
archaeological excavation unearthed relics of the Mound Builders, suggesting it
was a sacred site. The Plains Cree called it "Little Dance Hill"
(Mepawaquomoshin) and travelled great distances to hold ceremonial dances on
its summit.
Philip’s Magical Paradise
One of Manitoba’s most
treasured gems is Philip’s Magical Paradise, in the little village of Giroux,
near Steinbach. It’s a museum of magic and illusion, built in response to the
request of Gordon and Marilyn Hornan’s young son before he passed away from cancer.
Philip Hornan loved magic so much, he asked that a museum be built so that
other children could learn about and enjoy magic as much as he. In the museum
(which looks like a small castle), you can see a sword illusion donated by famous
illusionist Dean Gunnarson, and two coins from magician Doug Henning—one used
by him, the other by Houdini himself! Also showcased are locks and key
collections, many examples of magic tricks, including “the Blue Room
Transformation.”
Devil’s Island
East of Camperville in the
middle of Lake Winnipegosis is an island about two kilometres in length, with a
reputation for being haunted. There are stories that people who have dared camp
on the island have swam in panic to the mainland in the middle of the night,
afraid of eerie lights and sounds that seemed to chase them off the island!
Devil Island
The same stories (almost
identical, actually) are told about this tiny island in the middle of Lake
Winnipeg, about six kilometers northeast of Traverse Bay.
The Falcon Lake Saucer
In 1967, Stefan Michalak was
prospecting just north of Falcon Lake and encountered a flying saucer that
apparently landed in a clearing near him. He walked up to the craft out of
curiosity and was burned by a blast of hot gas when it suddenly took off and
flew away. The incident was investigated by the RCMP, Royal Canadian Air Force
and even the US Air Force, which labeled the case “Unexplained.” Today, the
site is still accessible near the gravel pits north of town, and you can go on
a guided “UFO Ride” to the site from Falcon Beach Ranch. The Laughing Loon
store in town sells t-shirts and other items commemorating the 1967 event.
The Haunted Hotel Fort Garry
Much has been written about Winnipeg’s
Hotel Fort Garry and its various resident ghosts. One story is that a grief-stricken
woman took her own life in Room 202 many years ago. Since then, some staff have
said they have seen blood running down the walls of the room, and some guests
have said they have seen her ghost at the end of their bed. In 2004, former
Ontario Liberal MP Brenda Chamberlain was staying in Room 202 and said that
while in bed she felt the mattress depress next to her as if someone was
getting in beside her. The same or another ghost is said to have been seen in the
hotel’s lounge, and in rooms on other floors.
The Haunted Marlborough
Similarly, the Marlborough
Hotel in downtown Winnipeg is also said to be haunted, in this case by a
waitress who was murdered on the fifth floor in 1943. Tour groups sometimes
take groups in on public investigation sessions.
The Manitoba Legislature Hermetic Code
Although to the untrained eye
it is simply a large, ornate government building, the Manitoba Legislature is
adorned with sphinxes, doric columns and even a replica of the Ark of the
Covenant. And the statue of the Golden Boy on top of the building? The god
Hermes. According to Frank Albo, sometimes called Manitoba’s own Dan Brown, the
Legislature is a Masonic edifice designed to guide and help elected official
rule the province. Albo conducts guided tours of the Hermetic significance of
the many bizarre feature of the building. (Oh, and the building is haunted,
too.)
Old Man Gimli and Thorgeir's Ghost
Kids at camps throughout the
Interlake are often told the story of Old Man Gimli, who wanders the bush along
Lake Winnipeg for sinister and macabre purposes. One story is that travelers
who stopped their car along the highway north of town were shocked to see a
dark, brooding figure leap out at their car and grab onto their rear bumper
before falling away! As well, the tale of Thorgeir's Ghost is told by Icelandic
settlers to the Hecla area, of a skinned bull that came back to life after
being readied for butchering, and has been seen roaming the fields between
Gimli and Riverton. They may not be true, but they're great local tales!
The Narcisse Snake Dens
Featured on many nature shows
and websites, the snake dens in and around Narcisse are unique and fascinating.
Each spring and fall, the natural caves and sunken areas of limestone in the
area are overrun with thousands of garter snakes that mate in seething masses
that are downright strange. The mating balls occur in about May each year, and
the snakes return in September.
Dalnavert
The Dalnavert Museum at 61
Carlton Street in downtown Winnipeg is said to be haunted. Some “ghost hunter”
tours have been organized for the house, but few people have ever seen or heard
anything out of the ordinary.
The Manitoba Desert
It may seem incongruous, but
even in a province that is covered in snow for several months of the year,
there is a desert. Although quickly being encroached by vegetation such as wild
grasses and poison ivy, there’re still sand dunes to climb and explore in the
Spirit Sands near Carberry. And the Devils Punch Bowl is a bowl-shaped
depression 45 metres deep in the sand hills, caused by underground streams. And
look for the Prairie skink, Manitoba’s own lizard!
