Letters Home #45 💌

Writing from: Gimli, Manitoba

Dear Ones —

You might be wondering why I’m writing from Gimli, an Icelandic settlement north of Winnipeg. I have no Icelandic roots that I know of, but it was here that my great-grandfather built a cabin in 1938, lured like many others to escape the city in the summertime and enjoy the breezes and beaches of Lake Winnipeg. The structure itself was moved to a new location in 1954 (due to fluctuating lake levels) and various renovations and extensions have been made to accommodate a growing family. But, for me, the cottage feels just as it did when I was a child.

It’s like a museum, filled with family heirlooms, books, photo albums, artwork, furniture and, most importantly, stories.

I have many fond memories from childhood of times spent at the cottage with my parents, sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. It’s held a kind of magic for me — one infused with both nostalgia and defining moments. I remember games, slideshows, bonfires, and playing on the hammock. I remember the …