Hecla, the island, is located on Lake Winnipeg about 160 Km North of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is the largest and most westerly island of three that span the lake. European activity on Hecla Island appears to begin when Henry McKenny set up an enterprise in 1868 to harvest Hecla’s virgin forest. Early structures were a sawmill and general store.^[1]

In Iceland, by 1875 several events conspired, not the least of which was the devastating volcanic eruptions the eruption of Mount Askja spawned, covering the country with ash, encouraging many to emigrate. This, at a time when the nascent Confederation of Canada sought immigration. A Canadian government booklet titled “Nya Island I Kanada” (New Iceland in Canada), further promoted immigration from Iceland. The first Icelanders began homesteading on the island in 1876.^[2]

The first homesteader, Magnus Hallgrimson, is said to have call his home “Hecla”. Likely after Mount Hecla in Iceland. Icelanders called the island “Mikley” or big island.^[1]

In 1969 the Manitoba government established Hecla Provincial Park ^[3] which included Hecla, five other islands and two archipelagoes. When I visited Hecla in May of 1971 the new causeway was passable but still under construction. I was not prepared for what I found. Where I expected to find a village of people I found only remnants of lives lived. From one of only three people I encountered I discovered that the conversion of the island to park was already under way and the inhabitants of the village of Hecla had already left. The conversion was now getting underway in full. A few of the buildings were locked up and being preserved as part of the new park while the others were going to be bulldozed and removed in the coming summer.

Here are some of the images I made during the very cold week I spent there (Tri-X, Nikon F).

The establishment of Hecla Provincial Park was not without controversy:

The Winnipeg Free Press

[1] Time Machine

[3] Hecla Provincial Park today

For the full story on the immigration to "New Iceland” visit:

[2] The Manitoba Historical Society