Thursday, May 13, 2021
A Mysterious Manitoba Vacation: Pandemic Edition: 2021
A Mysterious Manitoba Vacation - Pandemic Edition: 2021
Although we are limited in our ability to travel during the pandemic, why not 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 my picks for the most interesting off-beat vacation spots in Manitoba, updated to reflect sites that can be accessed even during the pandemic amid lockdowns.
“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.
If you want more information about UFOs in Manitoba, check out the "M Files" - the Manitoba UFO Survey here.
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 (currently closed due to the pandemic) 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)
BONUS: If you are interested in Sasquatch or Bigfoot, we have created a list of known Sasquatch sightings in Manitoba. Click here for the list.
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. Check with them for access.
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.
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 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.) NB: Closed during lockdown.
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. NB: The dens are closed to teh public in 2021 due to the lockdown.
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. NB: closed due to the pandemic.
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. NB: temporarily closed.
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. Not open to the public.
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 at the beach showing how the lake was formed, and a concession stand that sells “meteor burgers” and “potato UFOs,” among other tasty treats! [NB: may not be open thus summer]
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. The grounds are open but the buildings are currently closed.
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!
BONUS: We created a list of known sightings and encounters with lake monsters in Manitoba. Click here for the list.
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: Manitoba vacation tourism Sasquatch Manipogo lake monster ghost haunted paranormal, UFOs
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Teaching scientific concepts using UFO reports and other aspects of the UFO phenomenon
Teaching scientific
concepts using UFO reports and other aspects of the UFO phenomenon
Students
have a strong interest in UFOs and “space stuff” because of the prevalence and
prominence of those concepts in pop culture. Because of this, UFOs may be the
ultimate teaching resources since students already have an inherent interest in
pop culture.
Whether or not UFOs are “real,” they
figure prominently in our society, selling us products on television
commercials, are featured in major movies and books and have encroached on
everyday life through common expressions and dinner party conversations. If
UFOs are not a physical phenomenon, they are definitely a psychological and/or
sociological phenomenon. In either case, they are of scientific interest.
What’s more, they should be of great interest to educators because talking
about UFOs can be an excellent way to teach students basic principles in many
fields, including the physical and social sciences.
Scientific
Disciplines Teachable Through a Study of UFOs
For
the purposes of this presentation, let’s not even get into the debate over
whether UFOs are or are not alien spacecraft, but talk in terms
of possibilities and the implications of extraterrestrial life.
Astronomy
This
isn’t necessarily as obvious a connection as you might think, since UFOs are
not necessarily from outer space. But if they are, where could they be from?
This question leads us into many facets of astronomy. What kind of star is our
Sun? Is it bigger than average? Smaller? Hotter? Where is the Sun in relation
to other stars in the sky? Then there are some specific exercises that can lead
to an understanding about distances in the universe. For example, one star
system said by some people to be the origin of aliens visiting Earth is Zeta
Reticuli. (Some students may have heard of this already!) Where, exactly, is
it? Can we see it from your city? How far away is it? A good way to get across
the scale of astronomical distances is to make a scale model of the Solar System
and then extend it to a model of the nearest stars. If you use a pea as a model
of our Sun, how far away will the next nearest pea be? Across the room? Down
the hallway? Across the street?
Planetary
formation
This
topic leads naturally from a discussion of stars and their differences. How do
planets form? How did the Earth get its oceans? Are planets common or rare in
other parts of our Galaxy? How likely is it that other star systems will be
suitable for life?
Meteoritics
Many
people have seen shooting stars. But what are they? How big are they? I
sometimes get a grain of sand and place it in a vial to show and pass around as
an example of the true size of a typical meteor. What are bolides?
Observational
Astronomy
This
topic can spin out into a discussion about constellations and mythology. There
is so much richness for learning opportunities here, you really can’t go wrong.
But a real shocker for most students will be that they don’t need a telescope
to do basic astronomy. How many planets can you see with the naked eye? Why do
stars twinkle, but not planets? What are comets? Galaxies? Nebulae?
Physics
and Engineering
Okay,
you want to get there from here (or vice versa). How? Would aliens use rockets
or a Space Shuttle? An overview of rocketry is perfect here. What were the
first rockets? How do rockets work? What are Newton
Atmospheric
Physics
Many
kinds of weather phenomena can look pretty weird. Noctilucent clouds glow
brightly long after sunset, and lenticular clouds look like giant flying
saucers. Sundogs are neat, and most people don’t know they are simply a kind of
rainbow. One mysterious (and thankfully rare) phenomenon is ball lightning,
which can seem to move with a mind of its own. A stepping-off point here would
be weather observation and forecasting, which many students will find
interesting, especially if they test the accuracy of weather forecasts.
