WINNIPEG NEARBY SITES

                                        Two Interesting Sites
        Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Center is located about 40 miles outside of Winnipeg. Thirty-six square kilometers, of the Marsh’s 9000 acres, are under wildlife management.
  Our docent informed us, “Originally St. Andrews Bog covered 450 square kilometers, but by 1960 the bog was nearly dry. In the 70s and 80s the Federal and Provincial governments, along with Ducks Unlimited, reclaimed the bog, and changed its name to Oak Hammock.”

Once there was a hamlet between two oak groves where people often hung hammocks between the trees, hence the name.

 The Interpretative Center opened in 1993. At the time of my visit there were 200,000 water fowl in residence. By the end of October they will have all flown south.  This center is one of the finest I’ve ever visited.

The center entertains 40,000 school children each year in a four month time-frame of April-May and September-October. The hands on activities were inviting. A TV monitor, attached to a remote camera in the marsh, provided an extensive view, way beyond that of the naked eye.     Computers had neat information for one to access. Metal rubbings, various puzzles, lovely wildlife displays, fish tanks containing marsh fish, and a water tank with sand were among the many offerings. A fair size theater was available for presentations.

 Outside, it was windy and chilly. The marsh contains marsh, meadows, tall grass prairies, lure crops, and aspen and oak bluffs. There are 25 kilometers of hiking trails and dyke walkways in the park. Since 280 species of birds migrate through the area, the marsh is one of the best bird viewing spots in North America. Also living in the marsh are 25,000 muskrats as well as many insects, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals like rabbits, deer, and beaver.

It was a very interesting and informative morning.

 For a late lunch, we arrived at Lower Fort Garry, where we were served a delicious Irish stew and bannock, an Indian bread. Lunch ended with apple crumble topped with ice cream. A perfect lunch on a rather chilly day.

Lower Fort Garry Historical Site was closed for the season on the day of our visit, but  they opened the site just for us, and it was wonderful to have the place all to ourselves with our very own docent.

During a tour of the site, the docent explained, “Lower Fort Garry, now a historic site, is the oldest stone fort in the province. The Big House was built in 1832 for Governor George Simpson, then president of the Hudson Bay Company. The entire fort is built of limestone.”

In 1670 King Charles signed a proclamation giving exclusive trading rights of a huge territory to the Hudson Bay Company.  The North West Trading Company gave the Hudson Bay Trading Company competition, and in 1821, they joined forces. In 1826, a flood destroyed Fort Garry. Lower Fort Garry was built twenty miles south of Winnipeg on the Red River in 1830. It was the headquarters for the Hudson Bay Company from 1831-37. Hunters complained about the location, so later on, Fort Garry was rebuilt in Winnipeg.

Fort Garry was rebuilt with wooden buildings that were later torn down. However, that was some time ago as the Fort Garry Hotel, on part of the original Fort property, is a lovely old Victorian structure.

Fort Garry was the home of the York boat, the boat that won the West. It was a heavier and larger boat than the canoe, and required 6-9 rowers. The boat was too heavy to be ported across land, so it was dragged. The river system opened up the Prairie Provinces to settlement. The steam boat eventually replaced the York boat.