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WELCOME





Thank you for dropping by. Late in life I was able to use an inheritance to finally get a lake house, camp, cottage, or bunk. Whatever the term, millions of Canadians follow the Nordic tradition of having a place by the sea, in the country or at the lake. The Nordic folk go to small homes on the edge of the ocean. Something they do in Newfoundland and Labrador. The English built impressive piles of





stone with elaborate gardens and parks. Canada has lakes, buckets of them and in all sizes from great to pond. Mine is the 6th largest freshwater lake in Canada. It is a prairie lake with our village setting between the lake and the fields of flax and sunflowers. The beauty of it is the 30 minute commute from the city which allows for it to take on a lifestyle town and country aspect.



CONTACT





garthgoodwin@yahoo.com



each year a pair of committed builders erect piers to carry folks over the rocks to the sand bars.



overview





A place away. A place to gather and gather things from a lifetime. A place for summer with its hot days and meals taken on the porch.



Lake ice



The lake freezes to 8 t0 15 inches, firm enough to drive on and thin enough to cut through for ice fishing. Ice huts are disappearing as pop up tents allow for variety. Skidos and cross country skis find their way onto the ice.



rare ice mounds



When the wind comes up as the ice sheet breaks up the result can be ice being blown up into huge mountains of ice. The beach forces the issue as the ice cannot go on shore. It has on Lake Manitoba covering camps in ice cubes.



bird gallery





It's all about the birds.



Mike Ranta, cross Canada paddler with his photographer drifted up to the pier to meet people, ask for support before going on to Ontario.



Mike's shot of the end of the pier.



PERFECTION IS ACHIEVED NOT WHEN THERE IS NOTHING MORE TO ADD, BUT WHEN THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO TAKE AWAY.



Lake life is a state of mind. It is what it is on the surface, a place to live out the simple life in a less expensive, less fussy way and yet, like much man touches a place of imagination and personal investment. I was first invited to cottaging by my home town neighbours who were building one and wanted an extra pair of hands and a companion of their youngest son. A few weekends became several years, boyhood really. You learned to live by natural clues, time by cast shades, moisture by sky colour, when leaves turn and on and on, You learned to keep your own hours staying up for the longest day to see dusk happen before the sun came right up again. The run of the fish up the rapids to lay their eggs in quiet streams. Waterskiing on mirror like, black topped lakes in the heat of the evening. Asking our neighbours for beers as they were so lit no one checked in the dark and going back to play cards. A mother discovering this and raiding us finding the private hoard of the owner. It was a time of wonder, laughs and testing skills at every turn. A reminder of the need to invest in life to live it.



more than tradition....



This gentleman built piers for years. This was his last. He is spotting the pair setting the poles judging how much force to apply to sink the poles and line them up.



cantalever Construction



Two sections of path are set out at one time, over one pole segment and secured into another. The worker then extends the pier, adding a pole section. Stage after stage they build out into nowhere.



pole by pole



This is not easy work as ground is broken for each pole which can vary from sand to clay to gravel or a mix of each with a good 6-12 strikes per pole.



EVENING OUT





Finally, a seating deck, 3 sections wide ends out the pier. A prebuilt stairway caps off the platform. Poles are lined up and handrails are added.



ACROSS THE ROCKS





The rocks that demand all this effort are seen here along with the sand bars that make it all magical. You must wear water shoes, especially so now that the Zebra Mussel has established itself in the lake.



PRIVATE AND PUBLIC





There are five village or public piers. Individual properties pay to have piers for personal use. In the pandemic summer of 2020, there were no public piers leading to outrages when the young just helped themselves to the private. Mariner's Law does not apply.



A WORTHWHILE TRADITION





Piers have been part of the Village since its inception. Early versions featured single poles with a blank of pathway. The loss of the piers in 2020 ended community relations as each pier served a few blocks of neighbours bringing them together on the pier decks. Word did go out as to which access point was the best under the circumstances but it was not the same.



Yes, it is cluttered with things, appliances, cutlery and china.



Africa remains a major memory in a home full of references to a lifetime of RV and global travel



Selected views





A viking village for four nights



Manitoba's best reenactor experience. Families pitch tents and move in to display skills passed down through the generations.



What happens at the lake...



The training boats for the Gimili Yacht Club.



icelandic festival



get your horny hat on



Vikings like to go to battle with children.



Children make floats worthwhile.



They grow up and dance.



The passage of teaching and learning.



A small forge for the creation of clasps and jewels.



A man's shield is his brand,



Being a Viking is amazing.



A man's shield is plywood.



its all about the kids



The lake was always the safe place where you could play outside before you aged out at puberty and needs changed.



the village gathering place



This was a coworker's cottage once and why I ended up in a Village with planned and unplanned charms.



FEATURED PROJECTS



craft project



still warm when they sell right out



doggy love



helping the world



life is good with a float



weekend markets



kids, always the kids



once or twice a year



spits under production



cutlery collection



showing colours



boot sale



project



new friend



joe cool



delux float





Aunts for tea



My Mother had 6 sisters and 1 brother who was lost in his 20's. The sisters were close with annual reunions, visits and events over the decades. Many have been interned together. It was very special to spend time with them in my home.



my godparents



One of the benefits of the location was to be nearby my Aunt and Uncle who lived at a golf resort. They continued the gatherings hosting reunions.



family over the years





Family & History



Summers are special times in canada. it meant a lot to have the cottage to share with family as my mother would have loved that. That is when she did not have her feet up, reading a good book with a cold one.



Pickereal feed



izzy & glen



not in alberta now



bathtime



walkies



del fixes the oven



piers often high & dry



Vintage item 2021



vignettes





GARTH
GOODWIN.
INFO




garthgoodwin@yahoo.com