Red Lake

Red Lake, (pop. 2200) is one of those rare communities that successfully combines old-fashioned charm and hospitality, a unique heritage, and ample recreational opportunities.

Begin your tour of the community at the Red Lake Museum.  Here you'll find First Nation, gold mining displays and outdoor exhibits.  You can also watch movies of the area's rich past, buy books and souvenirs, and find out about other attractions in the district.  If you really want to immerse yourself in history, then a walking tour is a must.  As you stroll along streets such as Calcite, Syenite, Quartz and Pyrite you'll soon understand how gold built this community.

Red Lake is the commercial hub of the district, so take some time to do some shopping and visit scenic Norseman Heritage Park.  Red Lake is known as the "Norseman Capital of the World." The Norseman plane, the first to be designed and built in Canada, was created specifically for flying in the rugged Canadian North.

Red Lake's annual Norseman Festival, traditionally held the third weekend in July, draws hundreds of visitors to the area.

Very few Norseman still exist, however, these planes live on in Red Lake, more than anywhere else in the world.  Early morning at Norseman Park is the best time to see these historic planes, as they prepare to fly to remote communities, tourist lodges and mining camps.

With so much forest surrounding the community, forest fires are a fact of life in the area.  There were many large forest fires over the past 75 years that could have burned every building to the ground and destroyed our forests.  Thanks to the highly skilled and dedicated Forest Rangers who have protected the community since its beginnings, there has never been loss of life or major loss of private property due to forest fires.

Smokey the Bear - a friendly reminder of the importance of fire prevention.

In the past, fire lookout towers, such as the one that can be seen on the way to Forestry Point near Red Lake, were used to detect fires.  Today fire detection is done mostly by aircraft and highly trained Fire Ranger crews are flown in by helicopters.  Visitors can tour the Fire Operations Headquarters at Forestry Point to learn about fire detection and suppression, and to meet the people who provide a world class firefighting service in the region.

The District is fortunate to have an elite group of 70 men and women during the forest fire season, who are renowned for their dedication and heroic efforts in protecting lives, private property and forest resources critical to the area's forest-based economy.

Enjoying a picnic on the shores of Red Lake.

A quilt exhibition by Aboriginal quilter Alice Olsen Williams in the First Nation Gallery at the Red Lake Museum.  Summer 1999.