Rural Municipality of Gimli

In 1897, the Gimli area was opened up to homesteaders and saw a surge of settlers from Ukraine, Poland, Hungary and Germany.

Fishing was always a primary source of income for those in the riding since the arrival of the original settlers of New Iceland.

[7] RM of Gimli residents claim Icelandic heritage as the fourth largest ethnic background with 20.7% of the entire rural municipality claiming some Icelandic background or 1,250 people,[7] behind English, Scottish, and Ukrainians in the top three.

With a large and historic Icelandic culture along the shore of Lake Winnipeg from Husavik north to Hnausa, there are many celebrations and recognition of this heritage throughout the year and the communities in the RM of Gimli.

Aside from the Icelandic heritage, there is also a visible Ukrainian cultural history in the rural municipality with a few churches and cemeteries across the landscape.

Gimli Viking statue commemorating Icelandic heritage. The statue was built in 1967 and unveiled by the President of Iceland in the same year. The statue site was then upgraded in 2017, Canada's sesquicentennial year.
The community of Gimli in the rural municipality as seen from above.