Town & Country

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2016 3 S T . L A U R E N T BY SHERRY KANIUGA THE "LAND BETWEEN THE LAKES" IS MAKING A COMEBACK — AND YOU MIGHT SAY IT'S COMING BACK BETTER THAN EVER. N estled along the southeast shore of Lake Manitoba, with the North, East and West Shoal Lakes to the east, St. Laurent has seen its share of difculties. A devastating ood in 2011 closed its beaches and kept away hundreds of cottagers and homeowners whose properties were damaged or destroyed. Another ood in 2014 did further damage, and the local shing industry was also left in shambles, with shers left with no choice but to nd other work. But things are nally looking up. With the area's beautiful beaches open again, the RM of St. Laurent has plans for a new and improved community that will help bring back the people who contribute to the area's vitality. "We have just nished cleaning up from the 2011 ood, and the high waters in 2014. All the sandbags have been removed, and we have redistributed the sand along the beaches. They are revamped," says Tiffany Desjarlais, the RM's new economic development ofcer. "It's been a struggle, but we're a strong community. We're starting to bring life back to the town again. We're all working together to grow everything back to where it used to be, or evenbetter." With cottages and lots being xed up and rebuilt, the area has a "new and improved" feel. With a former population of about 1,300 — which used to double in summer, thanks to the cottagers and visitors who ocked to the beaches and to events such as the annual MétisDays festival on the August long weekend — St. Laurent is embracing a number of newinitiatives. The RM is in the middle of a feasibility study to construct a new MétisHeritage Centre that will showcase the strong history of the Métispeople in the area. The new centre will include artifacts that were showcased during a 2014 exhibit on Aboriginal Peoples at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. that featured the St. Laurent community, which has the largest Métis population on the continent. The RM purchased a house just off Hwy 6 that has been renovated into a welcome centre. It will be turned into a business centre with the new museum attached to it and it's all set to open by the end of 2017, Desjarlais says. Plans are also in place to expand the current assisted living centre, which has a long waitinglist. But one of the most signicant new developments in the area is the plan to construct a sh processing plant. With the sh returning to the lake after the ooding, the plant will help the local industry to make its comeback by giving shers a place to sell their less desirable catches, Desjarlaisexplains. "We are in the development stage, just starting to look at potential properties and doing testing to see if the soil would be viable." The hope is that the plant will be completed in about two years, followed by construction of much-needed short- and long-term housing. "A lot of the young people around here say there is nowhere to rent. This way they can stick around instead of leaving right after they graduate," Desjarlais says. A facility to train future workers from the community and the surrounding area in the Interlake is also being planned. About 300 staff will eventually be needed to run the plant. Of course, any new residents will have to be open to sharing the community with one of its most famous locals. For years, people have reported sightings or signs of Manipogo, the legendary Lake Manitoba sea serpent. "There have been sightings in the lake, but a lot of people are too scared to say anything. They are afraid people won't believe them," says Desjarlais, who grew up in the area. "It's part of our history. It's just in there and a lot of people think about it and have stories. There was one sherman who was ice shing on the lake, pulling up his nets, and heard a big crack. The ice started buckling straight towards him. He didn't know what it was, but he tookoff." The community even holds a Manipogo Festival, but while it's named for the famous resident, the event celebrates the end of the ice- shing season each year. As the community continues to rebuild, Desjarlais isn't alone in her hope that the pride residents and the RM take in their beaches and community will shine through. "It's quiet here," she says. "It's peaceful, and with our beautiful beaches it's really a great place to live in or vacation in, even just for the day." Things are looking up in St. Laurent, with a new economic development officer, Tiffany Desjarlais, and a host of improvements, including a new beach access. Photo by Darcy Finley Interlake Water Supply Co. Ltd. MEMBER OF MANITOBA WATER WELL ASSOCIATION DOMESTIC - INDUSTRIAL WATER WELLS - SOIL TESTING PUMP SALES & SERVICE SEPTIC FIELDS & GEO-THERMAL SONNY ROHNE BOX 40, INWOOD, MANITOBA, R0C 1P0 PHONE: (204) 278-3328 CELL: (204) 886-7092 sonnyrohne@yahoo.ca Box 160, Fisher Branch, MB R0C 0Z0 Attitudes Are Contagious ... Is Yours Worth Catching? Compliments of Jim & the friendly staff UKRAINIAN FARMERS CO-OP Serving Your Community Proudly For 80 Years • Bulk Petroleum • Gas Station • Grocery Store (204) 372-6202 Centre St. Gimli 204-642-8588 1-888-432-6733 www.peacegarden.com 1 hour South of Brandon Where you find the best of everything! International Peace Garden has incredible oral displays, a fully-serviced campground, a restaurant with fresh food for all tastes, and special events all season. The Ambassador of Iceland & the staff of the Embassy of Iceland in Canadaa send their best wishes to all readers of the Winnipeg Free Press - Manitoba Town & Country In particular we wish the readers of Icelandic descent "Gledilega Hatid" on the occasion of Íslendingadagurinn 2016 in Gimli July 30 - August 1 Embassy of Iceland, 360 Albert Street, Suite 710, Ottawa, ON K1R 7X7 www.iceland.org/ca New Iceland Heritage Museum P R E S E N T S Open Daily 10:00am to 4:00pm 94 - 1st Avenue at the Waterfront Centre, Gimli 1-204-642-4001 | www.nihm.ca Adults $7, Family rate $15 Seniors & Students $6, Kids under 6 - FREE AWAYKIN with colour ANAWASON There is a thread running through all of nature, religion, culture, and history that unites all of humanity. By juxtaposing imagery of ancient civilizations, natural history, scientic illustrations, intricate patterns, contemporary culture, and religious iconography, this work seeks the line that draws us together. We are one tribe. We are all kin. AWAYKIN with colour. Anthony Nelson [Anawason] is an artist born in Gimli, Manitoba, Canada now living in downtown Winnipeg. Please visit awaykinwithcolour.com for more information. By juxtaposing imagery of ancient civilizations, natural history, scientific illustrations, intricate patterns and religious iconography, this work seeks the line that draw us together JULY & AUGUST Arborg & District Multicultural Heritage Village Discover the history of the area in a working, living, historical Village. Experience the feeling of stepping into the past and enjoy the tour guides dressed in period costume relaying the captivating stories and history on each building. Tours available Monday – Sat. 10 am- 4pm Sunday noon – 4 pm For more information, contact: Ph: 204-376-5079 www.arborgheritagevillage.ca "Old Town Campground" Adjacent to the Heritage Village 22 electrical sites water available & trailer dump site showers, etc. For bookings call 376-5866. Need to host a party or meeting? Book the beautiful old fully equipped Heritage Hall for your event. Bookings call Pat 204-376-5079 "It's quiet here. It's peaceful, and with our beautiful beaches it's really a great place to live in or vacation in, even just for the day."

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