The Powerful Manitou Beach, Saskatchewan and the Dead Sea of Canada
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- čas přidán 25. 08. 2024
- In this video I take you through the beautiful resort village of Manitou Beach, Saskatchewan.
This small village sits on the southern shore of Little Manitou Lake, which is about 120 km southeast of Saskatoon. This is a salt lake with about half the salt content of the Dead Sea on the border between Israel and Jordan. This allows swimmers to float easy in the water, and this lake is often referred to as the Dead Sea of Canada!
There is also an interesting legend regarding the healing properties of the lake. The Cree people in the area of what is now Saskatchewan were exposed to smallpox and their population was heavily affected. The legend goes that a tribe was moving across the prairie and set up camp near what is now Little Manitou Lake. The men in the tribe fell sick and were too weak to travel further. It is said that the afflicted men were overcome with fever and thirst and decided to crawl to the lakeshore to drink the water and immerse themselves in the cool lake. The exhausted men slept on the beach overnight and in the morning they felt a bit better. They attributed this improvement to the water itself and stayed on the beach where they drank the water and bathed in the lake. Within a few days the men had regained their health and strength and reunited with their tribe. The tribe members were surprised by the rapid return of the men's health. Medicine men named the lake Manitou, which means great spirit, And so the legend of the healing waters of this lake was born.
This legend quickly spread to the European settlers, and many claimed the mineral content of the water and surrounding mud had therapeutic properties. In 1919 Manitou Beach was incorporated as a resort village. The popularity of the area quickly grew, and in the 1920s and 1930s Manitou Beach was the most popular summer resort on the prairies and often rivaled Banff and Jasper for visitors.
People would travel to the area by train when the nearby town of Watrous became a division point for the Canadian National Railway. Thousands of cars would be parked on fields on weekends and during peak times the village population would grow from 200 to 15,000 people.
The area declined in prominence as a tourist destination over time due to various societal changes.
However, this beautiful resort village still draws people from all over the world who wish to float in the salt lake and enjoy the therapeutic indoor pools. Manitou Beach offers excellent places to stay, eat, shop and enjoy your time in this area. This village has excellent outdoor facilities in and around town, and this is a place that really celebrates creativity!
This area also has a really interesting history and I look forward to exploring a little bit of that in this video and another video I am posting in a few days on the town of Watrous, about 5 km south of Manitou beach.
I hope you enjoy the video, I enjoyed my time here and I would highly recommend visiting!
I hope you found this one interesting and informative, and if you'd like to watch more of my content in general please consider subscribing to my channel - I upload at least one new video per week.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks to everyone in Manitou Beach and Watrous for their hospitality, and thanks for watching!
Loved your tour thanks for the memories as a child I attended the Easter seals camp it was an amazing chateau . I remember walking to the drive in for movies. There’s other interesting things around there too there’s a strange boulder or meteorite out there too .
Thanks for watching man I appreciate it, really cool spot and I've heard the meteorite rumor too. Cheers mate!
Saskatchewan people are known for their hospitality, kindness, especially in smaller communities, so welcoming!
I live in Alberta but I have grown to love Saskatchewan and I visit at least once year. Manitou Beach is a great spot and I'm going to be back! Cheers mate
Thank you so much for the shout out! Lovely is a clothing brand made and deigned by hand by myself and my mom, who is the seamstress. She's such a huge piece to this whole operation, and i wouldn't be getting a shout out on this video if it wasn't for her. Just wanted to mention her and how important she is to Lovely. As well as thanking you for the mention and praise! It was awesome having you down at the beach, and we hope to see you around again soon!
Thanks for watching, and sorry about that error - I'm going to be doing at least one more video on the Manitou Beach area coming up and I'll address that issue in that video. The shirts are really great and you both do a great job! It was cool exploring the village and I'd like to visit the art gallery again, it really adds a lot to the beauty of that area. All the best to you guys and I look forward to stopping by down the road!
Thank you for visiting! Its a great video and we hope you come again.
Thanks for watching and I'm glad you guys enjoyed the video - I had a great time getting to know the area a bit and I look forward to visiting again!
