Historic Sites of Manitoba: Erickson Cabin / Lac du Bonnet and District Museum (RM of Lac du Bonnet)

This log cabin, a municipally-designated historic site (2005) in the Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet, was built around 1937 by Norwegian immigrant Hans Erickson for his daughter Linnea following the style of workers’ cottages at the nearby Pinawa hydroelectric dam site. Erickson was one of the workers who helped to construct the generating facility and also cut wood for the plant’s boilers in winter. He was one of the first to receive a homestead grant and he supplied the company store with milk from his farm. The modest cottage is the only remaining log structure from an era that ended in 1951 with the closure of the hydro installation and abandonment of the nearby town.

The building stands at Halliday Park where it is operated as the Lac du Bonnet and District Museum. Some restoration of the building was done as part of the Manitoba Prairie Icons Project.

Erickson Cabin under renovation (May 2007) Source: Ken Storie Erickson Cabin (September 2013) Source: George Penner Erickson Cabin (August 2023) Source: George Penner Site Coordinates (lat/long): N50.28076, W96.01677 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Municipally Designated Historic Sites

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Manitoba Prairie Churches Project / Manitoba Prairie Icons Project

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Pinawa Hydroelectric Power Dam (Old Pinawa, RM of Lac du Bonnet)

Sources:

Erickson Cabin, SE 6-15-12 E Lac du Bonnet area, Manitoba Historic Resources Branch.

We thank Leon Clegg for providing information used here.

This page was prepared by Ken Storie, George Penner, and Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 13 February 2024

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