Manipogo -- Manitoba's Own Nessie

The lake may be only 8 meters deep, but it holds secrets and mysteries that keep locals enthralled and bars and party kitchens stocked with stories. Lake Manitoba, it seems, has its very own Loch Ness monster. More correctly, it has Manipogo, the serpent monster of the lake. Manipogo shares its lore with Bigfoot, recently spotted in Berens River on Lake Winnipeg and Carrot River near The Pas. Carrot River and OCN First Nations also lay claim to sightings of a Pterodactyl, observed by a local contruction worker and a minister on the same day. Yet, Manipogo has the most sightings, and even a portrait of sorts.

Like everything in this province, Manipogo seems passive, non-confrontational. A 1962 photo taken by two fishermen shows what is described as a 60-foot serpent-like creature, unafraid of the boat and outboard motors, but disinterested in making contact with the two. A day earlier, picnickers had spotted the creature a distance from shore in what is now named Manipogo Park.

The most recent sightings include numerous appearances in 2011 around Marshy Point, Delta Beach and Twin Beaches on the south end of the lake. The last reported sighting was in 2012 at Twin Beaches. The earliest sightings date back to the turn of the 20^th century, with a sighting in 1882 and one in 1909.

Manipogo may have a cousin, Winepogo, a resident of Lake Winnipegosis. However, if either exist, they may be one and the same, since Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipegosis are connected, and there have been numerous sightings at their junction – The Narrows.

In typical Manitoba fashion, Manipogo is the perfect reason for a party. Actually, just about anything is reason for a party in the western Interlake, and, with winter starting in Octoer and ending in April or May, a mid-March party is a great way to disrupt the monotony of long, cold dark days. So, the Metis community of St Laurent holds its annual Manipogo Festival in the first week of March.

Manipogo may be a myth, may be real, or may be a misinterpretation of something more benign than a monster, but the truth is irrelevant. It is a great story, and an ideal opportunity to explore near-ghost stories. Like the discovery of gold in Bissett, it may be a treasure just waiting to be uncovered. Or it may be that Manipogo, like Bigfoot or Sasquatch, simply is too shy to ever be encountered up close. Even though its home is an extremely shallow, elongated lake formed from an old glacier, Manipogo adds a rich depth to the waters it calls its own.