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Herb Lake Landing Newsletter May 2009

Herb Lake Landing residents who placed two limestone monuments were (from left to right: Hazel Corman, Cathy Stabback, Brian Shapka, Glenn Martel, Glenn Spencer, Freda Heibert, Ted Stabback, Don Heibert and Jim Corman. Missing from photo is Cindy Shapka and Margaret Spencer.    – photo Marc Jackson (Click to enlarge)

A cairn with a bronze plaque honoring the pioneers of the area was erected at the picnic grounds in August 2008.  

Jim Corman and Glenn Spencer unveiled the cairn, covered in a quilt made by Nana Corman and Don Heibert raised the flag.  Margaret Spencer did a short reading remembering those who went to war from Herb Lake and never returned; those who lost their lives on Wekusko Lake; the men who perished in the mines at Herb Lake; the grandparents, parents, sisters and brothers who have gone; and in recent years from our community: Ted Taylor, Ethel and Albert Corman, Wilfred and Bertha Cote, Norma and Barrie Taylor, Noreen and Harry Roberts, Emily Crosby and William Jacobson. 

The boundaries of Herb Lake Landing were recently changed to include Spencers home within Herb Lake Landing and they were welcomed into the community.

Manitoba Hydro, Aboriginal and Northern Affairs and the HLL Historical Society contributed funding to this project.  The labor and heavy equipment was contributed by volunteers. Special thanks to the Historical Committee members:  Hazel Corman, Margaret Spencer and Freda Heibert for organizing the event.  Thanks to Jim Corman, Glenn Martel, Brian Shapka, Ted Stabback, Glenn Spencer, Don Heibert and Al McDougal, for selecting the limestone pieces, quarrying them, moving them to the picnic site with heavy equipment, mixing and pouring the cement foundations, erecting the flagpole, then cleaning up the site.  Two picnic tables and benches were also purchased. Thanks to “Celebration Canada” for their grant which paid the cost of the flag and flagpole. Special thanks also to the volunteers who organized the food for the community picnic that was held at this time.

Recognition of 30 Years of Service by Jim Corman

At a public meeting on Nov 27, 2008, Robert Barbeau, Municipal Development Consultant of Manitoba Aboriginal and Northern Affairs (ANA) presented Jim Corman with a certificate and plaque to recognize his long service as the Contact Person for Herb Lake Landing.  This special award acknowledges the hard work and dedication that Jim has shown over the many years. 

Jim has been re-appointed as the Herb Lake Contact Person for another four-year term and the community residents are very pleased that he continues to serve their needs.

Northern Affairs Workshop

Jim and Hazel Corman, as our “Contact People” attended a three-day workshop sponsored by Northern Affairs in The Pas in March 2009, to discuss some of the problems faced by small northern communities.  Robert Barbeau, Municipal Development Consultant, who handles our community administration, organized and chaired this event. 

Some of the topics discussed were:

- Manitoba Métis Federation on housing and education.

- The Red Cross, on community evacuation plans in the event of a disaster, such as forest fire.

- Health and Wellness – spoke on “communities in motion”.

- Archeological students spoke about dating old camping sites from bone fragments, and the value of the information these sites yield.  One student explained about early pottery making, using natural clays and firing the pottery in an open fire pit. 

Proposed Gathering Place

The Herb Lake Landing Community has received a grant from Hometown Manitoba for funds to create a gathering place at the present picnic grounds location.  This gathering place would be the focal point of our community and would be a user-friendly environment for community functions.  It would be used to hold community events, picnics, reunions, and both large and small gatherings.

Hometown Manitoba will pay up to half the cost of the construction of this project and the balance can be “in kind” which will include volunteer labor and the loan of heavy equipment.  Manitoba Hydro will also provide some funding, and some funds and equipment will come from the Herb Lake Landing Community through their annual funding from the Dept of Aboriginal and Northern Affairs. 

The plan includes the following: 

-         The present picnic ground site to be upgraded, the ground leveled and the area enlarged.

-         An open air gazebo to be constructed.  This gazebo will provide shelter in the event of rain and shade if the weather is hot.

-         A small parking area to be created across the road.