When i struggled with back pain, floating in manitou was always the best relief ive experienced
Interesting, I didn't go in the lake or indoor pool at the resort this time but I definitely will next time I visit. It's a cool spot! Cheers
I'm with you on that, I spent a lot of time in this hot pool for Chronic Back Pain, my late husband and daughter have been there with me. We also stayed in the Hotel and also dined there .I is worth the trip .
Is the pain gone now?
Been there many times! Love the Mineral Spring resort, Danceland, the campground and the drive in theatre next to.the campground!
Thanks for watching - it's a great spot and I'm glad I visited. I plan on going back this year at some point. Cheers mate
Manitou Beach is an underrated and underappreciated place in Saskatchewan. I think that this video does an excellent job in showing what is has to offer and why it is special. If someone is looking for a great fishing and power-boating lake, there are other better places to go. However, there is an incredible variety of options of things to see and do when there. It is quite unlike what you find in other SK provincial and regional parks. The video does a great job of showing viewers that. The campground is open for a long time in the fall and is completely gorgeous when the leaves turn yellow.
Hey thanks for watching and I appreciate when people take the time to comment - it's a great spot and I'm glad I visited! Cheers mate
@@strangenorth Thanks for taking the time to visit these places and doing a good and thorough job of letting people know what is there to see,
@@frederick2video I started this channel just under a year ago with zero experience at video production and much stage fright, wasn't even on social media before this. Still can't believe anyone is watching my little videos but I'm glad they're providing value to people out there. Cheers!
Awesome! Very well put together! Thankyou! Make sure you give a shout out to the 18 hole minigolf that has replica buildings throughout their golf course.
I appreciate you watching, it's a cool spot and I'm glad I visited - cheers!
Great video of this area! If it hadn’t already won our hearts, this would definitely make us want to check it out!
Cool about La Bamba playing at Danceland! Definitely a good omen!
Go Oilers Go!!
It was really cool timing to walk in to that song playing! Glad you enjoyed the video, I want to go back at some point and do more videos in that area. Have a great week!
Thank you for the detailed video!
I appreciate you watching, I enjoyed my time at the beach and I was looking forward to posting some recent footage. Cheers mate!
This is a beautiful lake, I went to the bible camp there in 1981 and had a great experience. I had to look it up to see if it was still operating, and to my surprise it still is.
Oh no way - yeah there are definitely a few other spots in the area I didn't get to in this one. It was my first time out there but I really enjoyed it and it has a pretty interesting history. I bet it's cool floating in the lake, I didn't get in the water this time but I'm stoked to try it out next time and possibly stay at the Manitou springs resort. Cheers!
I went to MLBC for a few years in the early 2000s. It was such a great time.
I went as a kid as well! It still has the sketchy motorised Merry-Go-Round. At least it did like 6 years ago
Thank you for sharing this video. My mom grew up in Watrous in the 40's and 50's so it was a treat to see the dancehall and imagine her attending dances there. And I remember swimming in the old pool with my grandma in the early 60's. I am looking forward to seeing the video of Watrous to reminisce about visiting mt grandparents, aunts an uncles. My grandfather was a section man for CN Rail there for many years.
Hey thanks for watching and I appreciate when people take the time to comment - it's a really interesting area and I'm glad I visited. I plan on going back at some point this year. Cheers mate!
i am shouting at the sky and pounding my fists on my desk in a complete joyful rage. your videos are absolutely fucking awesome.
Wow thank you - still can't believe anyone is watching my little videos but I'm glad they're providing value to people out there! Cheers mate
Such an interesting video! Went there last summer but didn't know about many of the places you featured. I look forward to checking them out next time I go!
It's a pretty interesting area, the museum in Watrous is really great and I'm going to include of it in the Watrous video on Sunday. Thanks for watching!
For the clothing line the seamstresses name is Shannon Allman. She creates all the clothes based on the art designs of the young man. She is an amazing seamstress and deserves her due credit.
