| Rural Municipality of Gimli, Manitoba | |
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  Rural Municipality of Gimli, Manitoba
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| Coordinates: 50°38′1″N 96°59′26″W / 50.63361°N 96.99056°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Manitoba |
| Region | Interlake |
| Demonym: | Gimvestitian |
| Founded | October, 1875 |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Tammy Axelsson |
| Area | |
| - Land | 326.3 km2 (126 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 222 m (728 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| - Density | 18.2/km2 (47.1/sq mi) |
| - Urban | 5,797 |
| - Urban Density | 319.25/km2 (826.9/sq mi) |
| Postal code | R0C 1B0 R0C 1B1 |
| Area code(s) | 204 |
| Website | www.rmgimli.com |
Gimli is a town and municipality located in the Interlake region of south-central Manitoba, Canada. It is located on the western shore of Lake Winnipeg, about 75 kilometres north of the provincial capital Winnipeg. Its population in the 2006 Canada census was 5,797.
The town and surrounding districts were once an Icelandic ethnic block settlement, and the area, known as New Iceland, is home to the largest concentration of people of Icelandic ancestry outside Iceland.
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Economy
Large employers in Gimli include Faroex and the Gimli Distillery.
- Faroex Ltd. produces composite components for use in the agricultural, automotive, consumer and military supply industries since 1981. Faroex's first product was Polygrate flooring and support framing system, which is made from plastic and fibreglass and is used in hog production.
- The Gimli Distillery opened in 1968. The plant employs 72 people with an annual payroll, including benefits, of almost $4 million. The operation is situated on two quarters of land and comprises a production building, barrel filling and dumping, and 46 warehouses to store the maturing whiskeys. The plant and its people are responsible for providing the company's global Canadian whiskey requirement. Gimli is the source of Crown Royal whiskey.
- The fishery has over 100 fishers of white fish and pickerel [1]
- During the summer months, tourism is a major industry, as thousands of summer cottagers fill the town of Gimli, especially on weekends. Hotels, restaurants and stores cater to the summer visitors.
History
Gimli was founded by a large group of Icelandic settlers who arrived in New Iceland on Lake Winnipeg in 1875. Beyond the borders of Manitoba as it was then, this settlement fell within the District of Keewatin, until 1881 when Manitoba was enlarged. In 1876 the community was hit by a severe outbreak of smallpox. Originally organized as a self-administering "Icelandic reserve" directly responsible to Ottawa, the settlers of New Iceland developed a unique constitution of by-laws for local government which remained in effect until they adopted provincial municipal government in 1887. The initial status of New Iceland as a "reserve" remained in effect until 1899.
In the Gimli Glider incident on 23 July 1983, an Air Canada Boeing 767 that had run out of fuel made an unpowered landing on a decommissioned runway at Gimli Industrial Park Airport, a former RCAF base near Gimli with no control tower and no fire trucks available.
Arts and culture
Festivals
- Gimli Film Festival was the brain child of Icelandic filmmaker Jon Gustafsson when he wanted to show his locally-shot feature film Kanadiana to the people of Gimli. The opening night film at the first festival was Tales From the Gimli Hospital by Guy Maddin. Other founding members were Senator Janis Johnson and filmmakers Caelum Vatnsdal and Matt Holm.
- Icelandic Festival of Manitoba, Íslendingadagurinn, is held on the long weekend in August. The first Icelandic festival in Manitoba was held in Winnipeg in 1890; it was held there annually until 1931, and since 1932 has been held in Gimli.
- Gimli Model Fest and R/C Airshow is an annual R/C hobby showcase, the largest in mid-Canada. The Sunday afternoon air show includes jets with miniature turbine jet engines, warbirds, aerobatics, R/C combat and a kids' candy drop.
Notable people
- David Arnason: writer and English professor born in Gimli.
- Leo Kristjanson: economist and president of the University of Saskatchewan from 1980 to 1989.
- Gunnar Thorvaldson: Conservative senator, Senate of Canada,
- John MacDonald: Canadian musician
- Vilhjálmur Stefánsson: ethnologist and explorer
- Eric Stefanson: retired Manitoba Progressive Conservative politician born in Gimli.
- W. D. Valgardson: writer and professor
- George Johnson: physician and former minister of Education and Health in Manitoba.
- Hans Wuthrich: curling ice technician.
See also
External links
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