History

A woman with tattoos wearing a yellow hoodie and Crocs engages in conversation with a man in a pink t-shirt on a wooden pathway in a forest. Two other people are nearby, one taking a photo.

Brokenhead Wetlands Ecological Reserve

The Brokenhead Wetland Ecological Reserve was established in 2004. The 563-hectare parcel of land is located along PTH 59 northeast of the Brokenhead Ojibway First Nation.

Group of people on a wooden trail in the forest, some sitting on the edge of the trail and others standing, all looking at something on the ground.

Trail

In 2011, the province announced a $1-million interpretive trail and boardwalk next to the Brokenhead Wetland Ecological Reserve, that will make the wetlands more accessible and highlight many of their unique and rare features.

Debwendon

Debwendon Inc. is a non-profit organization formed in 2007 to promote and preserve the Brokenhead Wetland Ecological Reserve, raise public awareness of the historic cultural connection between the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation and the Brokenhead Wetland and, over the long term, construct and maintain a boardwalk and interpretive trail adjacent to the Brokenhead Wetland Ecological Reserve.

“The word debwendon means ‘trust’ in Ojibway,” said Carl Smith, chair of Debwendon. 

Close-up of a unique, red and green pitcher plant with a curved, hood-like structure, set against blurred green grass and foliage.

Plants

The BWER features 23 species of provincially rare and uncommon plants, 28 of 36 native orchid species including the ram’s head lady’s slipper (Cypripedium arietinum) and eight of Manitoba’s 10 species of carnivorous plants.

The Brokenhead wetland is a calcareous fen, a wetland type considered rare in North America.  A fen is a kind of peatland known for its variable water levels.  Groundwater and surface water movement is a common characteristic of fens and can be observed in the surrounding rare white cedar forest and at the forest/fen interface.

Wooden sign for Brokenhead Wetland with a circular logo showing a white bird, green trees, and grass, and text indicating an interpretive trail.

Future

We still have some hopes and dreams for the Brokenhead Wetland Interpretive Trail. One of them is a viewing tower that overlooks the fen, for which the late Lawrence Smith, an elder from BON and Debwendon member, had expressed a desire.

As this wetland offers many possibilities for teaching, an interpretive centre might enhance other opportunities some time in the future. We welcome donations towards this.