Hey thanks for watching and I appreciate when people take the time to comment - good to know, actually I think he mentioned that. I talked to so many people over my time there I forgot a lot of it! Those shirts are great and I hope they can expand over time. Cheers, and thanks for watching!
And the young man is me, Shannon's son. She's the backbone of what I do, and this project we are working on wouldn't exist without her work and dedication. My mom is an absolute superhero, and her skill in sewing is absolutely integral to our work.
Thanks so much for doing this! I know about this place, am so close to it, have many friends who have stayed there multiple times, and have had intentions of visiting. It’s relatively “in my back yard” from my current place, and after years of hearing about it, you’re the first person who has actually made me really want to go! This is an awesome review and Manitou should be glad you visited them. :)
Hey thanks for watching and I appreciate when people take the time to comment - it's a great spot and I'm really glad I visited. I plan on going back and doing more videos from that area. Cheers!
@@strangenorth I’ll be watching for more great content! I appreciate your sentence structure and no-filler word style of communication. Just like it should be!
@@Mrs.LadeyBug Thanks I appreciate the feedback - I've actually had people tell me that I talk way too quick but I'm trying to find an effective balance. Cheers!
As my grandparents live very close to Lloydminster on the Saskatchewan side I’ve spent a lot of time in Saskatchewan. Including many lakes and natural areas but this is the first time I’ve heard of this resort town. I haven’t taken a holiday in 16 years so I’m game to go there the first time I get a chance to travel. There is a wonderful museum near Pleasant Valley Saskatchewan that you might find interesting to visit. My 72 year old brain can’t come up with the name of the museum right now so you’ll have to rely on your excellent research skills.
Cool thanks for sharing that and I'll look into that museum, the heritage museum in Watrous is phenomenal and I'm going to cover that in my Watrous video on Sunday. Manitou beach is a neat spot, I'm glad I visited and I'd definitely recommend it! Cheers
I went to summer camp on this lake when I was a kid. I loved being in the water. One summer I had a huge scratch on my leg and after being in the lake a few times it was completely healed.
Hey thanks for watching and I appreciate when people take the time to comment - interesting, I never made it in the lake or mineral pool but I want to do both next time I'm at the lake. It's a cool spot! Cheers mate
Good little town, was here long ago
Thanks for watching - I really enjoyed the area, surprisingly interesting history and I'm going to cover more of that in the Watrous video. Cheers!
Love your videos! They’re always very interesting. Ever since I found your channel I haven’t missed one yet!
Hey thanks for watching and I appreciate when people take the time to comment - still can't believe anyone is watching my little videos but I'm glad they're providing value to people out there. Manitou Beach is a great spot! Cheers mate
I learned about Manitou a few weeks ago. I was very surprised that it was salt water, and that most of the small lakes in the prairies are also salt water. I’m from Ontario originally, so I assumed all lakes were fresh water. Maybe you can figure this one out. Lake Manitoba is salt water. Lake Winnipeg is fresh. Lake Manitoba dumps into lake Winnipeg. How’s this possible?
I don't fully understand it either, but from what I gathered Little Manitou Lake doesn't have a water source draining out of the lake so minerals and salts get trapped essentially. It's a great little town though, the area has a pretty interesting history. Thanks for watching!
MAYBE A MELTED GLACIER!
Yes! I have an outdoor room for you to stay... you need to see the beach in full and how people use the healing mud. Theres sailboats and even a goat can float! HANSON for mayor!
I appreciate the offer - I'd actually really love to use the mud myself and get in the water, it would be great to try the pool area at Manitou Springs resort!
On my bucket list!
Thanks for watching, it's a great area and I'm glad I visited. Cheers!
Love this place . The lake is so awesome and you can float for hours
Thanks for watching - it's a sweet spot and I look forward to returning and actually getting in the water! Cheers mate
Thank you for this video. Very informative. A must visit.
Hey thanks for watching and I appreciate when people take the time to comment - it's a great spot and I'm glad I visited! Cheers mate
love your videos man
I appreciate it, thanks for watching!
