Historical Tours in Manitoba: Walking Tour of Gimli
In October 1875, the first permanent Icelandic settlement in Canada was established in this district. The original destination of about 250 was the Whitemud (Icelandic) River but due to the threat of winter they landed further south at Willow Point. Near here the first buildings were erected and a townsite was laid out and called Gimli, after the home of the gods in Norse mythology. The following year, upwards of 1,200 settlers located themselves along the west shore of Lake Winnipeg. This was the foundation of the largest Icelandic settlement outside of Iceland.
This walking tour of downtown Gimli, which starts at the Docks on Lake Winnipeg, is about four kilometres in length, and should take roughly one hour to complete. A link to additional historic sites in Gimli is given at the bottom of the page.
Walking Tour Stops
Ted Arnason's Promenade - 1991
Elected Mayor of Gimli in 1977, Ted Arnason served with devotion until 1989. A monument, located on the boardwalk, is dedicated to the town of Gimli and its citizens with thanks from his family.
Evergreen Regional Library - 63½ First Avenue (Goldfield Drive) - 1967
Land for the library was donated by Sigurbjorg Stefansson, a former school teacher at Gimli. The library houses one of the largest Icelandic literary collections outside the University of Manitoba. Ask the library for a tour of the collection.
Gimli Public School - 74 Second Avenue - 1915
A rare example of a busy period of school construction, there are limited numbers of buildings like the Gimli Public School existing in Manitoba. It was state of the art in its time.
Pavilion at Gimli Park - Fourth Street North (Amisk Drive) - 1937
The Gimli Dance Pavilion used to be an open air pavilion, built during the dance craze period. One of two dance pavilions left in the province. Due to severe thunderstorms and wind in 1988, the pavilion lost in excess of 100 mature spruce trees. It was originally owned by the province. Be sure to read the commemorative markers.
Tergeson House - 38 Fourth Avenue - 1908
Tergeson House is a good example of early Gimli architecture, built for merchant H. P. Tergesen. The ceiling of the living room and the walls of the den were decoratively hand-painted by an artist friend, Snaebjorn Palsson, whose work in the den remains clear and beautiful after many years.
Barlow House - 44 Fourth Avenue - 1933
Built by former Gimli Mayor Christian Paulson, a good example of early town architecture, it was later the home for another Gimli Mayor, William C. "Bill" Barlow and his family.
Ted Kristjanson Museum - 127 Fifth Avenue
This museum has an interesting personal collection from Gimli's early days, consisting of over 10,000 artifacts. Drop by for a tour of the museum.
McGinnis House - 129 Third Avenue
Moved from its original site, this house was formerly owned by the prominent Canadian writer, William D. Valgardson.
Viking Statue - Second Avenue
Erected by the Gimli Chamber of Commerce in 1967, the Canadian centennial year, the Viking statue was designed by Gissur Eliasson of the University of Manitoba and made of fiberglass by George Barone. It is five metres (15 feet) in height.
A-Spire Theatre - 76 Second Avenue - 1905
The original steeple and Gothic revival style of the Gimli Unitarian Church show the architecture of its time.
H. P. Tergeson & Sons Store - 82 First Avenue - 1899
The Tergeson Store is a real old-fashioned general store - the best country store in the province! Its architecture is significant of that time - pressed tin ceiling and original flooring still exist. Check out the cash register. The Tergesen store is an MHS Centennial Business Award recipient.
New Iceland Heritage Museum - First Avenue
Located in the harbour area, the New Iceland Heritage Museum is an Icelandic ethnic museum which also contains Ukrainian artifacts and a history of fishing on Lake Winnipeg.
Additional noteworthy sites - not on route
Shepard House - 49 Seventh Avenue
Kristjanson House - 32 Lake Avenue
Halldorson House - Lot 12 Seventh Street North, Loni Beach
Gimli New Horizons Club - Gimli Road, Loni Beach
Formerly the Gimli Training Centre. Was OBU (One Big Union) camp.
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Gimli (Town)
Page revised: 30 June 2019