Historic Sites of Manitoba: Sandilands Forest Discovery Centre (Sandilands Provincial Forest, RM of Reynolds)

In 1962, the Sandilands Forest Discovery Centre was established by Alan Beaven and the Manitoba Forestry Association near the Pineland Forest Nursery in the Rural Municipality of Reynolds. It provided educational programming in forest conservation. Among the buildings on the site was a museum building, a restored ranger station built in 1926 by the Dominion Forest Service, a short forest observation tower, a suspension bridge over the Whitemouth River, and the Tree Planting Car.

The museum is now closed. The suspension bridge was dismantled and the Tree Planting Car was moved to the Manitoba Agricultural Museum.

Manitoba Forestry Association Museum (September 2019) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Tree Planting Car (September 2019) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Restored ranger cabin (September 2019) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Beaven Suspension Bridge over the Whitemouth River (May 2018) Source: George Penner Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.62951, W95.91788 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Manitoba Organization: Manitoba Forestry Association

Memorable Manitobans: Alan Butler Beaven (1903-1988)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Pineland Forest Nursery (Sandilands Provincial Forest, RM of Reynolds)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Interlake Forest Centre (RM of Fisher)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Abandoned Manitoba

Sources:

“Forest tour for students,” Winnipeg Tribune, 17 May 1962, page 11.

We thank George Penner for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 2 January 2023

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