MMF adds golf, camping hub to scorecard

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This article was published 11/07/2024 (519 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ST. LAURENT — A Métis flag is hitched to the club car of Manitoba’s newest resort.

Beyond, golfers drive their carts around a refurbished nine-hole course. Some meander through the recently built pro shop; others grab lunch at the 158-seat clubhouse restaurant.

Nearby, work is ongoing to create a 180-site campground.

“It’s a proud day,” said Manitoba Métis Federation president David Chartrand.

On Thursday, he made the trek to St. Laurent to speak at Lake Manitoba Resort’s grand opening. The $3.2-million development is the MMF’s latest project in the rural community 70 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg and one of several ongoing across the province.

“Our plan is really to bolster the economy here,” Chartrand said. “The Interlake, I think, is long overdue for investments in these areas.”

By several locals’ accounts, the golf course was in rougher shape prior to the Manitoba Métis Federation’s purchase.

“Now, it’s a great course,” remarked golfer Gui Boudreau.

He lived in St. Laurent before moving to Calgary. While in Manitoba for work, he figured he’d attend the resort’s grand opening on St. Veterans Memorial.

“Course is beautiful, brand-new carts, friendly people,” Boudreau said. “People are showing up — it’s unbelievable.”

Brian Bruce, a St. Laurent local, expects the new resort to boost tourism in the area. St. Laurent attracts beachgoers in the summertime. An upgraded golf course will be a draw, Bruce said.

He was anxious to try the clubhouse food Thursday. Indigenous-inspired plates, such as candied pickerel bites, are on the menu.

“The Interlake, I think, is long overdue for investments in these areas.”–David Chartrand

Already, the resort is taking bookings for 75 seasonal campsites. Each space has direct sewer, water and electrical hook-ups for RV campers.

People may be able to set up their campers this fall in preparation for the summer 2025.

Four tiny homes will be available for short-term rental. Ponds and walkways are being incorporated into the campground, Chartrand said.

MMF leadership is estimating the creation of 10 full-time jobs and up to 20 seasonal positions at the resort. It hired local contractors to build on the 154-acre lot, Chartrand said.

Lake Manitoba Resort has created “much-needed local employment,” said St. Laurent Reeve Richard Chartrand (no relation, according to MMF communications staff).

The reeve praised Lake Manitoba Resort and the MMF’s presence in the municipality.

David Chartrand estimates the MMF has spent nearly $8 million in St. Laurent, a historic Métis community, when considering the creation of a child care facility, greenhouse and seniors complex.

“This community is a Métis village and the Métis want to make sure that they’re not forgotten,” Chartrand said in the new pro shop.

“The Métis are here, we’re here to invest, we’re here to make our mark.”–David Chartrand

Hats and jackets bearing the Manitoba Métis Federation’s logo took shelf space inside.

Chartrand kept mum on new projects in St. Laurent, but said the federation is “looking at some things.” Plenty of Manitoba municipalities are calling for construction, he added.

The federation has bought a camp in Pine Dock and is converting it into an athletics space for Métis youth. It recently completed another cultural camp in Duck Mountain. Both should be operating next year, Chartrand added.

St. Eustache, Selkirk and The Pas are among the communities with ongoing Manitoba Métis Federation developments.

Chartrand hinted at a new purchase in downtown Winnipeg, but wouldn’t divulge further details. The Métis government bought a former Wawanesa Insurance building on Main Street last year and is constructing a heritage centre in the former Bank of Montreal building at Portage Avenue and Main Street.

“The Métis are here, we’re here to invest, we’re here to make our mark,” Chartrand stated. “We’re showing that we’re entrepreneurs, as we always have been.”

In St. Laurent, the golf course could expand to 12 holes, noted Mona Buors, MMF minister of Métis child and family services.

“It’s actually amazing,” she said of the site’s transformation. “Growing up here, I never foresaw something like this ever coming.”

Travel Manitoba also applauded the new resort.

“(It’s) sure to be a draw for both visitors and Manitoba families,” president Colin Ferguson said in a statement.

The site will “drive economic growth by significantly enhancing the tourism experience in this area,” he added.

Staff are taking campground reservations for next year at 204-646-2100. A lot fee is $4,900. Residents then pay $4,500 per season.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com