Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/299622
NEW HEATED SEAT 22 g o i n g p l a c e s | S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 For an even greater vantage point, I head up the newly built viewing tower on the north- ernmost tip of the island. Here I meet Gwen and her husband from Morris, Manitoba, who are exploring Hecla in their RV. She and I talk for a long time, exchanging tidbits of our lives while taking in the panoramic view. In her sev- enties, she tells me she used to camp at Hecla each summer with her now-grown kids. e island holds a warm place in her heart. After the talk, she holds a place in mine. W hile only a dozen or so families live on Hecla Island today, visitors tend to feel right at home – such as Diane and the "famous" book-club ladies I meet on the golf course. Residents of nearby towns, they travel up to Hecla every now and then for a round of golf and lunch. Playfully known in these parts as the Loose Ladies at the Links at the Lake, there is nothing loose about their golfi ng ability. Each one of them shoots enviable drives. I'm thankful for the power cart so I can keep pace. Lakeview Hecla Golf Course's 18 holes are nestled into a forest setting, playing towards the lake. I get my fi rst glimpse of water on the fourth tee and fi nd the Hecla Essentials • Hecla Island is 6.5 kilometres wide and 26.5 km long, located 175 km from downtown Winnipeg. To get there, take Hwy. 8 north, travelling past Gimli and Riverton – home to the largest moose in the Interlake and the gateway to Hecla/Grindstone Provincial Park. • Lakeview Hecla Resort is open year-round, with rates starting at $99 per night. It's a 100 per cent non-smoking facility with pet- friendly rooms, restaurant and lounge, spa, and conference and meeting space. Guests enjoy free wireless and hardwired Internet, DVD movies, parking with winter plugs, an aquatic centre, fi tness facility, business cen- tre, golf pro shop, outdoor sports and bicycle rentals. • Hecla Island has a golf course, self-guided trail through the historic village, viewing towers, lakeshore and beach areas, rugged cliffs, outdoor playground, picnic areas, tennis courts, beach volleyball, lighthouse, amphitheatre, and marina and boat launch. • Winter recreation includes cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, ice-fi shing with huts provided by the park, tobogganing, skating, snowshoeing and hiking. • More than 180 species of birds and 24 kinds of animals make their home on the island. A great place for wildlife viewing is Grassy Narrows Marsh, with boardwalks, viewing stations, interpretive kiosks and 25 km of hiking and biking trails. –R.S. travel manitoba roseanna schick Grassy Narrows Marsh, Hecla Island. p20-23MadeInManitoba.indd 22 14-04-10 2:22 PM