This Manitoba community has been receiving increased interest in summer staycations
While Manitobans can travel outside the province, many are choosing staycations right here at home – a move that is being welcomed by one of Manitoba's lakeside communities.
Adam and Crystal Markewich took a day trip to Gimli. The couple said they haven’t been to the lakeside community for years but, on Saturday, they made the drive to enjoy the weather and grab some fish and chips.
"I’ve been once years and years ago for hockey, and she came as a kid with her grandparents, so haven’t been for a while and decided to do something different," Adam said.
He said a lot of other people appear to be taking day trips in Gimli as well.
"With COVID being more and more relaxed now, too, they’re trying to get out and about and get back to kind of normal lives, so it seems busy here today.”
The beach and the weather aren’t the only things drawing people into the rural municipality this summer - the Gimli Film Festival is also grabbing people’s attention.
Alan Wong, the manager of the festival, said the turnout this year has been very good.
"We’ve had just as many, if not more numbers in terms of viewers and pass buyers and tickets buyers and that sort of thing online as last year," he said. "And then this year we have the addition of the drive-in, the pop-up drive in.”
Lynn Greenberg, the mayor of the RM of Gimli, said he’s noticed an uptick in tourism in the municipality this summer.
"There’s been quite an increase in people coming to visit Gimli," he said. "They’re coming in to enjoy the beach and everything, so definitely the numbers are up.”
The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce said with the American border still closed for travel - many Manitobans are taking day trips to the tourist destinations in Manitoba.
"I would expect that business will be brisk and good for a lot of these places that have sort of been tourist destinations," Chuck Davidson, the president and CEO of the chamber, told CTV News.
"A lot of people got a first chance to do that last summer, they’re taking advantage of it this summer as well.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife's edge.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.