Sweet place. I swam across that lake and back and was so tired i crashed on my towel. Someone tapped me awake before i burned to a crisp..also saved a toddler from drowning there. Water is so buoyant, but he was spinning along his axis, face up to face down trying to right himself gulping water and couldn't scream. I ran out and pulled him out in time for his mom to see he wandered in too far but not to see what happened.
Anyways, not the first time that happened for me. Unusual.
Hey thanks for watching and I appreciate when people take the time to comment - that's pretty wild, cool that you were able to save that kid though! It's a really interesting place and I plan on going back. Cheers mate
My parents loved to go to Manitou for soaks! ❤❤❤
Thank you for sharing ❤️
Hey thanks for watching and I appreciate when people take the time to comment - it's such a great little lake town and I'm glad I visited, cheers!
Your video brought back some great memories! I worked at Camp Easter Seal from 1962 to 1970, starting as a juniour counsellor and finishing as the camp doctor for two years. I remember that the long walk from Danceland back to the Camp on a Saturday Night was a romantic experience for many of our camp staff.
Hey thanks for watching and I appreciate when people take the time to comment - it's a cool town and I'm glad I visited, neat to walk through Camp Easter Seal as well. Cheers!
Loved this video! Even though I have family in Sk, this was not on the list. Now, it is!
I'd definitely recommend it, it's a much more interesting area than most small prairie lakes and there's lots to do for all personality types. Thanks for watching!
Very well done video!! Thank you! My friend sent it to me. Such a rich history!
I appreciate it, thanks for watching - it was fun to explore this area and it really does have such an interesting history. Cheers!
Great place to stay! I like to camp there every year!
Thanks for watching - it's a cool spot, I enjoyed my time there and I plan on returning again! Cheers mate
Thank you for the Manitou Beach video was very interesting I grew up coming here and now live close.
Hey thanks for watching and I appreciate when people take the time to comment - it's a great place and I'm glad I visited, plan on returning. Cheers mate
Just got back from a 4 night stay at Manitou beach with the wife and kids. Hit Danceland, layed on the beach, mini golf, paddle boarded. It was a great time for all. Reminded me of vacations as a kid. Not very busy, everything was affordable. I give it a 10 outa ten. The water was amazing for our hair. Brough some back and I drink 1/2 cup a day for the health benefits.
That's great to hear, when I was there I stayed in Watrous (which is cool) but I'd like to stay down at the lake sometime too - I haven't been in the water yet and I want to try the lake and mineral pool at the resort. Really cool spot, cheers mate!
There's a manitou lake near neilburg Sask. I think it is saltwater also
Hey thanks for watching and I appreciate when people take the time to comment - I didn't know about that one and I'll look into it. Cheers!
Hey come back! Im running for Mayor! I have a great free place for you to stay!
No way for real? I'd definitely love to spend more time in that area and learn about more potential video ideas around there. Cheers!
@@strangenorth ME TOO!! LOOKIN FOR WORK WITH ELDERS.
So glad you did this video, visiting it as heard good things about this place, keep doing your amazing videos👍❤️🇨🇦
It's a great spot, way more interesting than I thought it would be and I plan on going back. Thanks for watching!
Very well done. I live here in Saskatchewan and have been to Watrous and Manitou on numerous occasions. Such a fantastic place to be so relaxing and peaceful. ❤
Hey thanks for watching and I appreciate when people take the time to comment - it's a great spot and I'm really glad I visited. I plan on going back soon! Cheers mate
Going this month. Will be staying in Sakatoon. Looking forward to floating in the mineral pools. I have had pain in my legs, feet, and knees. Hoping some of the pain will go away by floating.
Sounds fun, Saskatoon is a great city as well! I actually didn't try the pool when I was there but I definitely will next time. Enjoy your trip!
Love this place! Very well done 👏👏👏👍
Thanks for watching, and I appreciate your comprehensive feedback - the McDonald's addition was mostly in jest, I wanted to irritate the pretentious "foodies" out there, I agree it's pretty unhealthy overall and should be consumed in moderation.
And yeah honestly I think the green onion cake would be considered the most iconic Edmonton food, even though it wasn't really invented here.