Physiology
Many
science teachers are aware of an exercise called “Invent an Alien,” adopted by
many schools for teaching exobiology. The idea is to make students think about
the necessary characteristics of an alien living on a planet in our Solar
System. We can get students to ask some serious questions about the physiology
of aliens speculated to live on other planets. How could an alien breathe on
Mars or Jupiter? How would it move around? What would it eat? What would it
look like? Communicate? Reproduce?
Psychology
Sightings
of UFOs bring up the subject of perception. This would be a good way to
introduce optical illusions and show that things are not always what they seem.
Autokinesis can be demonstrated to show that stationary objects can seem to
move in the sky. It’s very difficult to judge distance and velocity of an
object in the sky, especially without a reference point. But exactly how
difficult? Another branch of psychology is clinical psychology, which includes
hypnosis. Does it work just like on TV and in the movies? What about belief
systems? Does believing in something sometimes make you think it is real? What
is a psychosomatic illness?
Biology
What
are the conditions which allow life on Earth? Are we damaging our ecosystem?
Are we in danger of becoming extinct? This question is important to any
discussion about aliens because it sheds light on the precariousness of life on
a planet. How quickly can species become extinct? What is adaptation? Why do
animals look different in different parts of the world? If there was life on
another planet, what would it look like? (This brings us back to Invent an
Alien.)
Chemistry
Is
there water on Mars? If not, what are its ice caps made of? Why does Mars look
red? Could we breathe the air on Venus? What is our air made of? Why are
Jupiter’s bands different colours? These are all questions relating to the
chemistry of planetary atmospheres, and can give students an idea of what we
need to survive on this planet.
Sociology
These
are more of the “fun” questions to ask. We can get into all sorts of
speculative ideas by trying to imagine what aliens would be like. The best way
to do this is to compare our own behaviour with that of how we might imagine
aliens to behave and interact. What would a truly alien civilization be like?
What would its government be like? How would it educate its young? If an alien
landed on Earth and said to you, “Take me to your leader!” ... to whom (and
where) would you take it? How would you explain to an alien the concept of war?
Money? Love?
These
are just some of the subjects which could be taught using UFOs and aliens as a
starting point for learning. All of these areas use straightforward scientific
principles as a way to understand a popular topic. There is no “pseudoscience”
here - just good science. This is a positive and enjoyable way to help your
students grasp scientific concepts and apply them to the UFO phenomenon in all
its varied aspects.
But
wait! There’s more!
We’ve
just covered the scientific disciplines teachable with UFOs as a topic.
But what about other disciplines?
Language
Arts
I’ve
been contacted by ESL instructors who were using UFO books as texts for
reading. Again, the students were interested in the topic, so the instructional
materials worked well. Paranormal subjects and magic really have a way of
catching the imaginations of young readers. (Just look at the popularity of
Harry Potter, Goosebumps and Animorphs, to name a few!) Stories about aliens
can be found in most popular fiction series, and juvenile science fiction is an
ever-growing market in the book publishing industry. Using a scenario such as
“I was abducted by an alien” can be a lot of fun for a creative writing
assignment, and students will enjoy letting their imaginations run wild.
Applied
Arts
Twice
now I have been asked by electronics dabblers to evaluate “UFO Detectors” on
their operating principles. It’s a fairly simple project, basically something
which detects magnetic fields. (This assumes, of course, that alien spaceships
generate such fields.) So, with that in mind, why not get your students to
design such a device, and have them explain the theory behind it? Oh, and if
they actually detect anything, let me know.
Fine
Art
I
once had the cooperation of the teacher of a grade school class in a
fascinating comparative experiment. Two of the students in the class had
reported seeing a UFO several days earlier, and their parents were convinced
they had a real experience. When I visited the school to talk with the students,
their homeroom teacher asked me to talk to his class about UFOs in general, but
I had a better idea. I gave all the kids an assignment to draw or colour a
picture of what they thought an alien spaceship looked like. What they handed
in at the end of the hour was pretty interesting. They all drew elaborate
aliens with their spaceships, many of which were modeled after spacecraft on TV
shows like Star Trek and movies such as Star Wars. Except for two drawings, by
the two students who had said they had actually seen something. They both drew
dull, boring pictures of a grey, disc-shaped object hanging in the sky. It
didn’t have any windows or flashing lights or any aliens peeking out. It didn’t
seem like they used their imaginations at all.
Journalism
Have
your students make a video of a newscast about a UFO sightings or an abduction.
See if they can interview someone in their community who has had an experience.
Finally,
here’s an older article about putting UFOs in the classroom that has some interesting
(although perhaps a bit outdated) ideas:
Rocker,
Donald E. It worked for me. Grade
Teacher, Dec. 1968, pp. 24, 26.
So,
you now have some ideas on how to motivate your students. If their heads are
going to be in the clouds anyway, at least they can get some good learning
done!
“Second star to
the right and straight on till morning...”
Labels: children, education, science, UFOs
