Memorial planned to honour lives lost in Lake Winnipeg

The number of lives lost on Manitoba's great lake isn't known, but they'll be celebrated.

"So we don't actually have a sense of whether it's 100 people, whether it's 1,000 people,"said Heather Hinam, who will design the memorial.

The New Iceland Heritage Museum in Gimli is organizing a fisherfolkmemorial with the support of the Westshore Community Foundation, acharitable organization that supports non-profit groups in Gimli.

"It's a tribute to those who have lost their lives fishing in Lake Winnipeg," Hinam told Laurie Hoogstratenon CBC Manitoba's Radio Noon.

The worst incident to happen on the lake is the sinking of the Suzanne-E, a 70-tonne freighter that was travelling north from Gimli when it went under just off Grindstone Pointin 1965.

Nine people lost their lives and one person survived.

"The lake, it can be a wicked thing. It can change so fast. Never take it for granted,"Clifford Everett, the lone survivor, told documentary makers in 1996.

From the CBC archives: Requiem for the Suzanne-E

9 years ago

Duration 23:22

This CBC-TV documentary from 1996 explores the sinking of the Suzanne-E, a freight vessel, in Lake Winnipeg on Sept. 24, 1965.

Hinam, a naturalist and interpreter who owns Second Nature Creative Interpretation, is also in charge of researching the names.

Much of the information about victims will be gathered by looking through old newspapers, obituary records and other museums.

The memorial will be the latest addition to the museum's Lake Winnipeg Visitor Centre.

The vast lake about24,514 square kilometres is located 55 kilometres north of Winnipeg.

Hinam wants to hear from more people who are aware of any information that might be helpful,as this will help the project.

Hinamhopes to hear more from people "who are willing to share their stories of loved ones lost," she said.

If you can help, give the new Iceland Heritage Museum in Gimli a call or email Hinamat fisherfolkmemorial@outlook.com.

LISTEN |Heather Hinam tells Radio Noon guest hostLaurie Hoogstratenabout the memorial: