Birds Hill Provincial Park

Birds Hill Provincial Park was named after the Bird family who owned land in the vicinity. Their family history is representative of those who settled along the Red River in the early 19th century.

James Curtis Bird came to Rupert's Land in 1788 to work as a writer with the Hudson's Bay Company. During his 36 years in service, he moved up in rank to become Chief Factor of the Red River District and by 1819 it was said that he had more knowledge of the country than all its [the Hudson's Bay Company] officers put together.

When James retired in 1824 he received a land grant from the company of 1,215 hectares (3,000 acres) on the east side of the Red River. Registered as River Lot 95, the property extended east from the river for about 6.4 km (4 mi.), taking in the hill area now known as the town of Birds Hill.
The park area was referred to as "the Pines" or "Pine Ridge" by the Bird family, as well as other settlers along the Red River. The river lots north of the Bird property extended into what is now the western edge of the park and provided settlers with abundant game and a wealth of natural materials. The community of Pine Ridge with about 150 residents, had its own post office, churches, school, store and gas station along South Drive and in the campground area. Pine Ridge Cemetery is still being used. During the great floods of 1826 and 1852, which threatened the very survival of the Red River settlement, entire families camped on high ground with their livestock and possessions.
In the early 1960s, the City of Winnipeg recognized the beauty of Birds Hill and contemplated a small regional park. The provincial government examined the idea further and as part of a major centennial program, established Birds Hill Provincial Park in 1964. Roadways, the artificial lake and the campground were developed over the next three years.

Every year Birds Hill Provincial Park holds a music festival on their grounds. The Winnipeg Folk Festival. It attracts people from all over the country! in 2014, the Winnipeg Folk Fest celebrated their 50th anniversary! The festival attracts over 40 thousand people over a 4 days!

Photo Credit: http://www.manitobaphotos.com/birdshill.htm

Text Credit: Site description from http://www.gov.mb.ca/sd/parks/popular_parks/central/birds_info.html