That Unsinkable Feeling
By Irene Butler
 What
do exuberant children, type-A businessmen, and arthritic octogenarians have in
common? Unrestrained ear-to-ear smiles and laughter brought on by the sheer
frivolity of weightlessness; of defying gravity in the waters of Little Lake
Manitou, Saskatchewan. Driving a few hours north of Regina, just past the
town of Watrous, my husband Rick and I arrived at this 14 mile long - 1 mile
wide lake boasting astounding mineral content. The water has a salt content of
12%; 3.5 times that of the ocean – a salinity equal to that of Dead Sea!
During summer and early autumn floating
in the lake and strolling along the beach is a popular outdoor activity. For enjoyment anytime, Canada’s largest indoor spa in Manitou
Springs Resort channels the mineral laden lake water into three pools, heating
it to temperatures ranging from 34 to 37 degrees Celsius.
 The shimmering waters take on a metallic bronze tone from the
high density elements, heightened by the reflection of the wooden ceiling of the
pool.
Sitting in a reclining lazy-boy
position, bobbing about without moving a muscle was a weird sensation.At first I
was leery of floating too far from the pool edge, as when others drifted by, the
slightest wave movement would send me twirling out of control like an astronaut
in space, not able to sink my feet to the pool bottom for stability.
 Then I discovered holding my arms out to the sides kept me
right-side-up. A lady lying flat on her back reading a newspaper was comical.
Soon Rick and I were performing some hilarious maneuvers in the 9-foot-deep end.
By standing straight up and propelling ourselves in a walking motion, our bodies
raised a third out of the water.
All this fun and good for you too. Oral
history handed down by the Assiniboine tribes claim that the waters healed the
sick during a small pox scourge in 1837.
 Their medicine men believed the
miraculous powers to be a gift from Manitou, the Great Spirit. In a more
scientific vein, a 1997 study by the Department of Geological Sciences from the
University of Manitoba revealed phenomenally high levels of magnesium, potassium
and calcium, promoting skin health, anti-allergen and other salubrious benefits.
 The spa offers a full range of therapeutic remedies and aesthetic services
utilizing the lake’s wealth of mineral salts.
This magical buoyancy was eons in the
making. A river formed within a mile high glacier covering the area, eroding it
away and piling sand and gravel around the edges. Eventually a dish-shaped basin
of water was all that remained.
 Another 12,000 years elapsed during
which time water entered the valley from both ends, but was then trapped.
Continuous evaporation resulted in concentrated saltiness, as not only was the
water prevented from leaving by surface drainage, but it could not seep below
the lake bed either due to an aquifer beneath.
Brine shrimp (little crustaceans that
thrive in the briny water) are currently harvested from the lake and sold on the
open market for tropical fish food. When my now adult children were young, the
“Sea Monkeys” that were advertised for sale on the backs of comic books may well
have been from Lake Manitou as a New York owned factory operated a processing
plant there from1962-71. The eggs of the brine shrimp were harvested and
dehydrated, with “just-add-water” instructions to have them hatch into no- fuss
pets with monkey-like tails.
 Besides Little Lake Manitou, the
surrounding area hosts many other enjoyable activities. The strains of a live
orchestra had us gliding like Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire around the 13,000
sq ft floor of Danceland. The first 5,000 sq ft section, constructed in
1928, is still intact with its original maple hardwood over a cushion of
horsehair. Another day we played
a round at the Manitou Beach Golf Club. We were fortunate to be there during the
fall migration to witness 75,000 Sandhill Cranes and 400,000 geese gathered at
one time at nearby Last Mountain Lake National Sanctuary. This awesome spectacle
repeats itself in the spring. During winter we have joined cross-country skiers
on the hilly trails overlooking the lake.
 Regardless of the season, we
frequently dropped in to delight in the rustic charm of Watrous. The main drag
is known as the “multi-million dollar mile” with everything on wheels for sale,
including every type of farm implement.
Hospitality abounds in the many eateries
in both the town and resort. One lakeside favourite
was “The Diner” where we feasted on Mennonite specials of kielke (homemade egg
noodles with cream gravy) and rhieke varsht (smoked sausage) while the taped
gospel music of the café’s songster/owners, Kevin and Marg Harcourt, filled the
air.
 Little
Lake Manitou, in the midst of wheat fields, grain elevators and under a canopy
of endless prairie sky is an anomaly, and a wonderful one at that. It is a family
destination, adult get-a-way or business conference venue. As for us, we were
thrilled to discover a resort which always leaves us with a light-hearted sense
of ‘levity’, in more ways than one.
For More Info:
Manitou Springs Resort & Spa
68 Rms/Convention Center
Toll Free: 1-800-667-7672
www.manitousprings.ca
Manitou Beach, Watrous & Area
www.watrous-sask.com
1997 Study Results – University of
Manitoba
Properties of Water in milligrams per litre
Magnesium – 9,505.0 mg/l
Sulphate – 39,577.0
mg/l
Potassium – 430.0 mg/l
Calcium – 480.0 mg/l
Carbonate – 180.0 mg/l
Sodium (table salt) 6,138.0 mg/l
Chloride – 8,969.0 mg/l
Oxide of Iron & Aluminium – 4.0 mg/l
Silica – 9.9 mg/l
PHOTO CREDITS: Rick Butler & Manitou
Springs Resort |
