Healing and history in Canada’s saltiest waters, Little Manitou Lake

Just outside the small community of Watrous, Saskatchewan, Manitou Beach sits on what is called “Canada’s Dead Sea.”

“Little Manitou Lake, formed by glaciers exposed bedrock and minerals that have been absorbed by the water over time,” said Jeff Siegfried, director of community improvement at Watrous Manitou Beach Marketing Group. “This is called a terminal lake, meaning that the water that flows into it cannot exit so that the minerals at the bottom of the lake dissolve into the water.”

The water is five times saltier than sea water and is said to have healing properties. The name Manitou means spiritual power or mysterious being.

Indigenous peoples first used the water for its healing powers. Oral tradition states that the water was used to treat diseases such as smallpox.

“I think it was in their day, because they had to move around following the buffalo,” said Lionel Sproule, chairman of the Watrous Manitou Beach Heritage Center. “They left these sick people behind… they would come back this way a month later and there would be sick people healed and then moving on.”

Sproule, who managed the spa in Manitou when it opened, had many other stories about the healing waters, including a woman named Lydia from southern Saskatchewan.

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Lydia came to Manitou Beach because she couldn’t walk on her own. He soaked in the water for 10 days and in the end, he was able to take small, stiff steps.

He moved to Watrous and lived there all his life.

But the water isn’t the only thing that makes Manitou Beach famous. This land is rich in history and more than 3,000 artefacts have been found along the coast, left by indigenous peoples over the centuries.

It is also home to The Salty Cinema Drive-In Theatre, one of three remaining theaters in the province.

“The drive-in isn’t something that’s popular, but it’s the other experiences that happen on Manitou that make us unique and people are willing to make the trip for it,” said Lane Manson, drive-in supervisor.

Just outside the theater is a mash-up of the original Twister films.

The attractions of Manitou Beach bring people from all over Canada and beyond, with the area seeing approximately 150,000 visitors annually.

“I’m recovering from a hip injury, but I came here for the water and you know the magnesium content in the water, it’s really good and I think it’s working well. I mean, last year when I was here with the arm injury, I was in the water and I could do things that I couldn’t do with my hands before,” said Bob Dobko of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta.

Watch the video above to learn more about Canada’s saltiest waters.