The Community of Pinawa is situated on the north bank of the historic Winnipeg River in Manitoba's Eastman Region. The diverse community of 1500 residents lies between Lac Du Bonnet and Whiteshell Provincial Park, and is 110 kilometres north east of the province's capital City of Winnipeg.
History
Although known since the days of La Verendrye, Pinawa first appeared on a map in the 1800's. David Thompson's old charts show "pinnawak", then a calm, alternate waterway to the raging rapids at Seven Sisters for generations of coureurs de bois who used the Winnipeg River system to access the resources of the western frontier.
Shortly after 1900, the first settlement of Pinawa began along the same channel that leads from the Winnipeg River. It was home to families who manned the earliest hydro-electric dam between Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and the Rockies in British Columbia. This community was abandoned in the 1951 when the power station was shut down to direct the full flow of the Winnipeg River through a new station at Seven Sisters Falls. The site of "Old Pinawa" is now a Provincial Heritage Park.
New Pinawa, one of Manitoba's first planned communities, was built betwen 1961 and 1963. The community is set along the Winnipeg River at the entrance to Lake Sylvia. Bounded on the north by the Pinawa Channel, the town serves as a water gateway to the Whiteshell Provincial Park, Manitoba's premier vacationland.
Economic Base
Pinawa was built primarily by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) to house research and support staff and their families. Despite recent downsizing, AECL is still Pinawa's largest employer. Pinawa is now also home to employees of the Tantalum Mining Corporation, Manitoba Conservation, Manitoba Hydro, and several other companies based on the natural resources of peat moss, pulpwood and tourism. The local government, hospital, schools also continue to be significant employers in town.
Building on the strength of local scientific and engineering expertise, a number of new companies have formed in the last decade in the areas of environmental consulting, computer services, and material processing and analysis. Internet-based retail businesses and telecommuting have also emerged, while many local services continue to be met through nearly 80 home-based businesses.
During summer and fall, local accommodation, restaurant and retail businesses cater to hundreds of golfers, vacationers, fishers and hunters who travel through the region. In the winter, the area is a haven for snowmobilers and cross-country skiers, where hundreds of kilometres of groomed trails attract riders and participants from all across the continent.
Major Attractions
Although tourists play an important role in the town's economy, the community of Pinawa also boasts a number of recreational facilities and events throughout the year for residents to enjoy. Starting in January, the Pinawa Poker Derby is a weekend of fun and an opportunity to cruise the miles of groomed snowmobile trails in the area, combined with a little friendly competition. In February, The Pinawa Curling Rink hosts the annual Men's Open Bonspiel, and the snowmobile trails are alive again with the Agassiz Poker Derby. March opens with a little bit of fun with the Jam Pail Curling & Broomball Weekend. Here teams can compete against each other in an exciting, comical variation of one of Canada's favourite sports for local bragging rights for another year. The month ends with a weekend of fun with the Ladies Open Curling Bonspiel. During the summer, everyone enjoys the fabulous outdoors the area is known for, but most residents are sure to attend the Pinawa Birthday Celebrations in July. Pinawa also has an indoor arena, an outdoor rink, an outdoor pool, a beach, x-country ski trails, hiking trails, an outdoor trap and rifle range, baseball diamonds, and three lit tennis courts. Pinawa is also known across Manitoba for its 18-hole golf course. Both exciting and challenging, the course follows the rocky ridges along the beautiful Winnipeg River and is a must play for any golf enthusiast in the area.
Facilities - Recreation, Parks, Culture
Pinawa has a fully computerized Library making it quick and easy to access book information and location. The Library offers pre-school story time, author readings, local interest presentations, summer reading program, ongoing used book sales, and a variety of adult and children activities. The Library has a full range of services including inter-library loans, videos, talking books, internet access, children's area, large print books, reading area, reader's advisory and reference. The Library's collection consists of books, magazines, videos and newspapers.
The Eastern Manitoba Concert Association (EMCA)was established twenty-seven years ago, and later incorporated as a non-profit, volunteer organization. Each year a program of six or more entertainers from across Canada and all over the world are scheduled. Previous bookings have included Connie Kaldor,the Canadian Brass, the Rankin Family, Wingfield Follies, Quartetto Gelato, Musik Barock, Liona Boyd, the Incredible Acrobats of China, Buffy St. Marie and George Fox. Concerts are held at the Pinawa Community Centre, located in the Pinawa Secondary School.
The Pinawa Players are a long-established theatrical group, who present two major productions each year. These productions range from drama through comedy and musicals to pantomime. Performances are held in the Community Centre located in the Pinawa Secondary School.
The Pinawa Heritage Sundial is a unique project to mark the millennium through the expression of a variety of themes: art, science, and heritage. It is a community project supported by the L.G.D. of Pinawa. The Sundial is a hotizontal dial stretching 10 metres square, with a gnomon 5 metres high and is designed specifically for the latitude and longitude of the site. The Sundial incorporates 12 icons depicting the Eastman region and includes themes of the First Peoples, La Verendrye and the fur trade, and the development of hydro-electric power, industry, research, etc.
The Pinawa Suspension Bridge was completed in the fall of 1998. The bridge is 54 metres long, 1 metre wide and forms part of the Trans Canada Trail. Crossing the Pinawa Channel north of the Pinawa Cemetery, the bridge opens up new areas on the north side of the channel for interpretive walks, casual fishing and cross-country skiing. Both visitors and local residents will have an opportunity to discover and appreciate the natural beauty of the Pinawa district. This project was built by volunteer labour under the direction of the Pinawa Land Development Group and is known to many in the community as the "Labour of Love".
