The new museum preserving a Manitoba beach town’s history

The Winnipeg Beach Historical Society’s Museum is now open, and includes a diorama of how the community once appeared.

A new museum in the Interlake is offering a glimpse into a beach community’s rich and storied history.

The Winnipeg Beach Historical Society Museum opened this past weekend during the lakeside town’s Boardwalk Days.

“We had a lineup of people wanting to come in and see what was happening,” Wendy Peters, the historical society’s president, told CTV News. “People were delighted… and everyone had a story.”

The museum’s crown jewel is a 12x8-foot diorama depicting the town in the early 1940s. The sprawling replica features Winnipeg Beach’s downtown, water tower, and the wooden rollercoaster from the bygone era.

“What sticks out to me is taking a look at the detail that was put into buildings back in the day like the schoolhouse, town hall, dance pavilion and bath houses,” Peters said.

According to Peters, the diorama was created by longtime resident Peter Shaw in 2014 and was stored in a basement prior to its arrival at the museum.

Alongside the diorama are vintage photos and posters peppering the museum’s walls. Peters wants to add more interactive elements to the space in the future.

“It’s a window into the past,” Peters said. “I really believe that people come to Winnipeg Beach because they’re looking for a reminder of a happier, gentler time. And that’s really what we’re trying to cultivate with the historical society – just celebrating the history.”

Peters founded the organization in 2020 after struggling to find any historical information or photos of her newly purchased cottage in Winnipeg Beach, a town about 80 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. She soon discovered the cottage was originally a 12-bedroom inn built by CP Rail.

“Winnipeg Beach has a very rich history,” Peters said. “They used to call it ‘the Coney Island of the North.’”

The town was a sought-after tourist spot in the early 1900s, she explained, drawing in droves of people from Winnipeg looking for a weekend away from city life during the summer.

“It was initially launched as a playground for the rich and also just an escape from the constraints of Edwardian life,” she added.

The museum expands on other initiatives offered by the historical society, including a 34-stop walking tour through the community. Peters said they are also raising money to establish a visitor’s centre in a CPR caboose built in 1942.

The historical society is also putting out a call for photographs, vintage items and memorabilia related to Winnipeg Beach.

She hopes sharing tidbits of the town’s past will help shape its future.

“Someday, these will be the good ol’ days, so let’s make them good.”

The Winnipeg Beach Historical Society Museum is located at 30 Robinson Ave. in a former candy store. Peters said it will be open limited hours on weekends this year, but hopes to expand in the future.