Patricia beach is actually a Manitoba Provincial Park. The most attractive feature of the park to many people is that there is very little development there. The only man-made structures are the washrooms/changerooms, the park gate and the Stony Point Lighthouse (food Concession), which is right adjacent to the park gate. Manitoba Parks Department describes this park as "low maintenance". This includes only garbage collection, grass cutting, and servicing of the washrooms.
As you travel from the park gate along a gravelled lane running the length of the beach behind the sand dunes, you will see a series of shady clearings among the trees, and grassy meadows which serve as both parking and picnic areas. There are picnic tables, fire pits, and drinking water taps distributed throughout the area.
The beach is still in a near-natural condition, and this is considered a bonus by regular visitors and newcomers alike. It's an excellent family recreational beach, and a favorite spot for windsurfing and picnicing. Many people come out just to watch the spectacular sunsets.
Being on the beach after dark can be a memorable experience. There is no "light pollution" in the sky from cities and towns, and no artificial lighting nearby, so you can fully experience the beauty of a totally dark sky full of stars, sometimes reflected on the mirror-smooth surface of a quiet lake. You can see the milky way, take a moonlight walk on the beach, and sometimes watch the breathtaking spectacle of a northern lights display, or lightning flickering silently among the dark thunderclouds on the distant horizon over the lake. One can always feel the presence of the moody and dynamic Lake Winnipeg. Like a living entity, it is sometimes calm and placid, and sometimes restless and violent.
In winter, the peace and tranquility of this place can have a profound calming effect on those who come to spend an afternoon hiking, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing into an area which is then inaccessible by vehicles.
Those of us who know and love this place so well must see to it that it's natural beauty will never be spoiled. Such a natural area so easily accessible to populated areas is a rare treasure and should never be lost to commercial or any other kind of development.
The two photos immediately above were taken at sunrise (approx. 5:00 A.M.) at the north end of the main beach area in July, 1999. The two previous photos were taken at two separate times, one around noon from the north end of the main beach and the other in late afternoon looking north along the main beach.
Visitors to Beaconia Beach can enjoy all the same benefits of a natural beach as at Patricia Beach, plus more. This beach has absolutely no man-made structures anywhere, not even washrooms. The first 800 metres of this beach going south from the parking lot is under the jurisdiction of the Rural Municipality of St. Clements. Beyond 800 metres, it's basically a wilderness area. This is a beautiful secluded area of beach, totally natural and unspoiled by artificial structures. The farther south you walk along this beach, the more secluded it becomes.
Throughout the 1980's, this beach had become a playground for people with 4x4's and other all-terrain vehicles, and the beach suffered tremendous environmental damage. In the early 1990's, a bylaw was passed banning all motorized traffic from the beach. Since then it has returned to its natural state, and some of the regulars there have proven that they are willing to fight to keep it that way.
Beaconia Beach has once again become a sanctuary for a wonderful diversity of wildlife, and a favorite nesting spot for the rare piping plover, a bird which is on the endangered species list. Their nests consist of nothing more than the eggs being laid right on the ground among the pebbles. The eggs look exactly like the pebbles and are thus camoflaged, and easy to accidently trample on. Some of the regular beach-goers help these birds by putting up little fences made of sticks and twine around the nests to alert other people of their presence. The birds are not bothered by these structures and continue to take care of their eggs.
The regulars who visit this area tend to be nature lovers and have a deep respect for the environment and the wildlife in the area. Although there are no garbage containers anywhere, one will rarely ever find a scrap of garbage left anywhere on the southern half of this beach. It has once again become an incredibly beautiful and tranquill refuge to spend a perfect Manitoba summer day, away from all the stresses of daily life.
Patricia Beach is actually situated on a sandy peninsula in Lake Winnipeg, while Beaconia Beach is on a sandy island, joined to the mainland by a causeway, which is the road in to the beach. Behind these two landmasses is a huge marshy lagoon, which is sometimes called Beaconia Lake. This lagoon has huge numbers of waterfowl of many different species living in it. The two beaches are side by side, separated by a channel which joins the lagoon to Lake Winnipeg. In recent years, the channel has rarely been more than waist deep (to the average adult) at its deepest point, and is about 200-300 metres across, so any reasonably fit person can easily wade across between the two beaches. A word of caution, however. There is sometimes a strong current in the channel, which can flow in either direction, depending on the wind direction and strength. Strong, sustained north-west winds will cause "wind tides" at the south end of the lake which, over a few hours, can push a large amount of water up the channel into the lagoon. When the wind dies down, the water will then flow back out toward the lake, creating a strong and dangerous current in the channel.The channel can also become too dangerous to wade across if a sudden summer squall arises, whipping up metre-high waves within minutes.
In an area where the channel enters the lagoon, there are mud flats which have long been a favorite spot for large numbers of pelicans to congregate during the summer months. Their numbers are such that, from a distance, they look like large areas of snow in the summer sunshine. They are joined in mid to late summer by blue herons, and in the fall, they give way to incredible numbers of snow geese and Canada geese.
From the Perimeter Highway on the northeast outskirts of the City of Winnipeg, go north on Highway 59 for about 63 kilometres to the junction of Provincial road 319. There are signs near the junction clearly indicating the way to the beach. Turn left on PR 319 (a gravel road) and go about 5 kilometres. You will come to a small group of cottages and homes. Here again, there is a sign indicating a right turn toward the beach. From the turn, it is only about 300 metres to the park gate. Between the months of June and September, a small fee is required for each vehicle entering the park if it does not have a season park pass
On Highway 59, instead of turning on to PR 319 to Patricia Beach, continue on along Highway 59 for about another 7 kilometres to Provincial Road 500 and turn left. It is about 2 kilometres to the tiny hamlet of Beaconia. At this point, PR 500 curves to the right. Instead of following the curve proceed straight ahead on to a smaller gravel road. Follow this road for about another 2 kilometres. You will come to a grassy parking area right behind the sand dunes at the beach. Note: This last stretch of road can be a bit rough for a standard passenger car at times, so take it easy!
Watch for "Picture Gallery" in the near future!
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