page_title: Twin Lakes Beach, Manitoba
hierarchical_section_title: Twin Lakes Beach, Manitoba
caption_attribution_description: English: A cottage damaged by shoreline ice pile-up in 1981
context_page_description: Twin Lakes Beach, also known locally by many as simply "Twin Beaches," is a beach and a community in the Canadian province of Manitoba. On Lake Manitoba, it is about 100 kilometres north-west of the provincial capital, Winnipeg. Twin Lakes Beach is in both the Rural Municipality of St. Laurent and the Rural Municipality of Woodlands, and it is in the town of St. Laurent.
  On a natural isthmus dividing Lake Francis and Lake Manitoba, Twin Lakes Beach was formed by the natural process of sand accumulating between the two bodies of water over a period of years of being transferred from the bank of one lake to the bank of another lake by wind and water. The sand then continued to build up and eventually formed a sand dune. Plants can strive on the natural dune because after a storm occurs on the lake, the water levels increase, washing dead seaweed and other organic matter, onto the sand. After many years of decomposition, the compost turns to soil and acts as a fertilizer for local plant life. As a result, grass, plants, and wildlife are now to the area.
context_section_description: Twin Lakes Beach (French: Plage Twin Lakes), also known locally by many as simply "Twin Beaches," is a beach and a community in the Canadian province of Manitoba. On Lake Manitoba, it is about 100 kilometres (62 mi) north-west of the provincial capital, Winnipeg. Twin Lakes Beach is in both the Rural Municipality of St. Laurent (French: la Municipalité Rurale de Saint-Laurent) and the Rural Municipality of Woodlands, and it is in the town of St. Laurent.
  On a natural isthmus dividing Lake Francis and Lake Manitoba, Twin Lakes Beach was formed by the natural process of sand accumulating between the two bodies of water over a period of years of being transferred from the bank of one lake to the bank of another lake by wind and water. The sand then continued to build up and eventually formed a sand dune. Plants can strive on the natural dune because after a storm occurs on the lake, the water levels increase, washing dead seaweed and other organic matter, onto the sand. After many years of decomposition, the compost turns to soil and acts as a fertilizer for local plant life. As a result, grass, plants, and wildlife are now to the area. The water, however, continuously laps the shore, due to moving air and currents, leaving a section of the dune eroded where sand remains, forming a beach.
  Lake Francis is a relatively small lake, with a high percentage of water area being marsh and wetlands. Lake Manitoba, however, is Manitoba's third-largest lake and can be described as a long, wide, but shallow hyposaline lake, which does not support a wetland ecosystem but is home to many species of fish and waterfowl which dwell in the area. Lake Manitoba boasts a high number of cottage dwellings and sandy beaches, mainly occupied in the summer months. The area around Twin Lakes Beach and St. Laurent is composed of reasonably-fertile land, which is suitable for crops. The land that is not as fertile is used for pastures, grasslands, or land to be surveyed into future private properties. There are also an abundance of trees and forests around the area.
  The earliest records of civilization (of course long after Aboriginal peoples inhabited Manitoba, prior to dated history) around the Twin Lakes Beach and St. Laurent area began in the early 19th century, when the McKay family, of Metis descent, were one of the first families to settle in St. Laurent, on the shores of Lake Manitoba. The family found all the resources that they found important to them - fishing, hunting, and agriculture. The community grew, attracting new immigrants to the province who were looking for an affordable, resourceful way of life.
  The history of Twin Lakes Beach as a recreational area began around 1911 when Dr. Meindl built a hunting lodge, as hunting was the primary activity of the beach at the time. The lodge and others over time were used in the summer for fishing and holidays as well.  About six or seven other medical doctors also used the area for hunting including Dr. Howden and Dr. Lambert.  Over time Dr. Howden and Dr. Meindl acquired the land that comprises most of the present day beach from a local farmer with Dr. Howden acquiring over one mile of land in the Rural Municipality of Woodlands while Dr. Meindl acquired approximately 3 miles of land in the Rural Municipality of St. Laurent. It was after this time that the land was subdivided and many people began to purchase lakefront properties in the area initially mainly for summer homes and cottages, but also for permanent residences later on.  Dr. Meindl donated 580 feet of beach front land for the local Metis people of St. Laurent for recreational use, which later became Meindl Park (French: Parc Meindl), named in his honour.  Prior to the flooding of 2011, the highest recorded water level on Lake Manitoba was during the summer of 1955 when the water level gauge at nearby Delta Beach recorded 816.32 feet above sea level, although the readings were subject to wind setup due to the long fetch length of the lake to the north. During this year some residents were forced to boat to their properties as the ro
caption: A cottage damaged by shoreline ice pile-up in 1981
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