The healing waters of Little Manitou Lake have been used to ease ailments for centuries by the Indigenous people and for almost 200 years by the white settlers.
The salt water lake near Watrous, about 90 minutes drive north of Moose Jaw, is fed by an underground spring with high content of minerals like sodium, magnesium and potassium among others. The salts soothe and often cure ailments from skin disease to arthritis.
Manitou Beach and Watrous were once hub resorts with numerous daily trains ferrying in passengers from Saskatoon and Regina.
Today, the highways bring in the people to the salt water, camping, the beaches, fresh air, motels and eating places.
This summer has been rather busy since so many people, unable or unwilling to travel, substitute the site for a vacation.
The site offers mini golf and golf as well as one of those rare drive-in theatres left on the Prairies.
When everything re-opens, the spa will offer bathers an indoor salt water pool and the famous Danceland will host music, dancing and food.
The large parking lot across the road from the Danceland Hall has been taken over by two massive houses.
Incidentally, Danceland and the horse hair under the floor layer has a Moose Jaw connection. Moose Jaw Industrialist Wellington White was an original investor in 1919.
The dance hall and most of the beach are surrounded by large berms to protect from flooding by the lake. No creek or river runs from the lake. In recent years high run-off and rains have pushed the lake past normal capacity.
Some of the old playground areas are under water. Danceland was threatened with becoming a floating dance hall. The berm makes a neat walking trail.
The village has several art galleries and shops to poke around in. While on the beach don’t miss the huge ice cream servings at reasonable prices from Manitou Mart.
Nearby Watrous has John’s Plate, once on a national must-dine list, and the Pepper Tree.
Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
