History - The Beaches

Spectacular white sandy beaches stretch along the eastern shores of Lake Winnipeg at the northern tip of the St. Clements municipality. Grand Beach, Balsam Bay, Beaconia, and Patricia Beach are some of small

First Nations peoples originally inhabited the region because of the abundance of fish found in the muddy waters of the great inland sea and its close proximity to the Winnipeg River ~ the transport route to the east. The sandy beaches made it easy to land canoes and erect seasonal camps nearby. First Nation Reserves were established at Fort Alexander on the Winnipeg River, and on the Brokenhead River. Early explorers and fur traders, such as La Vérendrye and his sons and nephew Alexander Henry the Younger, Daniel Harmon, Henry Youle Hind, and Colonel Garnet Wolseley, also frequented the region.

During the mid to late nineteenth century, several retired Hudson’s Bay Company men journeyed to the area with their Native wives and children and built homes. Many of the names that linger are reminders of the community’s origins. After a large influx of immigration to Manitoba in the later part of the nineteenth century, several Polish, Ukrainian, and Russian families followed the gravel ridge from East Selkirk to the beach areas and built homes as well.

Commercial fishing and lumbering became the main economic resources for the beaches. At Grand Marais (Grand Beach) early settlers George Rupert and Alex Knott donated land for a church and cemetery. In 1896 the church received the name St. Jude’s Anglican Church. The residents of Grand Marais soon built a school, and after a few years, the school district of Grand Marais incorporated. Two post offices served the Grand Marais area. The Grand Beach post office opened on 1 August 1916 and Grand Marais post office officially opened on 4 April 1923.

Grand Beach received world fame in the twentieth century thanks to the Canadian National Railway. In 1916, the rail line laid a track from Winnipeg through Balsam Bay to Grand Beach, offering easy access to hundreds of visitors. They built a large Dance Pavilion along the shore ~ some say the building was the largest in the commonwealth. Dancing went on every night with trains transporting people from the city to the resort. Round trip “Moonlight Specials” were offered for 50 cents. Admission to the Pavilion was free but in the Twenties “Jitney” (a nickel a dance) began and in the 1930s three dances could be had for a dime.

The Pavilion became the central meeting place for families, couples, and the resort community. A variety of bands played at the dance hall including an all women’s band during the war years. The beach landscape grew to include a long boardwalk with concession stands selling hotdogs, ginger beer, and bathing suits. An adult size carousel gave flights of imagination to all who dared to whirl in its endless circle.

On Labour Day 1950, the Dance Pavilion burned to the ground, ending an exciting chapter of the community’s history.

The community of Balsam Bay lies slightly south of Grand Beach. The recorded history of the community reaches back to 1884, when a local cemetery became the official free burial grounds to anyone living in the communities of Stony Point, Beaconia, and Balsam Bay. Local residents Magnus Craigie and Eugene Durby generously donated the land. The community post office opened for business on 1 November 1887, and the Balsam Bay Church emerged around 1920 ~ its name became St. Luke’s. Ba;sam Bay is currently home to eight cottage subdivisions and is growing rapidly.

Balsam Bay School District (no. 859) formed in 1895, with the first schoolhouse placed on the lakeshore near Balsam Bay cemetery. The community lost the first two schoolhouses to fire; a third building was built and used from 1940 to 1960. After that time, children were bussed to Walter Whyte Collegiate. Other school districts within the area included Grand Marais, Beaconia, Gull Lake, Stony Point, and Victoria Beach.

Patricia Beach and Beaconia are a short drive south of Grand Beach. Patricia Beach is situated on a sandy peninsula extending into Lake Winnipeg. Beaconia lines a sandy island and is presently joined to the mainland by a causeway ~ the road to the beach. The two communities are separated by a channel. The name Beaconia derived from a man named H. August Larson, a.k.a. “The Little Dane.” Larson immigrated to the area around 1910. He made his living hauling timber to Selkirk on his barge. He often returned at night and found it difficult to find the shore. Therefore he built a beacon in the harbour to guide him to the shores, and the name Beaconia was born. The settlement began around 1896, after a Station House was built by the Canadian Nation Railway on it northern trek to Grand and Victoria Beach. By 1921, Stony Point School was built and the post office officially opened that same year. By 2002 it was considered a fire hazard and was burnt down.

With large numbers of tourists visiting the region each year, the area’s resources needed to be protected. Therefore, the beaches became Provincial Parks. Grand Beach Provincial Park was separated into the east and west beach. A campground is located near the east beach, and various play structures, beach volleyball courts, and food and clothing vendors are part of the west beach. The area currently has a golf course, several retail business outlets, and has been used for many music concerts. During the winter, visitors enjoy cross-country skiing, curling, skating, ice fishing, snowmobiling, and peaceful county walks.

Article written by Donna G. Sutherland
St. Clements Heritage Advisory Committee - 04/12/04