Gimli, Man, Town, pop 1657 (2001c), 1574 (1996c), 1578 (1991c), area 1.74 km2, inc 1947, is located on the west shore of Lake WINNIPEG, 76 km north of Winnipeg. The mother colony of several north American Icelandic settlements, Gimli developed after a series of natural disasters forced ICELANDERS to leave their island in 1874-76. Some 200 arrived near Gimli in October 1875 to settle New Iceland, a tract of land outside the boundaries of Manitoba reserved for their use by the Dominion government. They named their settlement after the "Hall of Gimli," known as paradise in Norse mythology. The settlers experienced extreme hardships - smallpox, flooding, religious differences - which led to out-migrations, but they also developed schools, a newspaper, a fishing industry and a self-governing colony with a sophisticated constitution. New Iceland came under Manitoba's jurisdiction in 1881, and by the late 1890s the area was receiving Ukrainian, Polish, German and Hungarian immigrants.
Farming, fishing and mink ranching shaped Gimli's early economy, but an air-force base established during World War II was a major boost. The local economy diversified substantially after the base closed in 1971. The SEAGRAM CO, with its distillery and warehouses, and a fibreglass manufacturer are major employers in the area. Tourism and the service sectors also provide substantial employment. The commercial fishery is still an important part of the economy with over 100 fishermen depending on the lake for their livelihood.
Gimli's tourism appeal includes its beach, harbour and Icelandic heritage. It has been a popular location for cottage development since the 1960s. In 1991 a resort complex opened. Willow Creek Heritage Park, south of town, is the original landing site of the Icelandic settlers. The New Iceland Heritage Museum (2001) is one of 5 theme museums in the province. Each August Icelandic culture and heritage is celebrated during Islendingadagurinn (Icelandic Festival of Manitoba).
On 23 July 1983 Gimli Airport was the landing site for the "Gimli Glider," an Air Canada 767 en route from Montréal to Edmonton, which ran out of fuel over Red Lake, Ont, and glided to a safe landing at Gimli.