Window on Our Past

Window on Our Past A Tale of Two Brick Plants October 12, 2023 This article was done in partnership with the Whitemouth Municiapal Museum and the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society. It appeared in the October 12, 2023 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Clipper. In April 1899, shortly after Walter Wardrop hauled… Read more: A Tale of Two Brick Plants

Window on Our Past The Railway’s Last Act June 28, 2023 This article was done in partnership with the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society. It appeared in the June 15, 2023 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Clipper. By the 1960s, Manitoba’s pioneer era was over. Hydroelectric generating stations powered most of the… Read more: Railway’s Last Act

Window on Our Past Lac du Bonnet Living Magazine 2023 June 8, 2023 The 2023 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Living Magazine is out now! Featuring a brand new article, Rugged Beauty: Along the Waters of Pointe du Bois & Slave Falls, five previously published Window on Our Past articles, and special pieces on… Read more: Lac du Bonnet Living Magazine 2023

Window on Our Past Summer Paradise: Lac du Bonnet in the 1920s December 30, 2022 Throughout May, June and July 2022, with the assistance of the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society, I conducted extensive research into the history of tourism in Lac du Bonnet’s during the 1920s. To read the full PDF, please… Read more: Summer Paradise: Lac du Bonnet in the 1920s

Window on Our Past Calm Waters: The History of Pinawa December 30, 2022 Special thanks to the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society and the Manitoba Electrical Museum & Education Centre in Winnipeg for the use their photographs.

Window on Our Past The Last Forty Years – Final of 4-part series December 1, 2022 Previous Articles Part One: The Timber FrontierPart Two: For Capital & Honest EnterprisePart Three: Pine Falls Pulp & Paper This article was done in partnership with the Winnipeg River Heritage Museum, the Whitemouth Municipal Museum and the Lac du… Read more: The Last Forty Years – Final of 4-part series

Window on Our Past Pine Falls Pulp and Paper – Third of 4-part series August 15, 2022 Previous Articles Part One: The Timber FrontierPart Two: For Capital & Honest Enterprise This article was done in partnership with the Winnipeg River Heritage Museum, the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society and the Whitemouth Municipal Museum.… Read more: Pine Falls Pulp and Paper – Third of 4-part series

Window on Our Past For Capital and Honest Enterprise – Second of 4-part series July 28, 2022 Previous Article Part One: The Timber Frontier This article was done in partnership with the Whitemouth Municipal Museum and the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society. It appeared in the June 30, 2022 edition of the Lac… Read more: For Capital and Honest Enterprise – Second of 4-part series

Window on Our Past The Timber Frontier – First of 4-part series June 2, 2022 This article was done in partnership with the Whitemouth Municipal Museum and the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society. It appeared in the June 2, 2022 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Clipper and The Clipper Weekly (covering Whitemouth,… Read more: The Timber Frontier – First of 4-part series

Window on Our Past Lac du Bonnet Living Magazine 2022 June 2, 2022 A brand new article, Calm Waters: The History of Pinawa, and six previously published Window on Our Past articles are featured in this year’s Lac du Bonnet Living Magazine.

Window on Our Past Lakeview Turkeys Limited April 9, 2022 This article was done in partnership with the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society. It appeared in the April 7, 2022 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Clipper.  Turkeys fascinated Fred Gauer and, even though he knew nothing about the birds, he wanted to… Read more: Lakeview Turkeys Limited

Window on Our Past The End of an Era January 19, 2022 This article was done in partnership with the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society. It appeared in the January 13, 2022 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Clipper.  The 1950s were a time of great change in Lac du Bonnet. The Winnipeg… Read more: The End of an Era

Window on Our Past Flying North – Final of a 3-part series October 13, 2021 Previous Articles Part One: Policing the FrontierPart Two: Bootleggers, Car Chases and Safecrackers This article was done in partnership with the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society. It appeared in the October 14, 2021 edition of the Lac du… Read more: Flying North – Final of a 3-part Series

Window on Our Past Bootleggers, Car Chases and Safecrackers – Second of a 3-part series September 2, 2021 Previous Article Part One: Policing the Frontier This article was done in partnership with the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society. It appeared in the September 2, 2021 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Clipper.  The… Read more: Bootleggers, Car Chases and Safecrackers – Second of a 3-part series

Window on Our Past Policing the Frontier – First of a 3-part series July 8, 2021 This article was done in partnership with the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society. It appeared in the July 8, 2021 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Clipper.  An English poet passed through Lac du Bonnet in 1913,… Read more: Policing the Frontier – First of a 3-part series

Window on Our Past Park Avenue School June 7, 2021 This article was done in partnership with the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society. It appeared in the June 3, 2021 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Clipper.  In 1904, a ten member board held the inaugural meeting of the Lac du Bonnet School… Read more: Park Avenue School

Window on Our Past Featured Articles in the 2021 Lac du Bonnet Living Magazine May 23, 2021 Ten of my Window on Our Past articles are featured in this year’s Lac du Bonnet Living magazine. Selected by the Clipper editor, these articles cover the history of Lac du Bonnet from the fur trade era through… Read more: Featured Articles in the 2021 Lac du Bonnet Living Magazine

