Norseman Festival & Norseman Memorabilia Time!

🎤🎼 It's the most wonderful time of the year.... Norseman days are upon us and we've got an action packed festival in store for all this year!

It all kicks off on Thursday July 21st with a BBQ cooking competition and a Ribfest. There is something for everyone on Friday July 22nd. A movie night with the wildly entertaining movie: Zootopia is going on at the Red Lake Heritage Centre Museum while downtown, a Fish Fry, a Slow Pitch ball tournament and Beer Gardens with dazzling DJ Ironwill are also going on.

On to Saturday July 23...  A full day of entertainment awaits you at Centennial Park. Live music, magic, acrobats, games for the entire family, Norseman Sightseeing trips, food booths, the Norseman Vendor Village, Slow Pitch Tournament and so much more.... The beer gardens at night will feature DJ and live local music and will be highlighted with the annual Norseman fireworks display over Howey Bay.

Last but definitely not least, Sunday July 24th is Family Day at Centennial Park and will feature more music, games, Norseman sightseeing trips, vendor booth? Corn Roast and much more! As a grand finale at 5pm, the Bush Plane Fly Past will feature Otters,  Beavers, Beech 18 and of course our two local Norduyn Norsemans KAO and JIN plus a third Norseman to crown the occasion. Get more info about the festival here: Norsesman Festival

COLLECTOR'S MEMORABILIA KIT
FESTIVAL SPECIAL $100

Speaking of Norseman Aircraft, if you are a Norseman and Bush Plane fan, a brand new Norseman Shop has opened on the Norseman Festival website and features all kinds of Norseman Memorabilia! 

You have the option of buying memorabilia online or you can buy at our booth in Centennial Park on Saturday or Sunday. Actually, we are having a Show Special. For only $100 you can own the Collectors Edition and decide which of these artistic and detailed posters you would like to frame for your home or camp. Get more details here: Norseman Shop

Red Lake: Where Aviation Runs Through Our Blood

by Sophie Castonguay

Is there a more beautiful sight than a float plane coming in for a landing in crystal clear waters? And how awesome is it when the aerodrome is downtown where everyone can enjoy the daily show of planes including the many historic Norseman planes, Beavers and Otters taking off and landing in Howey Bay! From the moment I saw the nonstop buzz of planes of all types flying in and around Red Lake, I was hooked. I knew Red Lake was where I belonged...and I also knew I had to get up there and get a pilot license of my own.

Aviation has played a major role in Red Lake's history and definitely still plays a big role in the identity of the community. The freedom of float plane flying is the ultimate in adventure flying and allows one to capture the breathtaking beauty of our numerous lakes.  Northwestern Ontario has approximately 100,000 bodies of water from small to one million acres in size. On these lakes are some of the highest quality wilderness resorts that vary from complete housekeeping packages to complete privacy on your own lake with no neighbors. There are so many lakes in and around Red Lake that you could spend every summer in the area and never fish the same lake!

The Red Lake Airport is also a hub of activity for aviation in Canada. Even though our town has a population of slightly under 5000, it is actually one of the busiest small airports in Canada. According to a study by Statistics Canada in October 2014, take offs and landings at 116 Canadian airports without traffic control towers reached a total of 47, 773 movements. Red Lake was the third busiest of these 3 behind Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador and Peterborough, Ontario.

From its early beginnings in 1926, commercial air service in the Red Lake area using Howey Bay as a float and sea plane base has been instrumental in developing the gold mines and the community. Howey Bay was indeed recognized as the busiest airport in the world during 1936 and 1937. The Red Lake Heritage Center Museum does an excellent job of featuring the Golden Age of Aviation at the museum and on their website here: Red Lake Regional Heritage Center.

If aviation thrills you like it does me and you want to get your very own pilot license, you are in luck! As of August 2014, we have our very own flight school in Red Lake. The Huron Flight Centre provides some of the highest quality training available in the market today. Whether you simply want a recreational permit, a private license or a commercial license, Jason Brent, the chief flight instructor can make your dream a reality. If you want a float rating or a commercial multi IFR program, Huron Flight School can help you achieve your goal.

Every summer, the Norseman Festival features aviation in all its glory in Red Lake. This annual celebration is full of activities for everyone. The first celebration: Rock the Runway will combine Canada Day and the love of aviation this year on July 1st. The airport will be rocking with a night time concert, mini Norseman rides on the Norseman Xpress for kids, static displays during the day and a whole lot more. Then on July 21-24th, the Norseman Family Weekend is happening. Come fly in a Norseman floatplane from the town docks, check out the booths, the entertainment the static displays, the traditional Norseman Fly-By and much much more... Save the dates- July 21-24th is when it's all happening this year!

Here is an exerpt from the Norseman Festival Website to give you a taste of what Red Lake is all about...
"Red Lake and the Norseman were made for each other. The town was and is an end-of-the-road community, supplying many smaller communities further north with goods and services. It is located within reasonable distance of almost countless small lakes boasting excellent fish and wildlife populations. It is also home to some of Canada’s richest and most long lived gold mines and some of the most promising mineral opportunities in the country. The Norseman, with its reputation for hard work and low maintenance, was the aircraft of choice for many. Eventually people looked around and realized that there were more Noorduyn Norsemans flying there than anywhere else – and Red Lake became known as the Norseman Capital of the World."

