Rennie, Manitoba - Alfred Hole Goose Sanctuary, Whiteshell Provincial Park

Our lodging secure, we left our tent behind and went on a side trip to go check out this sanctuary for giant Canada geese. When we arrived at the sanctuary, we heard some wicked-sounding thunder and boy were we thankful we weren't caught in that. Then when we got back, we found out that a nasty storm had just slammed the area where we'd set up camp, unleashing torrential rain and lightning and the works. By a pure stroke of luck, we had narrowly evaded the whole thing! Thank goodness we'd bought a nice sturdy tent, and had the good sense to put up the rain fly before we left, just in case.

I'd paraphrase the story of the goose sanctuary, but it's actually so interesting it's worth quoting here (to make it easier than if I posted multiple photos of text on placards):

Alf Hole's Legacy

The story began in the spring of 1939. A local storekeeper brought four abandoned goslings to Alfred A. Hole, a mink rancher and outdoorsman. He bet Alf a crock of whiskey that the goslings would not survive for six weeks. Alf met this challenge, and won not only the spirits but also the spirit of the geese.

Although he did not realize it, Alf's love and care of animals ensured the survival of a special flock of geese. The giant Canada geese that return each year to the Alf Hole Goose Sanctuary are descendants of the original goslings and a living tribute to Alf Hole.

Why is the Alf Hole Flock Important?

For over 40 years, giant Canada geese were thought to be an extinct subspecies. However, they were rediscovered in Minnesota by Harold Hanson in 1962. The large number of giant Canada geese nesting at the sanctuary suggests that Alf's original goslings were also giant Canada geese, for they often return to nest where they were hatched. Thus Alf Hole's efforts were important in preserving and increasing a portion of the subspecies.

A gaggle of geese!


The grey patches, incidentally, are bedrock peeking through the thin cover of soil and vegetation. This region is part of the huge Canadian Shield (aka Precambrian Shield) covering half of Canada, where glaciers in the last ice age scraped the earth down to bare rock. As a result, exposed bedrock is a common sight in much of central and eastern Canada, and it's never far below the surface even in vegetated areas.




Just look at them. Aren't they beautiful?




Even Alf's fireplace had a goose. This is gorgeous stone masonry. The photo really doesn't do it justice.


We saw a couple of these bears run across the Trans Canada Highway on our way here; one in eastern British Columbia and another in central Alberta. They were on the small side so we think they were cubs. Not that it would have been wise to try to find out. Where there is a cub, there is invariably a fiercely protective mama bear nearby. Nobody feels that lucky.

I don't remember what this specific bear's story is, but I'm thankful to report that they don't kill animals in order to stuff them and put them on display here.