Canadian Yachting December 2017 - 7

Floating docks and ramps make for
easy access to boats.

Winnipeg on the west side of Lake
Winnipeg), which is now Gimli, they dispatched a message to the Manitoba government asking for permission to
establish a school.
At the time, there were scattered settlements of peaceful Swampy Cree
Indigenous peoples living in the area. In
true Icelandic fashion, a mutual agreement was reached where they each
respected each other's territory and left
the other alone. However, the arrival of
smallpox with another large group of
settlers from disaster-stricken Iceland
was to decimate the Icelandic and
Indigenous population for those who
were not vaccinated.
After the hardship of the smallpox
epidemic, the Icelanders needed strong
leadership. A constitution was finalized
in 1878 recognizing New Iceland as a
separate nation with full control of
immigration, taxation, and legal matters. This lasted almost ten years. The
growing freighting, logging, lumbering,
and fishing industries flourished near
Lake Winnipeg, and the farmers
learned proper techniques for crop cultivation. In the late 1890s, an Icelandic
steamboat, 'Lady of the Lake,' was constructed and Tergesen's general store
was established; it still operates today
in Gimli.
By 1906, the isolation of Gimli had evaporated with the
arrival of the railroad, which brought easy transportation, commerce, and tourists. With 1,750km of shoreline and 24,514 sq.
km
of
warm
water,
Lake
Winnipeg
has
always brought welcome relief to Manitobans from their surprisingly hot summers. In over 100 years, the heart and soul of the
Gimli community has not changed for Icelanders. In true form,
the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba, 'Islendingadagurinn,' has
been celebrated since 1890, and officially moved to Gimli in
1932. The traditions, parade, food, and culture have changed
very little and are still celebrated on August 2nd. This date was
chosen for the farmers as seeding was over and the harvest had
not yet begun.
With the construction of the RCAF Flying Training School
(and after the war as a jet fighter training school) and air base
during WWII, Gimli's population surged again. British doctors
came over after WWII and brought the pastime of sailing with
them. In 1967, Winnipeg was chosen as the site for the Pan Am
Games. Fed by the Lake of the Woods and the Winnipeg,

Saskatchewan, and Red Rivers, Lake Winnipeg was the perfect
spot for competitive sailing. At the completion of the games, the
sailing venue was turned over to the town, which wanted to turn
it into a fishing plant. After two years of negotiations with the
town and the Manitoba Sailing Association, Gimli Yacht Club
(GYC) became a reality in 1969. Already in place was the clubhouse, finger docks, and protective wharf. What a way to start a
boating club - all the amenities, but very few sailors!
The Pan Am games became a launch pad for competitions
and the club hasn't looked back since, hosting numerous prestigious events such as the Fireball Nationals, Western Canada
Games, SailWest, U19 Canadian Youth Championships, North
American Hobie Championships, Women's Nationals, Laser II
Nationals and North Americans, Laser Nationals and North
Americans, World Board Sailing Championships, and this past
summer, the Canada Games. The Manitoba Centennial Cup
was presented to the GYC by the Manitoba Sailing Association
in 1970 for an open regatta to celebrate the 100th birthday of
the Province of Manitoba and it has been held at GYC every

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Yachting December 2017