TOURISM
Asessippi Provincial Park
Information: 1-800-214-6497 or (204) 945-6784
Campsite reservations: 1-888-4U2-CAMP (1-888-482-2267) or (204) 948-3333
Website: www.manitobaparks.com
Located at the south eastern end of the
man-made Lake of the Prairies, Asessippi Provincial Park includes facilities for camping,
trails for hiking and snowmobiling, boating, swimming and water-sports on the lake, and
some of the best walleye fishing in the province.
Nearby attractions include the Shellmouth Dam (see below), built in 1968 to control
flooding upstream along the Assiniboine River. A commemorative plaque and interpretive
signage mark the spot of the original Asessippi townsite, now a ghost town. Also popular
are the Shell River Mill and the Sipwa inter-representative trail. Steep valley walls
along the Assiniboine and Shell rivers provide breathtaking panoramas for those venturing
along the park's trail system. Asessippi Ski Hill & Winter Park provides winter
entertainment for skiing, snowboarding and tubing enthusiasts.
Both the Assiniboine and Shell rivers provide for good canoeing, and rentals are available
at Lake of the Prairies. The steeply contoured land around the lake, featuring many hills
and valleys, provides a picturesque route for cyclists.
A number of campgrounds surround the lake, which is 67 km (42 miles) in length, making it
possible to take a leisurely tour round the lake with several overnight stops. Facilities
also include horseshoe pits, ball diamonds, children's playgrounds, and group camping
facilities.
Lake of the Prairies has, in the past, recorded an annual walleye catch per square
kilometre that is five times greater than the provincial average. Due to the tremendous
resources required to keep Lake of the Prairies well-stocked and to preserve the high
quality of the fishery, a slot limit on catches has been enacted.
A new facility, the Asessippi Ski Hill and Winter Park, has 21 runs, one quad chair, one triple chair, a snowboarding terrain park, downhill snow tubing, licensed patio with barbecues, ski patrol and school, rental and pro shop, a magical winter village, dining facilities, cross-country skiing, and night skiing. This new world-class downhill resort was inspired by the designs of Quebec and the north-eastern U.S., and recently won a national Attractions Canada Award for Best New Attraction. Located in Asessippi Provincial Park off Highway 83. Phone (204) 564-2000.
Asessippi Town Site
The remnants of the abandoned town of Asessippi, which once included a brick factory, may
be found along the shores of the Shell River, just west of Highway 83 near Inglis. It is
an example of the communities that sprang up with the expectation that the rail line would
pass through the area, but then disappeared soon after the railway was built elsewhere.
Inglis Elevators National Historic
Site
The last remaining row of vintage 1920s standard-plan grain elevators in Canada is
undergoing restoration until 2002. Interpretive facilities are being developed and tours
will be accommodated during construction. For more information call (204) 564-2243.
St. Elijah Romanian Orthodox Church
and Romanian Folk House
Five km (3 miles) north (PR 592) and 1 km (3/4 mile) west of Inglis can be found the only
church of its kind in North America (a provincially designated heritage site), and a
traditional Romanian home. The church was built in 1908 and is a replica of Romanian
Orthodox churches in Bukovyna, with a simple rectangular shape with a rounded end,
interior sculptured rafters, processional crosses and icons. The house, built in 1906, is
typically Romanian in construction, with the characteristic deep-sloping roof on all four
sides with rounded, shingled corners. Phone (204) 564-2228.
Lake of the Prairies
A man-made lake which crosses the provincial border into Saskatchewan, Lake of the
Prairies was the result of the construction of the Shellmouth Dam, built in 1968 to
control flooding upstream on the Assiniboine River. It fills a 67 km (42 mile) stretch of
the Assiniboine River valley. Electrical campsites and fishing and houseboat rentals are
available. You can also trek along the self-guiding Ancient Valley trail or enjoy the
designated swimming area. The Trans Canada Trail follows the valley. Asessippi Ski Hill is
located just east of the lake.
The Rivendell Ski Club operates over 30 km (19 miles) of groomed trails located 30 km (19 miles) north of Russell, or 20 km (12.5 miles) south of Roblin off Highway 83 (near Lake of the Prairies). These include some very challenging runs. Equipment rentals are available. Be sure to call before heading out: (204) 564-2315.
Shellmouth Dam
The Shellmouth Dam was built in 1968 to control flooding along the Assiniboine River. The
dam measures 21 m (69 feet) in height and 1 218 m (3/4 mile) in length with a top elevation of 435.1 meters, creating a reservoir,
Lake of the Prairies, 67 km long with a storage capacity of over 477,000 cubic dekameters
(385,000 acre feet) and a firm annual yield of 125,00 cubic dakameters. The operating
range has a summer target level of 427.5 meters and a normal winter draw down level of
424. meters.
The Shellmouth dam was one of
three major flood protection projects recommended by the Royal Commission in 1958 to ease
flood conditions caused by the Red and Assiniboine rivers. The other two being the Red
River Floodway and the Portage Diversion.
The dam
controls the upper reaches of the Assiniboine River in Manitoba; spring runoff is stored,
and released slowly throughout the year providing flood protection to rural areas along
the Assiniboine Valley and to Brandon. This also serves to reduce spring flows into
Winnipeg when the Red River is high.
The storage
capacity is also used for water conservation providing downstream communities such as
Brandon and Portage la Prairie with a dependable water supply. Other uses include
irrigation, stockwatering, recreation, and thermo-electric cooling. Recreation on the
reservoir is an important consideration in planning reservoir releases. Fish habitat in
the reservoir and downstream is also considered.
The facility
comprises an earthfill dam across the Assiniboine River Valley and includes a concrete
overflow spillway and a gated outlet conduit. It is located 25 km north of Russell on PR
482, just below the junction of the Shell river, and was completed by PFRA in 1969.
The dam is
about 1300 meters long and 21 meters high, with a top elevation of 435.1 meters, creating
a reservoir, Lake of the Prairies, 60 km long with a storage capacity of over 477,000
cubic dekameters (385,000 acre feet) and a firm annual yield of 125,00 cubic dakameters.
The operating range has a summer target level of 427.5 meters and a normal winter draw
down level of 424. meters.
The concrete
shute spillway is 64 meters wide and the crest has an elevation of 429.31 meters
In the
spring of 1997, the reservoir was drawn down to 422.4 meters. T he peak inflow was
300cubic meters per second (10600cfs) on April 27 and the peak outflow was only 42.5 cms
(1500 cfs). Although helpful in dealing with the Red River flood, most of the benefits
were realized on the Assiniboine River.
The one in
one hundred year flood level for the Lake of the Prairies, including wind effects, is
estimated to be 432.2 meters (1418 feet). The one in a thousand event is estimated to be
1425.0.
Lake of the Prairies
Lake of the Prairies was constructed in 1968 by the impounding of the Assiniboine River
near Shellmouth, Manitoba. The Lake which formed behind the Shellmouth Dam is 67
kilometres long and has a surface area of 15,000 acres. The Dam was originally built as a
flood control measure but during the last 15 years a high quality walleye fishery has
developed. The Lake is ideal for canoeing and wildlife viewing. Click here for more
information about fishing on Lake of the Prairies.