Berens River, Manitoba


Berens River is located in Manitoba, Canada, along the eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg. This community is near the mouth of the Berens River, which flows west from the Ontario headwaters.
The community is accessible only by winter road, boat, or airplane. Recently a project has been announced to construct a dual-lane highway from Bloodvein, connecting Berens River to the continental road system.
The mouth of the Berens River on the east shore of Lake Winnipeg was a stopping point for Metis boat men and traders as early as 1765. The first post was built there in 1814. It moved briefly to “Old Fort Portage” in 1816, then to Pigeon River a few miles south until HBC employee John Robertson moved it back to the original site in the mid 1820s. This was a thriving Metis community until fishing was banned on Lake Winnipeg in 1970 due to mercury contamination. All but 50 to 60 fishermen moved and those that remained became dependent on partial government compensation through a work program.
The First Nation and fur trade community there was officially started in the 19th century, but the spot was a traditional hunting and fishing area for thousands of years.
The two communities create a population centre also called Berens River. Both are served by the Berens River Airport.

Demographics

In the 2011 Census, the Berens River designated place had a population of living in of its total private dwellings. According to the 2011 Canada Census, the bordering Berens River 13 reserve of the Berens River First Nation had a population of 1,028.

Climate

Berens River experiences a humid continental climate. The highest temperature ever recorded in Berens River was on 11 July 1936. The coldest temperature ever recorded was on 28 December 1933.