Cheers mate, have a great week!
Grandparents lived in Watrous where my mom grew up... so many memories!! As a small child, I was terrified that the shrimp in the water were gonna bite me....not that you could see them. 😂 floating was so fun though!!
Hey thanks for watching and I appreciate when people take the time to comment - it's a cool spot, and honestly the thought of the shrimp in the water creeps me out a bit and I don't know why lol. I definitely want to float in the lake next time I'm out there though, and it's a cool spot. Cheers mate
You should listen to the band called " The Garry's". A wonderful female band who sing about Manitou Beach. They are awesome.
I love them! A friend of mine played one of their records at his shop awhile back, it would be cool to see them down the road. Cheers mate, thanks for watching!
I was just talking about manitou beach yesterday with a friend
And now this beautiful video convinced me to go and visit
Thanks
Hey thanks for watching and I appreciate when people take the time to comment - it's a great spot and I'm glad I visited! Cheers mate
I love danceland
It's a great spot, it would be cool to rent it out for an event. Thanks for watching!
WHER ELVIS SANG!
Great video. I actually grew up not far from Manitou Beach. My parents farmed near a town close by called Plunkett and we used to come to Manitou Beach with my Grandparents “John and Mary Farago. I was just a small child. At that time there was the big white public pool you see in pictures in this video. My Uncle and Aunt “Leslie & Edna Farago” and their kids would also meet us at the beach. We always had a great time. You would float like crazy in the lake water. My Grandparents and my Uncle and Aunt retired to the town of Watrous close by. My Mom and Dad “Lyle and Agnes Leyh” always told me stories of going to dances at Danceland and about the wonderful horse hair cushioned floor to dance on. My wife and I have been to Manitou Beach often over the years whenever we came back to the area to visit my Grandparents plus my Uncle and Aunt. The Watrous, Manitou Beach and Plunkett area holds lots of memories for me and my wife. You really did it justice in your video. Thanks for sharing and bringing back wonderful memories for me.
Hey thanks for watching and I appreciate when people take the time to comment - you know what, this area was way more interesting than I thought it would be and I'm really glad I visited. Fascinating history and just a really pleasant place to spend time. I plan on going back in the near future. Cheers mate, have a great weekend!
Great video! When I was young we used to stay at the beach every summer and spent many days at the pool and enjoyed the dances at the dancehall. . I have not been to the new pool, but I think we might take a trip this summer.
Hey thanks for watching and I appreciate when people take the time to comment - you know what, it was a far more interesting area than I thought it would be. Glad I visited and I plan on going back. Cheers!
Can't beat the old huge pool that once stood there. A stop at Danceland is like a trip to an old movie.They used to serve up the best french fries, on the beach. So much history, so many good peeps that live there. Thanks!
Thanks for watching, I enjoyed my time out here and I plan on going back this summer - I think I could probably do a couple more videos from this area. Cheers mate, have a great week!
My Dad played his violin for dances at dance land in the 1940,s and 50,s
Very cool, I love that place and I definitely want to go back - really interesting history. Cheers!
Great video!
I appreciate it, thanks for watching! Cheers mate
Just say when!
Let me know where I can email you, I'd like to come back later this summer - it would be cool to be there when you guys are having one of your bigger events! I can also be reached at strangenorthchannel@gmail.com.
Come out for busking! June 28 29 30
Its not well known but I found it and swam in it, walked thru the dance barn. My in laws talked about hockey in Watrous often but never mentioned Manitou lake. Glad to know its still viable.
Lots of artisans scattered thru the village.
Yeah it's a great area, I'm glad I visited and I plan on going back. Cheers mate!
I watched the Watrous video and now this one. I asked my wife if she has ever been there since we are living in Delisle. Her aunt and uncle lived in Watrous. She knows all the facts I tell her somehow. I didn't even know about this place. I might bring the camper and stay in the campground with the family. Looks like a great place for a day trip as well!
It's a cool spot, way more interesting than most small town lake areas in the prairies! Lots of options for all sorts of personality types and the salt lake/therapeutic mineral pools are pretty neat too. Thanks for watching!
