The Town of Lac Du Bonnet is situated 111 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. The town is located on the west bank of the historic and picturesque Winnipeg River, and is the heart of the Rural Municipality of Lac Du Bonnet. The town remained under the R.M.'s jurisdiction from 1922 until December 31, 1947, the date of incorporation.
Walter Wardop Sr. gave the town the name, Lac du Bonnet on October 1, 1900. Wardrop was an early entrepreneur in the area and also Lac Du Bonnet's first postmaster. He called the new post office Lac du Bonnet. The name originated from the large "bonnet like" shape of a lake 5 miles downstream from the town's original site.
Through the history of Lac Du Bonnet, adjacent lands had been annexed to give the town the shape that it is today.
History
Lac Du Bonnet's defunct sawmill and brick works have been renovated into new water-ski facilities. The building of McArthur Falls power station resulted in the rise of water levels along riverbanks of the Lac du Bonnet area. The reconfigured shoreline has added a new dimension to the dynamic Winnipeg River. Paved pathways through our local parks and downtown are special features of the area. A cairn erected to commemorate the first airmail to fly out of Canada in 1927, is also a special place to visit while in the town.
Economic Base
Service clubs such as The Legion and its Auxiliary, the Lions Club, the Knights of Columbus, the Boy Scouts, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Pioneer Club all play a large part in the entire area. Baseball has given way to slo-pitch, and a closed-in arena provides for ice-skating and hockey.
The Town of Lac Du Bonnet provides its residents and visitors with hotels, restaurants, hair salons, building contractor services, grocery stores, clothing stores, flower shops, home furnishing stores, antique shops and craft establishments. Many new residential developments are locating across the river today. New development contrasts the heavily forested riverfront that once existed on the other side of the river.
Four churches hold services every Sunday and are very active in the community.
Flower baskets hang from lampposts during the summer months, while seasonal Christmas lights decorate downtown Lac Du Bonnet during the winter months. This strong municipal spirit shows Lac Du Bonnet's pride to its future residents and business entrepreneurs.
Major Attractions
The 1st of July celebrations have changed somewhat through the years. These celebrations boast the usual cotton candy, rides, bingo, dancing and the best fireworks in the Eastman region. The fireworks are set off on the town dock. The riverbank serves as a large grandstand, while the river itself boasts a flotilla of boats watching the performance.
A large craft sale takes place in November after the tree lighting. During the celebrations, Santa comes for pictures and gives each child a bag of goodies. Santa is traditionally transported to the festivities by horse and sleigh, but lately has been escorted by an RCMP car because of a lack of snow.
There are designated snow trails into Lac du Bonnet and specific areas for snowmobiles to park.
For one-weekend in February the frozen river is dotted with shelters for the annual ice fishing derby. Tents for shelter, food and for weighing the "big catch" are all provided for the avid sportsperson.
Other Information
Twenty-six nationalities founded Lac Du Bonnet and still are represented in its population today. The town is more recently home to new residents from different parts of the world.
Lac Du Bonnet and the Eastman Region is steeped with history for all interested history buffs. Stories about the construction of the Winnipeg River power plants stay alive through many town residents. Historically, the Town of Lac du Bonnet was the hub of that activity as well as the headquarters for mining around the vicinity.
Come to a great place to visit and spend some time, enjoy our multiculturalism and of course Mother Nature at its best!