Window on Our Past In the Path of the Storm May 20, 2021 This article was done in partnership with the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society.It appeared in the December 23, 2021 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Clipper. On Wednesday, May 10, 1922 at 12:45pm, storm clouds darkened the sky. A “great… Read more: In the Path of the Storm

Window on Our Past McArthur Falls Generating Station April 18, 2021 This article was done in partnership with the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society.It appeared in the May 6, 2021 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Clipper. In the early 1900s, following the success of the Pinawa generating station, Winnipeg officials turned their… Read more: McArthur Falls Generating Station

Window on Our Past The End of the Line March 5, 2021 This article was done in partnership with the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society. It appeared in the March 11, 2021 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Clipper. Lac du Bonnet has always been at the end of the line, a gateway… Read more: The End of the Line

Window on Our Past Bernic Lake: Discovery & Legacy January 20, 2021 This article was done in partnership with the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society. It appeared in the January 21, 2021 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Clipper. Ask anyone in Lac du Bonnet and they either work for Tanco, or know… Read more: Bernic Lake: Discovery & Legacy

Window on Our Past In Review: Window on Our Past 2020 December 29, 2020 In November 2019, in collaboration with Terry and Marlene Tottle of the Lac Du Bonnet and District Historical Society, I planned topics for all twelve articles. Our focus was on showcasing the history of the area with the hope that these… Read more: In Review: Window on Our Past 2020

Window on Our Past Ahead of the Times December 27, 2020 This article was done in partnership with the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society.It appeared in the February 18, 2021 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Clipper. In January 1953, five years after incorporation, Lac du Bonnet made headlines across Canada with the… Read more: Ahead of the Times

Window on Our Past Flying with the Canada Goose December 9, 2020 This article was done in partnership with the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society. It appeared in the December 10, 2020 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Clipper. For nearly a century, the Lac du Bonnet dock has been a town landmark.… Read more: Flying with the Canada Goose

Window on Our Past A Time to Remember November 12, 2020 This article was done in partnership with the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society. It appeared in the November 12, 2020 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Clipper. November is a time of reflection on those who lived through war. Hello Soldier, a… Read more: A Time to Remember

Window on Our Past The RCAF in Lac du Bonnet September 24, 2020 This article was done in partnership with the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society. It appeared in the October 15, 2020 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Clipper. When the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) was officially established in 1924, their… Read more: The RCAF in Lac du Bonnet

Window on Our Past Electricity Caused Travellers’ Hotel Demise September 4, 2020 This article was done in partnership with the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society. It appeared in the August 27, 2020 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Clipper. The Travellers’ Hotel, located where the Sunova Credit Union is today, was built in… Read more: Electricity Caused Travellers’ Hotel Demise

Window on Our Past Wings Limited July 17, 2020 This article was done in partnership with the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society. It appeared in the July 9, 2020 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Clipper. In July 1934, Manitoba was in the midst of a gold mining boom. At the forefront was… Read more: Wings Limited

Window on Our Past A Local Enterprise for 86 Years June 16, 2020 This article was done in partnership with the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society. It appeared in the July 16, 2020 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Clipper. Bush planes are a fixture in Lac du Bonnet. It’s officially summer and… Read more: A Local Enterprise for 86 Years

Window on Our Past The 1918 Spanish Flu June 11, 2020 This article was done in partnership with the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society. It appeared in the June 11, 2020 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Clipper. Many believe history repeats itself. While in the midst of this COVID-19 pandemic, startling similarities… Read more: The 1918 Spanish Flu

These are the adventures of eleven Hudson Bay Company men as they overwintered on Lac du Bonnet in 1807-1808 as told in the HBC journal in the Manitoba Archives, written in Thomas Miller’s own hand.   This is the full version of the story outlined in the article titled “The Traders,” which can be read… Read more: Thank God the Lake is Open

Window on Our Past The Traders April 27, 2020 This article was done in partnership with the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society. It appeared in the May 21, 2020 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Clipper. By the time spring came in 1808, Hudson Bay Company clerk, Thomas Miller, and his ten men,… Read more: The Traders

Window on Our Past A Rich and Plentiful Land April 10, 2020 This article was done in partnership with the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society. It appeared in the April 23, 2020 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Clipper. Soft spring snow slid beneath sleigh runners. Bells jingled as horses brought an unnamed… Read more: A Rich and Plentiful Land

Window on Our Past Devastating Blaze Unites Community February 24, 2020 This article was done in partnership with the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society. It appeared in the February 20, 2020 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Clipper. February 21, 1965 — mid-afternoon, the furnace in the basement of the Lac du Bonnet… Read more: Devastating Blaze Unites Community

Window on Our Past Long-standing Name of Unknown Origin January 6, 2020 This article was done in partnership with the Lac du Bonnet & District Historical Society. It appeared in the January 9, 2020 edition of the Lac du Bonnet Clipper. Often, place names have interesting origin stories. Other times, a name exists with no… Read more: Long-standing Name of Unknown Origin