of Hecla Island C Interlakepulse * www.interlakepulse.com Photos by Maxine Ingalls By: Maxine Ingalls an you feel the magic?" That's the question I ask Icelandic tourists when I take them on a tour through Hecla Island Village. They look at me with a quizzical look and say, "What magic?" I tell them to stop and look around at the picturesque landscape in front of them. The magic of a huge lake on a calm day sparkling with light as nature casts a million shimmering diamonds over the blanket of water. Fishing boats moored at the local dock or a dozen or more anxious fishermen casting their lures off the dock in hopes of catching another "big one" to show off to his or her neighbour! Pelicans and seagulls squawking at each other fighting over a fish or perhaps there might be an otter sliding in and around the shore playing hide and seek, peeking up above the water to see who is watching his activity. Bald eagles gliding through the air with their massive wing span landing in a nearby treetop hoping to grab a tossed away fish. An evening sunset over the lake producing pink and turquoise hues that eventually turn to brilliant orange and flaming red across the sky as the sun gives up her control to the late night darkness. The moonlight casting eerie shadows across the historic buildings in the Village. The sound of a coyote or a lone wolf howling sending shivers down one's back as a reminder that some things cannot be tamed. After a few moments of reflection, the answer to my question is a resounding, "Yes! I can feel the magic!" Hecla Island is approximately a two hour drive from Winnipeg north on Highway 8. It is the largest island in Lake Winnipeg and was an Icelandic community settled by immigrants fleeing Iceland in the late 1800's. Fishing, farming and lumber were the main industries that sustained the community. The Island at its peak had about 500 inhabitants. Life was good! But as is the case with many small towns and villages, children grow up, seek a better way of life, better education and then choose to live in more urban centres that have more opportunities for jobs and advancement. In the latter part of the 1990's, there was a resettlement whereby many descendants returned to the island as cottagers both in the Village and North shore. Tourismhttp://www.interlakepulse.com