The Kettle Stones
Northeast of Swan River is a
small Kettle Stones Provincial Park. It’s isolated, with no picnic tables,
concessions or bathroom facilities, and the road in is barely a trail that
often is impassable. But if you manage to get there, you will see dozens of
huge boulders that were formed under water and left behind when Lake Agassiz
retreated in about 10,000 BC. The stones are considered scared by First Nations
peoples.
Seven Oaks House
Similarly, Seven Oaks House
Museum at 50 Mac Street is the oldest home in Winnipeg, and has developed a
reputation as “the oldest haunted house in Manitoba.” Public investigation
tours have been arranged by the Winnipeg Paranormal Group, during which
attendees are guided through actual nighttime investigations of the building.
Hamilton House
Although now a naturopathic
clinic, at one time Hamilton House on Henderson Highway in Winnipeg was the
North American centre of research into paranormal activity. Dr. T. Glen
Hamilton conducted many séances in sealed upper rooms in the house, where many
photographs of ghosts and other eerie phenomena were obtained. Even Arthur
Conan Doyle, the author of the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, visited the house
in 1923 and participated in one of the séances.
The Woodridge Spook Light
Since the 1960s, it has been
said that if you wait any night after about 11:00 pm just south of Highway 203
east of town, you'll see the Woodridge Spook Light dancing at the end of the
road along the railway line. It was actually seen as early as the 1930s, and is
supposed to be a lantern carried by the headless ghost of a man who was killed
by a train many years ago.
Lake St. Martin Crater
Invisible to the average
visitor, the largest meteorite crater in Manitoba is located at Gypsumville. In
fact, the entire town and hundreds of surrounding acres sit inside the crater
itself! Beneath the ground is a 200-million-year-old crater that is 40
kilometres wide, making it the fifth-largest in all of Canada.
West Hawk Lake
By comparison, the meteor
crater that is now West Hawk Lake is only about 2.5 kilometres across. But it’s
not eroded like the Lake St. Martin crater, and is completely filed in with
water left over from retreating glaciers. There’s an info kiosk at the park
office, a large descriptive sign showing how the lake was formed, and at the
beach a concession stand sells “meteor burgers” and “potato UFOs,” among other
tasty treats!
Lower Fort Garry
Apart from its rich
conventional history, Lower Fort Garry has a reputation as being one of the
most haunted places in Manitoba. Visitors and workers there have reported
seeing rocking chairs moving by themselves, ghostly apparitions standing in
otherwise empty rooms and hearing chains rattling in the fur loft.
Bannock Point Petroforms
In Whiteshell Provincial Park
along Highway 307 is a small park where you can climb an observation tower and
look down on ancient outlines of turtles and other figures laid out with
boulders. Thought to be steeped in Indigenous tradition and ritual, these huge
formations are even visible from the air!
The White Horse Plains
Along the Trans Canada
Highway near St. Francois Xavier is a statue of a White Horse. The figure is
one of the few monuments in the world depicting a ghost! The story is that
hundreds of years ago, a maiden escaped into the night with her lover astride a
beautiful white horse, given as a gift from her betrothed whom she was to marry
the next day. They were pursued and killed, but the horse ran off and has been
said to roam the prairie ever since.
Manipogo Beach Provincial Park
Just north of Toutes Aides on
Highway 276 is a little-known park that is one of Manitoba’s jewels and
best-kept secrets. Pristine beaches, clear water and beautiful landscaping
along Lake Manitoba's rocky shore, it’s also the site of numerous sightings of
Manipogo, Manitoba’s own Loch Ness Monster. The dinosaur-like creature was seen
there several times in the 1990s. Maybe you can be the next lucky one to see
it!
Magnetic Hill
While New Brunswick has a
more famous Magnetic Hill, where cars seem to roll uphill, Manitoba has one
too! It’s on Harlington Road, two miles west of the Highway 487 turnoff to the
Thunder Hill Ski Area, along the Saskatchewan border. Local residents say that
you can put your car or truck in neutral, and with the brakes off, you start
moving apparently uphill.
And finally…
Move over, Stonehenge! Winnipeg has Pilehenge!
This mysterious,
awe-inspiring structure is located on the outskirts of Winnipeg, on Sturgeon
Road just south of Prairie Dog Trail near Centreport Canada Way. Clearly an
ancient structure designed as homage to our alien ancestors, it was built by
Inland Cement, obviously under guidance from extraterrestrials.
Labels: ghost UFOs Sasquatch lake monster Manipogo haunted Indigenous Manitoba vacation tourism Forteana
