A Day at the Lake
This is the story of when 5,000 people, over 10% of the population of Winnipeg at the time, made Rat Portage their destination for a day at the lake.
Spring Break-Up
The spring break-up of ice on Lake of the Woods has long been closely followed by residents. Besides the necessity of the opening of the lake for transportation and communication purposes, there naturally developed a competition to be the first boat to navigate through the ice floes in the early spring.
The Anglican Summer Camp Island
Anglican Summer Camp Island is located south of Crowe Island at the mouth of Keewatin Channel on Lake of the Woods.
Camp Stephens Celebrates 125 Years
2016 marks the 125th anniversary of Camp Stephens, a Lake of the Woods summer camp for youth and families operated by the YMCA/YWCA.
The Battle of Vimy Ridge
In March 1917, the Canadian Corps received orders to capture Vimy Ridge as part of a larger offensive in the Arras area.
Husky the Muskie
Everyone in Kenora knows about Husky the Muskie, but do you know the history of how our giant muskie statue came to be built and named?
Pack the Shovel: Four Frozen Swedes and the First Car Trip to Winnipeg
This is the story of four men who made the very first trip to Winnipeg by car in 1927, a full five years before the highway was built.
Polio in Kenora
During the summer of 1953, the last major polio epidemic swept through Kenora. Though it is a tragic story, it is also one of hope.
Historical Timeline
A brief overview of the history and major events taking place in Kenora and the surrounding Lake of the Woods area.
Kenora’s Annual Dog Derby
Read about the history of the Kenora’s Annual Dog Derby which was held semi-annually from April 1899-1932.
Teeing Off: Golf’s Beginnings in Kenora
In 1912, discussions go underway regarding the development of a golf course and club in Kenora. Learn the history of golf in Kenora.
Horse Racing On Lake of the Woods
In the late 1890s and early 1900s, it was not an uncommon sight to see horse and cutter races taking place on the frozen bays around Rat Portage.
The Thistle Hockey Team Wins the Stanley Cup
The Kenora Thistle hockey team was the smallest team to ever win the Stanley Cup. Read more about how the Thistles took home the cup!
The Gold Street Toboggan and Ski Slide
Tobogganing and skiing continue to be popular winter activities in Kenora today, but did you know Kenora once had large ski slides and jumps?
A Local Hero
We present to you this journalistic gem in the February 13, 1903 issue of the Rat Portage Miner about a coat thief and a local hero.
Christmas in Rat Portage
Christmas in Rat Portage was a community celebration. Perhaps the isolation, and the distance from extended families, was behind this tradition of the whole town gathering together.
Dear Mother: A Bride’s Letters Home
On December 31, 1912, Nellie Perry Winslow of Saco, Maine, married Joseph Rideout of Kenora, Ontario. The following are excerpts of letters written by Nellie to her mother describing her new life in Kenora during her first few months of marriage.
The Five Roses Cookbook
The Five Roses Cookbook: Being a Manual of Good Recipes was a compilation of almost 600 recipes carefully chosen from the contribution of over two thousand successful users of Five Roses flour throughout Canada and was issued by the Lake of the Woods Milling Company.
The Women of Kenora
For International Women’s Day, we take a look at some of the women-led organizations in Kenora’s history and their various contributions.
On Active Duty
Through their letters home, take a glimpse into the day-to-day lives of three Kenora soldiers serving overseas during various wars.
Where is the Real Massacre Island?
Tales of Massacre Island have been passed on through oral story-telling, but the facts became skewed. So where is the real Massacre Island?
Waiting for Break-up on Lake of the Woods
A collection of letters written by a mother to her family in 1966 as she waited, stranded at the cottage in spring, for the ice to break-up.
The Hudson’s Bay Company in Rat Portage
The Hudson’s Bay Company in Rat Portage Lake of the Woods Museum NewsletterVol. 14 No. 2 – Spring 2004 by the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives 1836. That is the earliest reference to a trading post near the site known as Portage du Rat or the...