We hope to greet you in Red Lake this summer and share with you the love of aviation and of our gorgeous Boreal Forests and thousands of lakes!

Summer: In Full Swing

We are in the full swing of summer here in Red Lake and looking forward to an event packed next few months! Although there has been more rain than usual this year, everything is green, growing well and we have a low forest fire risk at the moment so that's good! Here are some highlights as to what's been going on and what's to come this summer in Red Lake...

Transition Red Lake

Red Lake Municipality Community Gardens: 
Community gardens dot Red Lake and the surrounding communities of Cochenour and Balmertown. These gardens are growing very well this year and providing fresh veggies and greens to local gardeners. For only $25, gardeners can rent a plot to grow vegetables for the summer. The friendships that grow along with the plants are what really make these community gardens stand out and the knowledge passed down from member to member is what makes the gardens so valuable.

Red Lake Farmer's Markets:
We are blessed in Red Lake this year to have 3 sources of fresh fruit and vegetables coming at us from the Northwestern farmers of Ontario & Manitoba. Every second Friday beginning July 11th there is a Fruit truck offering quality fruit and vegetables starting at 10am at the Howey Bay Motel. Every Tuesday starting July 22 until October, there is a fresh vegetable trailer from Manitoba that will be offering a wide variety of veggies in Balmertown at Diane's Gas Bar. Every Saturday starting at 10am, there is a market in downtown Red Lake at the Legion where local vendors can set up and sell their baking, plants, crafts and wares. As of the beginning of August until October the Northwestern Ontario Farmers will be attending once a month at the Legion and will help create  a much larger market for the shopping pleasure of all in attendance.

Norseman Movie Night:
This Friday, July 18 2014 kicks off the annual Norseman Festival with a Family Movie Night at Centennial Park.Grab a blanket and a chair and come check out the Lego Movie under the stars. It all starts at 9:30pm and admission is by donation. Sponsored by Rubicon Minerals.

Norseman Rocks the Runway:
Saturday July 19 is the festival at the airport. This fun packed day for aviation lovers and music lovers will include an aviation memorabilia exhibit and a static aircraft display at the airport including a Harvard II, a CL-415 Water Bomber as well as a variety of other activities. In the evening, starting at 7pm, it's the annual Rock the Runway Concert; this year featuring the country sounds of Manitoba artist Nelson Little and Band. Get more info about this event here: Info Rock the Runway

Norseman Festival Weekend
July 25-27 is the traditional Norseman Festival in downtown Red Lake which made its debut in 1992. This year, the Festival weekend kicks off with the annual slow pitch tournament and an outdoor Beer Garden.

On Saturday, downtown Red Lake will be transformed into a festival area. Howey Street will be closed off and taken over by a mix of vendors, buskers and entertainers as well as games, contests, inflatable activity centres and the festival's signature Norseman Express children's ride. Norsemans and other floatplanes will be on display at the docks, Norseman rides will be available at bargain prices and a mixture of fly by and float planes will add lots of atmosphere to this aviation festival. In the evening, Much Music will set up for a Family Street Dance and at nightfall, fireworks over Howey Bay will crown the festival.

Sunday will be more relaxed with a brunch, downtown activities and the Slow pitch tournament finals closing off the festival. Get all the scoop on this event here: Info Norseman Festival

Coming in August....

Pilot Training:
As of mid August, the Huron Flight Centre will be starting pilot training at the Red Lake Airport. Whether you want to obtain a recreational license, a float rating, a private license or a commercial license, Jason Brent, the chief flight instructor will be offering training in Red lake in 2 week period increments. For more information and to sign up for this training, you can call the Canadian Aeronautical Flight College at 519-542-6599 or go to www.huronflightcentre.com

Golf Tournaments & Horse Races:
There is lots going on this summer at the Red Lake Golf Course. On Fridays there is horse racing and weekends bring many tournaments and special events. For the full schedule, go see their website here: Red Lake Golf Course

Fishing Tournament:
The Red Lake Fall Classic is a popular walleye fishing tournament in Red Lake and it is already sold out for participation in the tournament. You can certainly attend the Red Lake Fall Classic on August 30 & 31st and participate in themany fun activities surrounding the tournament. Get all the information here: Red Lake Fall Classic Fishing Tournament

Red Lake Entertainment:
As of early August, tickets will be on sale for the Red Lake Wildnerness Entertainment Series which features concerts starting in September. This year the series presents awesome performers such as The Corb Lund Band, John Mann, Ken Lavigne, Chantal Kreviazuk and more! Get more Info here: http://www.redlakewes.com/

I could go on.....but I think I'll leave it at that for now...
As you can see, there is lots of action going on in Red Lake this summer and we hope to see you having fun with us here. For an up to date list of all the activites going on in Red Lake, check out this calendar of events on the My Red Lake Website Calendar of Events