I spent two weeks in 2015 pouring over Watrous newspapers from 1921 to 1961. Elvis did not play at the Danceland (nor Hank Snow or Buddy Holly or Louis Armstrong or Duke Ellington or the Ink Spots as rumoured). Wilf Carter and Don Messer did play there. So did several hotel orchestras from Saskatoon and Regina. Once they had an African American orchestra from Chicago. I was born in Watrous and spent many a day in Manitou Beach as a kid. Going there is a bit bittersweet now as the lake rose a lot in the last 25 years and washed away the beaches which were replaced with a berm or levy to keep the lake from flooding even more of the village.
Thanks for watching - I wondered about that rumor, heard it from a bunch of people. I loved that area and I plan on visiting again in the future - definitely want to take a dip in the lake/mineral pool next time. Cheers mate
@@strangenorth it’s worth coming just to take a dip and feel yourself float. Just remember to keep your mouth closed if you dunk your head. Although a Pepsi from the Burger Buoy will wash that taste away.
Manitou was where I went to church camp!
You had to shower after getting in the water basically immediately or else you'd dry with salt crystals all over you hurting your skin😭😭
Thanks for watching - sounds like a cool spot to have summer camp, I didn't go in the water when I was there but I'm going to next time I'm there. Cheers!
YES! They had open-air shower taps on the beach.
Hey, you might have missed an interesting Canada-only thing that happened here. Yes, Watrous was sort of names after Frank Watrous Morse VP of the Grand Trunk railroad. But the key was not Mr. Morse's middle name, but the letter "W." When The Grand Trunk Railroad was built there very little or absolutely nothing where the railroad was being built. Look at the names of the railway sidings, about every 8 miles, west and east of Watrous: - "Punnichy, Quentin, Raymore, Semans, Tate, Undora, Viola, Watrous, Xena, Young, Zelma." The towns names started with the letters of the Alphabet from a-z and back to "A" . Just west of Zelma is, of course "Allen". Pretty cool, no?
Hey thanks for watching and I appreciate when people take the time to comment - the museum director actually told me about that when I was at the Heritage Centre in Watrous ("the alphabet line"). There are a few things I didn't mention in these videos and now I wish I would have talked about that particular point! Great area and I'm glad I visited. Cheers mate!
Hope you checked out Mike's Beach Bar, great food and atmosphere.
Hey thanks for watching and I appreciate when people take the time to comment - you bet, stopped in there briefly and I want to go back and try a burger when I'm there later this summer. Cheers!
THE PELVIS ???.......PICTURES PLEASE !!!!!! BTW......A GREAT PLACE FOR A PRAIRIE OUTDOOR NHL CLASSIC SPONSORED BY ALL THE CANADIAN PRAIRIE TEAMS. (MINUS RON MCLEAN) !!!
I only heard the rumors but I'd love it if I could dig up a picture of the King at Danceland. Great town and I plan on visiting again!
Go OILERS!!!
Unreal they're in the cup finals, so stoked!
@@strangenorth Go Oilers.
Also thanks for a great video. I've never been to Manitou Beach but a number of my friends went to it in the 70s. My wife was lucky enough to go there in her childhood. I think I'll have to add this in as a "Voyage home" bucket list item.
@@meowmix3129 I appreciate the support! I'd definitely recommend Manitou Beach for a visit, the area has a really interesting history. Cheers!
Yes! 💙 🧡 💙
Sure hope the new owners can keep it up, seen a downfall already in the cleansing especially in the pool area, the lifeguards can walk around and take towels to dry off the railings like before, they were not rusted now they are already due to the salty water. Don't keep it up people will not support it, hope they will it's a nice place and unique.
Fair point, and it's definitely a beautiful place. Cheers!
Camp easter seal we went to see it we were told we are not allowed to look do to we were not a member or some dump excuse, so we left disappointed.
Hey thanks for watching and I appreciate when people take the time to comment - yeah it's a private camp so normally people aren't allowed to hang out in that area. Cheers mate, have a great week!