Manitoba’s Grand Beach Isn't Grand Anymore!
For me, no summer trip to Winnipeg is complete without a day trip to Grand Beach – a beautiful white sand beach that rivals anything I’ve seen in Mexico, Bali or California. My first visit was in the summer of 1976, when a girlfriend asked me if I wanted to go to Grand Beach. New to Winnipeg and Manitoba, I hadn’t even heard of it, but I was game. It was a hot Sunday in August so off we went.
My first surprise was finding out she owned a red Mustang to get us there. Then when we finally did get to the beach, I was gobsmacked. There were seemingly thousands of people creating the most colourful kaleidoscope of humanity I had ever scene. I came home with sore eyes; a sunburn and an appreciation of how grand Manitoba’s Grand Beach is.
The next summer I went again, this time to a family cabin with a different girlfriend (now my wife) and have returned to Grand Beach every few years since. My most recent visit was in early August 2023.
On my first visit to Grand Beach, there were probably 10 to 20 times the number of people on the beach compared to this photo. You couldn’t see the sand for the people.
Grand Beach Today
Recently, I was told by a local that “nobody goes to Grand Beach anymore!” Why? “Because there is nothing to do other than lie on the beach.” No nice restaurants with patios on the beach, no place to rent a kayak, canoe, paddle boat or small sailboat. No hotel on the beach, shops or even a casino with a dance/concert hall or even an outdoor bandshell. In the winter, there is no ice skating on the lagoon, cross country skiing, snowshoeing trails (with some fun warming huts like they do in the Winnipeg at The Forks), ice fishing and/or Northern Lights excursions.
Note: After posting this blog, I have been informed by many locals that there are indeed great hiking, biking and cross-country skiing trails in the park next to the campgrounds that are some of the best in the area. But it would seem they are one of the Parks best kept secrets as I have never heard this before. They even have warming hut and fire pits with wood supplied.
Yes, there are still the three beach volleyball courts, a few seasonal outdoor kiosk vendors and a 40+ year old snack shack. When the wind is up, there is an area where kite surfing is popular. But nothing major has been added in decades.
While in some ways the lack of gentrification of Grand Beach is refreshing, however the Province (it is in a Provincial Park today) is missing out on what could be a huge tourist attraction. Grand Beach could be to Winnipeg what Whistler is to Vancouver or what Banff is to Calgary when it comes to attracting tourists. But it isn’t!
It seems like the Province has forgotten about it.
This was midweek in early August 2023, peak summer vacation time, the beach was deserted the entire day.
Grand Era of Grand Beach
Grand Beach, located just an hour’s drive north of the city of Winnipeg, is on Lake Winnipeg - Canada’s sixth largest lake. It is famous for its 3 kilometre long white sand beach and 30 foot sand dunes. In its heyday back in the early 1900s, the Canadian Northern Railway built tracks right to Grand Beach with a resort hotel next to the train station looking out over the beach. It attracted thousands of people to the beach every day during the summer, with crowds of over 10,000 on the weekends.
The Railway built a massive dance hall pavilion that had dancing every night of the week. They even had a popular “Midnight Special” that would leave Winnipeg every night after dinner, to take people to Grand Beach for dancing, a walk along the boardwalk and return to the city at midnight.
Unfortunately, when the dancehall burned down on Labour Day in 1950 it was never rebuilt which started the end of the grand era of Grand Beach. In the ‘50s, rail transportation was in decline as more and more people had cars and were building cabins rather than staying at the hotel. On January 1, 1961, the Province of Manitoba bought the land for $225,000 and it became one of the first four provincial parks. With the last train to Grand Beach in July 1961 came the end of Grand Beach’s heyday.
Don’t get me wrong. Grand Beach is still a great place for young families as kids love to dig in the endless sand and the shallow water makes for a great place for young children to run and splash in the water. But for teens, young adults and seniors there simply isn’t much to do, unless you just want a peaceful getaway.
Travel Tip: On a summer morning, grab a coffee and fresh cinnamon bun from the snack shack on the boardwalk for $5 and listen to the soothing waves or watch the floating clouds go peacefully by. Later in the day, enjoy a gigantic double scoop ice cream for just six bucks.
They love evening bingo at Grand Beach.
It attracts all ages. See anyone you know?
Grand Marais
Next to Grand Beach sits the village of Grand Marais, which has also not changed much in 50+ years. One would think it would/could be like Alberta’s Canmore, (a city thriving just outside of Banff National Park and just an hour’s drive from Calgary).
But no, it is still a sleepy village of 600 or so people, many living there only in the summer. It is dominated by “tiny homes” and I am not talking about the trendy “tiny homes” that people are building in their back yards in cities around North America today. These are basic mid-century cabins, some in better repair than others.
It is a reminder of how people commonly lived - two, three and sometimes even four people to a bedroom, one tiny bathroom, a small kitchen and living room. Some of these 600+ square foot cabins accommodated 6+ people in the 50s and 60s.
Grand Marais’ one block long main street includes a few fast food restaurants and mini putt that looks like it has for 50+ years. Yes, Lanky’s (est 1950) is still there.
Famous for their “foot long hot dog,” it also has the ‘Lanky’s Challenge” i.e., two 24” wieners in one bun, smothered with onions, mustard, bacon, cheese and chilli. Eat it all and you get a t-shirt. Grand Marais also has a couple of tired-looking pubs and Spirit Rock Inn, the latter has a cute café and gift shop.
Travel Tip: Try the Spirit Rock cinnamon buns - they literally melt in you mouth. (Note: These are not the same ones as served on the Boardwalk’s Snack Shack). What’s with Grand Beach and cinnamon buns?
Spirit Rock Inn is worth a visit
The new mini-golf in Grand Marais looks lovely.
Grand Marais main street looks like a beach town from the ‘60s.
Travel Tip: Be sure to grab a copy of the “Historic Grand Marais” brochure when you are at the East Beaches Heritage Wing. It has a lots of great information on the town’s heritage homes that makes for a fun, informative self-guided walking tour.
Heritage Museum
The highlight of our visit to Grand Beach and Grand Marais was the East Beaches Heritage Wing, hidden away in the Grand Marais Community Centre which sits at the entrance to the Grand Beach RV Park. Who knew? We drove past the large relatively new building several times before we could find it, even with directions and its address.
This tiny museum is full of fun artifacts and videos that tell the story of people of the area - from First Nations to Metis, from fishermen and trappers to present day. Admission is by donation and is worth a visit. We enjoyed an informative chat with one of the researchers who was on site when we visited.
You can find more information and stories about the MoonLight Special Trains in Barbara Lange’s book “Memories of the Midnight Special and Grand Beach Train Era.”
Last Word
Though the beach is still “GRAND,” unfortunately there is little else GRAND in Grand Beach or Grand Marais. The Province of Manitoba is missing a GRAND opportunity to create a major tourist attraction in partnership with local First Nations and Metis entrepreneurs.
Other Winnipeg Blogs that might interest you:
Manitoba History: Going to the beach by train.
Winnipeg: Jeans, Cookies, Circus, Sculptures