-         A new fire pit to be constructed.

-         A walking path to the lake may be built.  To ensure accessibility, this path may include stairs, as the location of the gathering site is much higher than the water.

The community cairn on the site commemorating the early pioneers of the area and the flag pole would remain in place. 

The concept of a gathering place fits with the traditions of this area.  The early Cree were “gatherers of plants” from the area and Wekusko Lake is named for this activity, with the English version, “ Herb Lake ” acknowledging this past.

Our proposed gathering place also continues the tradition from the settlement of Herb Lake of providing a place for people to meet for group activities.  That early mining town had a town square in the business section near the lakefront, and together with the dock, was the focal point of that community. 

This project will enhance our community and provide a much needed area to hold community events.

The Beach Path

We plan to create a pathway along the lakeshore from Spencers’ Bay to Barrie ’s Bay.  Depending on water levels, a large portion of this area is beach, but there are sections where the bank is steep or rocky and it will be necessary to clear brush to create a trail. 

This pathway along the shoreline will provide an area for people to walk, away from the roadway.  The proposed gathering place is within this area, and it is hoped that a shoreline pathway will encourage people to come to the gathering place to visit with their neighbors.

Many of the property owners along this section of shoreline have indicated their willingness to clear and maintain the beach in front of their properties. 

Special thanks to Margo and Al who cleaned the beach in front of their place and then went out on a regular basis with their rakes and wheelbarrow to haul away the driftwood and debris that washed ashore.

Also special thanks to Bev Taylor for the work she has done over the past number of years to create and maintain a garden and picnic area in front of her home.

Meeting 9 May 09

There will be a meeting on 9 May 09 at 1:00 pm in the Community Building to discuss the work for the volunteers for the Gathering Place project and the Beach Path. 

House Numbers

We will number the houses in our community to make it easier for people to locate homes and cottages and we will leave gaps in the numbering for future buildings.  Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) has indicated that house numbers make it easier for them to respond quicker in an emergency situation.  The road to Spencers will be called South End Road.

Food and Medicinal Uses for Native Plants
Early Cree, gathering herbs and wild plants in this area, gave Wekusko Lake ( Herb Lake ) its name.  Our knowledge of wild plant uses has since diminished and we would like to become more familiar with the wild plants in our area.  We are hoping to arrange a speaker to talk to us about wild food plants used by the early Cree. 

Wild Food References:

Aboriginal Plant Use in Canada's Northwest Boreal Forest by: Christina Clavelle (Author), Leslie Monteleone (Author), Natalie Tays (Author), Donna Burns (Author), Robin James Marles (Author, Editor), Canada Natural Resources Canada (Corporate Author), Canadian Forest Service (Corporate Author)  Published by: University of Washington Press June 2000.

Today there is concern about the world’s diminishing variety of wild plants and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Agriculture and Consumer Protection “for a world without hunger”, has made this out-of-print reference book available on line:  Traditional Plant Foods Of Canadian Indigenous People, Nutrition, Botany and Use  By: Harriet V. Kuhnlein and  Nancy J. Turner, At http://www.fao.org/wairdocs/other/ai215e/AI215E00.HTM 

Published online March 09 and originally published by Gordon And Breach Publishers 1991 and 2^nd printing 1996.

Pioneer Day

We plan to hold a community picnic at the gathering place at noon on Saturday August 1^st to celebrate our 92^nd anniversary. People have lived at Herb Lake Landing continually since the founding of Herb Lake, as our little settlement was the “stopping-off place” for people to spent the night on their journey from Wekusko to Herb Lake.  Later, when the mine at Snow Lake opened, until a road was built, freight was hauled to Herb Lake Landing then across Wekusko Lake to Bartlett ’s Landing.  In the past, our community has been called: Folster’s Bay, Hale’s Landing, The South End and Cote ’s Landing.

 At our picnic we will discuss some of the pioneers.  Of special interest:

-         Kathleen Rice and Dick Woosey.  Through the efforts of Marc Jackson of Snow Lake , headstones will be placed on their gravesites in Minnedosa and at The Pas.

-         The boiler from the Cann sawmill has been moved from Cann’s Point to Snow Lake , where it will be displayed by the mining museum.

Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
We will be purchasing an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) for our community and arranging for training.  This purchase is made possible through a generous donation from Manitoba Hydro. Our nearest medical center is at Snow Lake and it could be important to have closer access to an AED.

This is a quote from the Heart and Stroke Foundation website:

“These days, you don't have to be a doctor to save a life. New Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) make it possible for even non-medical personnel to restore heart rhythm and life.

“An AED is a machine that can monitor heart rhythms. It can tell if the heart has stopped beating effectively. If required, the machine can then deliver an electric shock to the heart. Most of the time, this shock will restart the heart.

“AEDs save lives:  More than 40,000 Canadian lives are lost each year due to cardiac arrest. Defibrillation improves survival rates by up to 30% if delivered in the first few minutes. With each passing minute, the probability of survival declines by 7% to 10%. Making defibrillators easily accessible has the potential to save thousands of lives.  

“Get trained: Only people who have been trained to use the AED and who are authorized to do so can use the machine. In the hands of someone who is trained, it is very effective in saving lives of those in cardiac arrest. The Heart and Stroke Foundation is working diligently to ensure widespread access to AEDs in homes and workplaces, as well as public areas such as airports, casinos and airplanes. The Foundation is also urging anyone in close contact with those at high-risk of cardiac arrest – family members, police, firefighters, flight attendants and security guards – to become trained in the use of AEDs.”

Shuffleboard

Ken Markosky has donated a shuffleboard for the residents to use in the Community Hall.  Thanks Ken.

Communities in Motion

It is planned to use the community hall as a recreational facility where people will meet for exercise, card games and other activities. Charlene Waterman, Recreation and Wellness Consultant, has assisted us in joining “Communities in Motion”, a program to encourage recreation and exercise in small communities, and her department will assist us in funding for this purpose.

Volunteers are planning to do repair work on the cement floor.  Once the repairs are made, we will set up the shuffleboard and arrange other activities.

We hope to purchase additional chairs, card tables, new rocks for the shuffleboard, a TV and an exercise Wii.

Community Meeting 23 April 09

Presentation to Robert Barbeau

Jim Corman, on behalf of the community presented Robert Barbeau, Municipal Development Consultant of Manitoba Aboriginal and Northern Affairs (ANA), with a framed certificate in appreciation for his work and dedication to our community.

Manitoba Hydro Donations

Duane Hatley, Aboriginal Liaison Officer, Community Relations Department of Manitoba Hydro and Trevor Buckburger, Senior Policy Analyst, Aboriginal Relations Department , Manitoba Hydro, presented the community with a generous donation.  Manitoba Hydro’s contribution to our community greatly assists us and we appreciate their generosity.

Emergency Planning and Training

Mark Francis, of Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) also attended this meeting and is available to assist our community for emergency planning and training.

Garbage Dump Cleanup

Members of the community are responsible for maintaining the dump and for picking up litter along the roadway.  We are asking everyone to do their part to keep our community litter-free. 

A volunteer group burned the large brush pile at the dump this winter and the money earned was donated to the HL Historical Society.

Recycling

Residents are encouraged to recycle as much as possible.  The nearest recycling depot is in Snow Lake and they accept paper, glass, tin and plastic but not cardboard. The money raised from the recycling operation benefits a local church group.  Recycling also extends the lifespan of our garbage dump.  If you have good usable items, they can be donated to the thrift store in Snow Lake .

Join the Campaign to Save Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) Thompson

After 30 years on the air, the only CBC station serving northern Manitoba in Thompson is set to close its doors at the end of June. Of special interest to residents of this community is the North Country Program, hosted by

Mark Szyszlo, who discusses northern interests every weekday.  It will be unfortunate if we lose this resource.

Click here to find out more about the campaign to save and restore the CBC cuts:  http://www.cmg.ca/CBCmorethanever.htm and sign an on-line petition.

Newsletter

This newsletter is distributed to the property owners at Herb Lake Landing to keep you informed of the many activities happening in our community and is being sent by email to keep costs down.  If you have an email address and want to be on the distribution list, please let Linda Butler know. 

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