Heck of a time at Hecla

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/08/2014 (4063 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Standing next to the Hecla Provincial Park sign and façade lighthouse, 175 kilometres due north from Winnipeg, the need to hurry falls away.

Upon crossing the Causeway at Grassy Narrows that’s been connecting Hecla Island to the mainland since 1972, an immediate sense of peacefulness takes over.

Named after a famous volcano in Iceland, Mount Hekla, Icelanders settled on this island in 1876 and established a marine community tucked away on Lake Winnipeg. It must have felt like the ocean to them, and maybe that’s why they chose to establish the ‘seaside’ town of Hecla Village, extending their Icelandic roots down as deep as they could reach.

In the late 1970s, a federal-provincial government project saw a resort built on Hecla Island, intended to attract tourists to the newly-formed provincial park. Originally called Gull Harbour Resort, it was sold off privately in 2005, eventually going into receivership and closing for a few years.

Lakeview Management Inc. acquired, renovated, and reopened it as Lakeview Hecla Resort in the spring of 2013. They manage 42 hotels across Canada including the Lakeview Resort and Conference Centre in Gimli, and the brand new Grand Hotel at Winnipeg’s airport. The new owners shifted the resort’s focus from the business market, to a family-friendly atmosphere. By doing so, they’ve created an affordable and convenient getaway destination set in Hecla’s gorgeous and natural playground.

Lakeview Hecla Resort is open year-round, with rates starting at $99 per night. It’s a 100 per cent non-smoking facility with pet-friendly rooms, restaurant and lounge, spa, and conference and meeting space. Guests enjoy free internet, free DVD movies, fitness centre, business centre, aquatic centre, golf pro shop, outdoor sports, and bicycle rentals.

In the lobby, the spaciousness is contemporary and stylish, yet warm and inviting, designed in shades of greens, blues, and earth tones. Pops of bright colour accentuate sharp lines, soft curves, and distinctive patterns. A wall of windows facing outback shows grounds and gardens, with majestic Lake Winnipeg as backdrop.

The 65 guest rooms and 25 suites are designed in the same Scandinavian style as the lobby. Nestled off a hallway behind reception is Salka Spa, an Icelandic name meaning peace. Their menu of services is sorted into sections titled relax, rejuvenate and rewind — all of which describe the Vanilla Swirl Massage and Hydro Therapy Soak. The milky aromatic bath in a gigantic jet tub with spa music is simply luxurious, and the glass of milk on the side is a nice touch.

Over at the aquatic area, the sprawling indoor-outdoor space is separated into two sides: waterpark with three-storey waterslide, family pool and lazy river; and adult-only zone with hydrokinetic pool, mineral bath, hydrotherapy hot-tub, cold Nordic plunge, and aroma-infused steam room.

Seagulls Restaurant and Lounge has a bountiful menu with local fare like Lake Winnipeg pickerel, lightly pan-fried in olive oil, lemon and butter, served steaming and tender alongside a wild rice medley and veggies. For dessert, the homemade turtle cheesecake is a slice of creamy decadence.  The wines poured are all Canadian. And their version of Canada’s national cocktail — the Bloody Caesar — is one of the best I’ve had.

More to come: My next Travelations will continue with Hecla Island, in the second of a two-part series. Please join me as I reveal outdoor treasures to behold on Manitoba’s gem of an island.

RoseAnna Schick is an avid traveller and music lover who seeks inspiration wherever
she goes. Email her at rascreative@yahoo.ca