Gimli

Gimli is a community of 2,250 people (2016) in the Interlake Region of Manitoba. It is part of the larger Rural Municipality of Gimli, which has 6,100 people. It is known best for being the home of Crown Royal whiskey, and for having more Icelandic immigrants than any other area of Canada.

History
The first European settlers in Gimli were Canadian Icelanders, moving west from Ontario to the region they called "New Iceland".

Volcanic eruptions in Iceland soon spurred additional immigration. In 1875 300 people left Iceland, arrived in Ontario and took a ship to Duluth, from there they made their way to Grand Forks, North Dakota, and took a steamer up to the mouth of the Assinboine. 75-100 people stayed in the Winnipeg area while the rest made their way to Lake Winnipeg and onto boats; they landed south of Gimli at Willow Island and then walked the rest of the way. A second group of approximately 800 would follow in their footsteps the next year. The Canadian Pacific Railway reached Gimli in 1906 and soon the town and surrounding region became a tourist and vacation destination for people from Winnipeg. By the 1930s the south shore area of Gimli began to see cottages replacing farmland. With 68 km (42 mi) of shoreline on Lake Winnipeg, Gimli is a popular fishing destination in summer.

During World War II an area west of the community was appropriated by the Royal Canadian Air Force to construct a training facility. RCAF Station Gimli was opened in 1943 and remained in operation until 1945. The Station was reactivated in 1950 and was closed again in 1971.

By car
Gimli is approximately:
 * 1 hour north of Winnipeg. Take the North Perimeter to Highway 8, or Main Street to Highway 9.
 * 3½ hours north of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Take Interstate 29 to the border then Highway 75 to the South Perimeter.

By bus
There is no intercity bus service to Gimli (Nov 2019).

Get around
As Gimli is such a small town you can walk anywhere. The closer you get to the beach the harder parking is to find on hot weekends.

Do
The public beachfront is lovely for barefoot sunset walks on the water.

Buy
Gimli is home to a number of small shops along Main Street and First Avenue targeted toward visitors. Handmade jewellery, unique artwork, and other interesting items can be purchased in a range of prices.