Member Report
SWTA-Penniac Bay Waterside Route
Penniac Bay has been the most obvious and dangerous gap in the South Whiteshell Provin-
cial Park section of the Great Trail for over 15 years. There have been many proposals to close
this gap.
Over two years ago SWTA held several community input sessions and there was overwhelm-
ing support for a shoreline trail. We knew this would be the most costly and difficult option.
Initial estimates were over $600,000. The first year we concentrated on grant applications,
local community fund raising, engineering design and environmental permits.
In the first three weeks of January the trail was built by hauling and placing blast rock from a
large quarry along the recently constructed Freedom Road to Shoal Lake 40 First Nations
Band. The construction company, Sigfusson Northern worked 7 days a week, from sunrise to
sunset.
The first steps were to install a silt curtain under the ice, build a temporary access off the
highway and install the first layer of stone. The first layer is large clean blast rock (rip rap)
and the second layer is 5-15cm clean granite rock. Geotextile
cloth was then laid down before the final traffic gravel was
spread, levelled and packed. Small rock curbs on both sides of
the trail were shaped and then large wave break rocks were
placed on top of the lakeside curb. At the centre of the bay the
trail widens to 5m for a 10m section.
A granite bench will be installed and permanent signage will be
erected to recognize all the funding agencies and private donors
that contributed to this project. Maps of the Great Trail in the
Whiteshell Provincial Park as well as historical information
about this area will be displayed.
The largest donations for this project came from TCT, Trails
Manitoba, Falcon and West Hawk Chamber of Commerce, and
Manitoba Community Places Council.
The trail is now in full use!
A Grand Opening is planned for early next summer after the infrastructure is installed at the
centre point of the trail.
Gary Turnbull, President
South Whiteshell Trail Association
Annual Report -2018 Year in Review
p.20