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Islendingadagurinn official programme in the park. Picture from the 1950's. 1950 (?) Gimli Park, Gimli Manitoba
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Fjalkona (Maid of the Mountain) presiding over the official ceremonies from Islendingadagurinn (Icelanders Day) in the 1950's. 1950 (?) Gimli Park, Gimli Manitoba
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Islendingadagurinn Parade on First Avenue going North from the Waterfront centre 1 August 2005 Gimli, Manitoba
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Pictures of early Hockey in Gimli. 1920 (?) Gimli, Manitoba
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Sports and recreation were very much a part of Gimli's social development particularly recreational skating, hockey and curling in the winter. The first skating rink in Gimli, was an outdoor rink built in 1920. In December 1948, the Gimli Memorial Recreation Centre opened with an indoor ice surface of 80 x 100 feet. This facility was renovated and enlarged in 1970.
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During the years that the airforce base was in Gimli there was always an annual Ice Carnival. This was a very popular mid winter event that drew hundreds of participants and spectators to the activities. 1960 Gimli, Manitoba
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Newspaper article on the opening of the Gimli Recreation Centre. The first indoor rink in the community. 14 December 1948 Gimli, Manitoba
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Young men wrestling in Icelandic style wrestling match at the Gimli Park 1924 Gimli Park, Gimli Manitoba
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Badge from the Gimli Curling Club circa 1950. 1950 (?) Gimli, Manitoba
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A two sheet curling rink opened in 1939 was Gimli's first curling facility and there were 17 rinks curling in the first winter of operation. Curling in Gimli was and still is a hugely popular sport with the annual bonspiels becoming the community's major social event during the long Manitoba winters. In 1953 the community began to raise funds to build a new four sheet rink, with artificial ice, a canteen and an upstairs clubhouse - it opened in the winter of 1969. Today Gimli has a state-of-the art recreation centre that houses both a skating and curling rink, a fitness facility and a large banquet facility for the ever popular bonspiel wind-ups.
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The first Gimli Ladies Curling Club circa late 1940's. 1948 (?) Gimli, Manitoba
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Men curling in new recreation facility in the 1950's. 1950 (?) Gimli, Manitoba
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Picture of the Gimli Curling Club in the 1950's 1950 (?) Gimli, Manitoba
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An additional wing was added to Betel Home a personal care home, in 1957 to accommodate a growing need for suitable housing for the elderly. 1957 Gimli, Manitoba
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An important part of the life of a community is the health of its citizens. Early co-operation established both a local hospital and a seniors home. These buildings have expanded and changed over the years with considerable community support.
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The Johnson Memorial Hospital in Gimli opened in 1940. Gimli has had a continually expanding and improving hospital presence since that time. 1945 Gimli, Manitoba
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Johnson Memorial Hospital opened in gimli in 1940. 1940 Gimli, Manitoba, Seventh Avenue
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