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Land Designation
Provincial Park
Land Description
Manigotagan River Provincial Park is located in
Precambrian Boreal Forest Natural Region 4c in
southeastern Manitoba about 150 kilometres
northeast of Winnipeg, and displays all the
spectacular vistas and uniquely Canadian settings
of the bedrock-controlled forests of the Canadian
Shield. The Manigotagan is a challenging
whitewater river just hours by road from the
population centre of the province. The
community of Manigotagan sits at the river's
mouth, on the shores of magnificent Lake Winnipeg.
Outstanding Features
The park is composed of a corridor stretching
750 meters from each bank of the Manigotagan
River. The corridor extends across the east
side of Lake Winnipeg from the north-western tip
of Nopiming Provincial Park downstream more than
45 kilometres, ending just outside the Manigotagan
community interest area. The topography is
as varied as it is spectacular, ranging from the
sheer rock faces topped with craggy Jack Pine
(Pinus banksiana) and Rock Tripe lichen
(Umbilicaria sp.) on the upstream stretches, to
moist verdant stands of Balsam Poplar (Populus
balsamifera), Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)
and Elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) near the river
mouth. If you look carefully, you may even
find Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia fragilis),
Canada Yew (Taxus canadensis, the only Yew found
in Manitoba) or some of the area's majestic
wildlife (moose, black bear, wolf or woodland
caribou) - highlights of a trip to be savoured
under evening displays of the Aurora Borealis as
the river slips by.
The Manigotagan River is classified as a
natural park and is composed of two land use
categories. Over 99 per cent of the park's
7,432 hectares are backcountry (the area is
protected from mining, logging and hydro-electric
development). Less than one per cent of the
corridor, or 16 hectares, is classified as
recreational development, to accommodate a small
mining claim. The corridor contributes to
the provincial protected areas initiative, as it
includes a portion of one enduring feature not
previously included in protected status before, as
well as a portion of another enduring feature type
with only partial representation up to now.
The support for protection of this river and
its surroundings by regional communities is
another step towards the long-term solution to
balancing protection with economic development on
the east side of Lake Winnipeg. This
protected park designation - done jointly by
government and area residents, with input from all
Manitobans - helps ensure that the natural,
cultural and recreational heritage of our province
is maintained intact for our children.
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