The Lake: An Illustrated History of Manitobans' Cottage Country

Frits Pannekoek is an associate professor of heritage studies, director
of information resources at the University of Calgary, and the author of
A Snug Little Flock: The Social Origins of the Riel Resistance of
1869–70.

Cottage owners on the Lake of the Woods, Lake Winnipeg, Lake Manitoba,
and the waters in between will cherish this glorious book. Each of its
four chapters focuses on a particular region: “Manitoba’s Inland
Seas,” “Lakes of the Highlands” (Riding and Turtle Mountain
regions), “Where Prairie Meets Rock and Water” (the Whiteshell), and
“Escaping to Ontario” (The Lake of the Woods/Minaki region).

But the book is more than a nostalgic geography of summertime; it
contains much solid social history. Essays by Carol Preston (“From
Bathing Machines to Bikinis”) and Allan Levine (“Knishes and Chips
at Winnipeg Beach”) provide subtle yet enjoyable glimpses into beach
life. These vignettes by some of Winnipeg’s best historians are
interspersed with first-person narratives by lifelong cottagers.
Countless historic photographs evoke a glowing past.

Unfortunately, the book does not address environmental concerns (the
quality of water, the effects of cottage living on wildlife and
Aboriginal interests, etc.). Cottage and leisure architecture, which
contributed so much to the unique identity of the Lake of the Woods and
Victoria beach, are also ignored. We can only hope that this wonderful
book will serve as an inspiration to the budding eco-historians among
the next generation of cottage-goers.