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For more information on any topics presented here, check out the collections listed on the Index Page
We have travel photos, souvenir collections, family reuinions, band info etc.
Princess Harbour (1973 - 75)
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 My first teaching job was at Princess Harbour, a small, isolated fishing village on the east side of Winnipeg about 100 km. north of Gimli, across from Matheson Island, just above the Lake Winnipeg narrows.  As the 2010 Highway Map shows - there were no roads to Princess Harbour. As of 2012 they are working on an East Side road. I applied for the job in in July, while working at Hecla Island. We found the Lake Winnipeg area interesting and saw moving north as a bit of an adventure. I was hired by Marshall Effler the Superintendent of Area 3, Frontier School Division without any formal interview. His only condition was that we visit the community before formally accepting the position. Mom and Dad Storie and Tim came with us on that visit. To get there we took a gravel road north from Riverton to where the road ends across from Matheson Island. We were picked up by Franklin Magnusson and Ed Anderson and travelled across a rather stormy Lake Winnipeg narrows for 20 km to the village. We were told later that it was a rather rough crossing and that they were surpirised that we ever returned! We didn't know enough about lake travel to have any concern about the high waves and the rocky ride. I remember Tim and I standing near the front testing our ability to remain standing as we hit the waves.  The "End of the Road" across from Matheson Island.
On the way
to Princess Harbour we passed Black Bear Island. This
lighthouse is now on display at the Marine
Museum in Selkirk. Also on display ar a few of the boats that used
to stop at Princess Harbour. As of 2012 only one of those big boats
remained in service.
What we saw when we arrived was totally unexpected. We had seen no photos of the place and were unaware of the big difference in topography from one side of the lake to the other. The interlake and much of the shoreline of the south basin of Lake Winnipeg is flat land. As one goes north to Hecla Island and beyond one finds some rocky outcrroppings of limestone. The east side however - once you pass Grand Beach and Traverse Bay, is in the Canadian Shield. The shoreline becomes a mass of rounded granite formations, not unlike what one associates with places like Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia.  The school and teacherage on the left. The Magnusson house to the right. We all stayed overnight at Franklin and Dolly Magnusson's where we were treated to a supper of moose steaks.. Having met the people and seen the village we confirmed our acceptance of the offer and moved into our new home just a few days before school began. The school offered Grades K-8, but fortumately for me, trained as a High School teacher, the youngest student (of the 13 in total) was in Grade 2.  Bev helping out in the classroom.  Large barges and freight boats often stopped, especially during fishing season. This was a view from our front yard. Behind the main dock were buildings used for storing fish until the boat arrived to take it to market. During our two year stay I volunteered to work at the fish station for a day - just to see what went on there. I also went our to pull nets in the winter fishing season.  This is a view in the other direction from our yard. The first building on the left is the store. It was supplied weekly when Franklin and Ed made the trip to the "End of the Road" for supplies. The stock of fresh fruit and vegetables was limited. We were able to make requests for special orders such as a case of beer or a bottle of whiskey, and soon learned that beer was not a popular beverage - too bulky - and restricted our drinking to more "compact" liquids. We were surprised when Bev brought a snack over to the classroom and we learned the kids had not eaten celery. 
Walks along the shore. Canoeing in the bay. Black Bear Island on the trip across from the End Of The Road. Field trips. Flin Flon and Cranberry Portage. While checking in to the hotel In Winnipeg with my five students, the clerk asked if the kids were mine. The oldest was 12 and I was 25. In The Pas I accidentally slammed a van door on Roddy's finger. Hunting trips with Carmen. Ole Anderson's Store. Fishermen's kids camped out back. Family trips to see us. Great boat rides. End of year swimming trip to another beach. Christmas Concerts. Christmas tree cutting. Barry 's Birthday Party. Tripod Hydro Poles. Art and Batik - I had time on my hands. Trips out - I we remember some impromptu trips when a Government Air plane happend by on a Friday and we got a free ride to civilization. One trip took us to Lac Du Bonnet where we were invited to the pilot's house for supper before catching a ride to Winnipeg. Our Trip to Ottawa - Docmemented in our Travel Website. On our first summer after a year at Princess Harbour we
were feeling rich. Teacher pay was triple what I'd ever earned. Rent
was $62 per month and there was nowhere to spend money in Princess
Harbour. We spent the summer in Brandon and at the farm and booked a
trip to Ottawa.
Franklin and Ed built this hydroplane to enable crossing during the spring and fall when ice was too thick for boating and too thin for snow machines. Essentially its an airplane motor and prop on a very solid boat. I got to cross in it once.
"Field Trip"
Dropping of freight and/or picking up fish.
Long Bay - a short walk to the north.
A bear cub in our back yard.
Moose hunting with Franklin.
Fishing.
Bombardier rides.
Boats in the storm. Visitors by plane. Government Air. Free rides.
Tamarack Island mail run.
Carl
Magnusson, Diane
Helgason, Donnie Magnusson
Charles Reich, Brian
Helgason & Ken
Jim Campbell's Cessna.
Class trip
- spring 1974
Aug. 28,
1974
Florence, JoAnne, Diane, Carl, Roddy, Carmen, Barry, Donnie Interesting twist - as of 2020 we have connected with Barry Magnusson on Facebook. He has a B&B / Lodge at Princess Harbour. A few years back we visited Franklin Magnusson, and Bev
keeps in touch with Brenda Anderson. 
For our 1974 Field Trip we went to
Brandon and to Baldur where we
stayed with Mom and Dad. We wanted the kids to
have the
southern Manitoba experience, especially a farming community.The
next year we went to The Pas,
Cranberry Portage and Flin Flon.
On Franklin's boat loaded for
a trip across the narrows.
 Jonah's letter to Linda...
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