Dwayne and Shirley Germain are big boosters for their adopted community of The Narrows on the shores of Lake Manitoba — but they feel many Manitobans don’t know enough about the hidden gem to appreciate how special it is.
After a couple of decades as seasonal residents, they decided to retire at The Narrows, where the Westman region meets the west Interlake. The population of The Narrows drops from hundreds in the summer to about 50 people in the winter.
“This spot and the good fishing and the beautiful sunsets — that pretty much says it all,” said Shirley, peering out over a frozen Lake Manitoba in March.
Lake Manitoba Narrows ‘should be bigger on the map’ for its natural beauty, unique history: residents
The Narrows of Lake Manitoba is where western Manitoba meets western Interlake. Fishing and outdoor recreation drew droves of cottagers and campers to the area in the summer. But there are only a few dozen year-round residents, some of whom say the place’s history and beautiful landscapes should be a bigger draw.
The area is a pickerel fishing hot spot known for the kind of picturesque wildlife sightings and moody sunsets that lured in outdoorsy Dwayne and artistic Shirley, whose paintings reflect how the landscape has inspired her.
That landscape even helped inspire the name of the province of Manitoba.
It irks Shirley and Dwayne how few Manitobans seem to share in the depth of their passion for The Narrows, or even know how its history fits into the broader story of Manitoba.
“It’s kind of a forgotten area,” said Dwayne, wiping away a tear. “It should be so much more.”
Shirley says there’s more to The Narrows than good fishing.
“Even in Winnipeg, people say, like, ‘Where? Where do you live?'” Shirley said. “It should be bigger on the map.”
The Narrows is about 175 kilometers northwest of Winnipeg. It’s the only place you can cross Lake Manitoba by bridge, which was built in the late 1960s.
But long before then, The Narrows was a meeting place that drew people in, as it’s always been the easiest place to cross the lake — by canoe or dog sled, depending on the era.
The Narrows also figures into how Manitoba came to get its name.
Since time immemorial, the narrow stretch of water where southern and northern basins came together was known as straights or “narrows of the Great Spirit” (Manito bau in Cree), according to a Historic Sites Advisory Board of Manitoba plaque.
First Nations groups in the area knew an island to the north as Manitou Island. The sounds of winds crashing up against the limestone cliffs on the north end of the island would create a drumming sound that they attributed to the Great Spirit, Manitou.
Across from Manitou Island there’s another source of the building blocks of the province’s history: the Rosehill Kilns.
“There is history out here that people aren’t necessarily aware of as they drive through,” said Mark Lloyd, a Narrows cottager.
Two moss-covered, derelict stone structures shaped like cubes are what remain of a dozen kilns established in the area from a once-active quarry established in 1896, according to the Manitoba Historical Society.
The kilns were essentially ovens used to burn limestone drawn from local quarries, in order to produce lime that was used in plaster and mortar.
That lime was bagged and taken by horse to the lakeshore, where it was loaded onto bars pulled by steamboat to the south of the lake. From there, it was transported by train to build up places like Winnipeg.
Through the Narrows Enhancement Initiative — a community effort dedicated to developing amenities in the area — volunteers like Dwayne Germain and Lloyd hope to get historical status for the kilns.
“The focus is always … your recreational things,” Lloyd said.
“But I think it’s important that we recognize some of the history around here… and creating opportunities to educate and make sure we’re maintaining these sites.”
Neither he nor Dwayne are from the area originally, but both are invested in preserving what remains of the lesser-known local history, along with enhancing the pickerel fishery and the overall experience in the community.
“They chose to be here,” says Arnthor Jonasson, reeve of the rural municipality of West Interlake, which includes The Narrows.
“They probably appreciate our area more than we do that grew up here. We’re always looking to travel somewhere else and see the world. They’re happy [here]”
Jonasson’s family roots in The Narrows go back to the 19th century. His grandparents were among a wave of Icelandic immigrants who settled around The Narrows in the late 1800s.
“My afi [grandfather] sailed a sailboat from The Narrows into a little bay just west of Ashern and he called it Silver Bay,” said Jonasson. “He took a homestead there and I was born and raised in Silver Bay.”
Harry Davidson has similar ties to the area.
His afialso named Harry Davidson, came from the Faroe Islands, between Norway and Iceland in the North Atlantic Ocean, around the same time period as Jonasson’s grandfather.
Davidson’s grandfather was inducted into Manitoba’s Order of the Buffalo Hunt in 1960 for his years of contributions to the province as a commercial fisher.
By winter, Davidson, 70, commercial fishes the same waters his grandfather did.
By summer, he runs Darwin Greenhouse, located at the former site of the one-room Darwin School, a school built over a century ago that Davidson attended as a child.
Davidson isn’t one for recreational angling. He doesn’t even own a fishing rod. He’s more focused on passion flowers and petunias in the warmer months anyway.
But he’s confident his afi would approve of how he makes a living.
“From what I remember he was a bit of a gardener too, so he likely would be quite happy that we’re into this greenhouse business and fishing.”
Amber Davidson runs Darwin Greenhouse alongside her dad.
After decades living in a big city in Texas, she returned after the start of the pandemic, when her father was considering closing the business.
She’s glad to be back planting roots again at The Narrows.
“If you look at my phone, it’s all sunset pictures and pictures of flowers,” she said. “It’s just a pretty way to live.”
Dwayne and Shirley Germain feel the same about The Narrows.
“It’s beautiful, tranquil — there’s no words,” Shirley said at sunset on frozen Lake Manitoba. “You have to paint a picture.”
