Situated 80 km north of the province's capital city of Winnipeg, in the Interlake Region, this town was first settled by Icelandic immigrants landing at Willow Point in 1895. Ukrainian and Polish immigrants settled later in this area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Gimli is a growing town with a stable and diversified economy.
Tourism is, undoubtedly, the fastest growing sector of the local economy.
Local authorities and entrepreneurs have taken advantage of the Town's excellent geographical location on the west shore of Lake Winnipeg. The community has just completed a major revitalization of the Gimli waterfront. Country Inns by Carlson has built a major hotel complex on the waterfront and the Town has themed its commercial district with a fishing village motif. In 1994, Gimli hosted the Western Premier's Conference and the World Boardsailing Championships. Although tourism is an important asset to the community, there is also a strong commercial sector and fishing industry in Gimli.