Falcon Lake is an unincorporated urban centre at the western end of Falcon Lake situated in the southeasternmost section of the Whiteshell Provincial Park in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is the major entry point to the Whiteshell from the Trans-Canada Highway. Three provincially operated campgrounds, Falcon Creek, Falcon Beach and Falcon Lakeshore, picnic areas, a swimming beach and adjacent public boat launch, several cottage lot divisions and numerous tourist services[1] make the community a favored entrance point to the provincial park. In 2003, 40% of park visitors entered the park at the Falcon Lake checkpoint.[2]
The Falcon Lake Golf Course is an 18-hole public course designed by Norman H. Woods.[3] The course was constructed in 1957–58[4] and opened in 1958.[2]
Falcon Beach Ranch offers horseback riding, sleigh and wagon rides.[1] A riding stable at this location first began operation in 1959.[2]
The Falcon Ridge Ski Slopes, established in 1960,[2] offers alpine and cross-country skiing.[5][6] A biathlon range was added to the facility in the mid-1980s as the host site for the Junior National Biathlon competition.[7] and continues to be used for training and events.[8] It is the site of the Falcon Lake Floppet, a nordic ski event held annually since 2018.[9]
It is the birthplace of Megan Imrie, Canadian biathlete.[10]
Beaver Days, an annual winter festival and fundraiser for the Whiteshell Community Club began in 1975. It includes a wide array of winter activities including snowmobiling, skiing, hockey, horse-drawn sleigh rides and skating.[11]
The Falcon Lake Winter fish-off has been held annually since 2004. Hundreds of anglers gather to see who can catch the heaviest fish from the grid of holes the organizers have drilled through the ice.[12]
It is known in ufology for the May 20, 1967, UFO sighting known as the Falcon Lake Incident.[13] The 2010 album The Falcon Lake Incident was recorded at a cottage on Falcon Lake by Canadian singer-songwriter Jim Bryson.[14]
Demographics edit
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Falcon Lake had a population of 383 living in 177 of its 796 total private dwellings, a change of 40.8% from its 2016 population of 272. With a land area of 22.11 km2 (8.54 sq mi), it had a population density of 17.3/km2 (44.9/sq mi) in 2021.[15]
Climate edit
Falcon Lake has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb) with warm summers and severely cold winters. Precipitation is moderate, but is somewhat higher in summer than at other times of the year.
| Climate data for Falcon Lake | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 8.3 (46.9) |
11.5 (52.7) |
19.4 (66.9) |
32 (90) |
34 (93) |
38 (100) |
36.7 (98.1) |
36 (97) |
35 (95) |
28.5 (83.3) |
23.9 (75.0) |
9.5 (49.1) |
38 (100) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −11.8 (10.8) |
−7.2 (19.0) |
0.5 (32.9) |
9.9 (49.8) |
18.4 (65.1) |
22.8 (73.0) |
25.5 (77.9) |
24 (75) |
17.7 (63.9) |
10.3 (50.5) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
−10.1 (13.8) |
8.3 (46.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −18.3 (−0.9) |
−14.2 (6.4) |
−6 (21) |
3.1 (37.6) |
11.1 (52.0) |
15.9 (60.6) |
18.7 (65.7) |
17.2 (63.0) |
11.2 (52.2) |
5 (41) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−15.6 (3.9) |
1.9 (35.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −24.7 (−12.5) |
−21.1 (−6.0) |
−12.5 (9.5) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
3.7 (38.7) |
9 (48) |
11.9 (53.4) |
10.3 (50.5) |
4.7 (40.5) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
−10.1 (13.8) |
−21.2 (−6.2) |
−4.5 (23.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −45 (−49) |
−45 (−49) |
−41.1 (−42.0) |
−30 (−22) |
−12.5 (9.5) |
−3 (27) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−4 (25) |
−7.8 (18.0) |
−20.6 (−5.1) |
−39 (−38) |
−42 (−44) |
−45 (−49) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 26.6 (1.05) |
16.3 (0.64) |
21.8 (0.86) |
25.2 (0.99) |
57 (2.2) |
91.6 (3.61) |
89.6 (3.53) |
68.8 (2.71) |
55.6 (2.19) |
46.6 (1.83) |
34.9 (1.37) |
27.3 (1.07) |
561.3 (22.10) |
| Source: Environment Canada[16] | |||||||||||||
Gallery edit
-
Falcon Lake -
Piers at Falcon Lake
.JPG)
.JPG)
See also edit
- Falcon Lake (Manitoba) the adjacent lake
References edit
- ^ a b "Falcon Lake Townsite Map" (PDF). Government of Manitoba. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ a b c d Macbeth, Ainslie J. (2004). "Investigation of an introduced subtropical alga (Lyngbya wollei) In Whiteshell Provincial Park Manitoba" (PDF). Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "Norman H. Woods". American Society of Golf Course Architects. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "Manitoba Golf Superintendents Association". www.mgsa.mb.ca. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "Locations To Ski – Manitoba Alpine Ski Division". Manitoba Alpine Ski Division. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "Falcon Ridge". Where to Ski. Cross Country Ski Association of Manitoba. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ Lockhart, Scott. "Biathlon at the Gun Club". Lake of the Woods Gun Club. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "Biathlon Manitoba". Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "The FLOPPET". Falcon Ridge Ski Slopes. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ Penton, Kirk (8 May 2014). "Falcon Lake's Megan Imrie moving on to life after biathlon | Winnipeg Sun". Winnipeg Sun. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "Beaver Days". Whiteshell Community Club. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "17th Annual Falcon Lake Winter Fish-Off, March 21". Annual Falcon Lake Winter Fish-Off. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "Canada's most famous UFO encounter". Retrieved 2014-10-05.
- ^ "Jim Bryson Recruits the Weakerthans for The Falcon Lake Incident" Archived 2010-08-22 at the Wayback Machine. Exclaim!, September 23, 2010.
- ^ "Population and dwelling counts: Canada and designated places". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved Sep 3, 2022.
- ^ Environment Canada - Canadian Climate Normals 1971-2000—Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000, accessed 17 April 2011