Fishes of Manitoba

Did you know that the largest fish recorded in a book so far in Manitoba was a sturgeon, caught in the Roseau River, near Dominion City in 19o3?

She was estimated to be one hundred and fifty years old, and was described as a female full of roe.

She is just one of the fishes whose pictures you can see in the amazing book, Fishes of Manitoba. 

We love this wonderful book!

For one thing, it is a great artist reference, if you like to draw fish! They are a very fun and forgiving subject.

This book describes so many Manitoba fishes’ nesting habits, their habitats and behaviour, and the things that make them unique and important. It could be used as an amazing scavenger hunt guide, if you like snorkeling in Manitoba!

Here is a picture of a wooden minnow that one of our Forest School Leaders has been working on over the winter break. A whittling tutorial for this fun project is coming soon!

Fish are an animal we often think of as being a bit random, just existing, swimming around... but they actually have families, care for their young, and have nests, homes, and spots they like to hang out, just like any animal! Also, their memories are way longer than a few seconds!

In Nehiyawewin (Cree), the word for fish is kinosew (key~no~say~oo)

In The Freshwater Fishes of Manitoba book, which is available at the Steinbach Library, there is that photograph of the largest fish ever recorded to be caught in Manitoba. There are also a lot of smaller fish too, with so many kinds of minnows!!!

Sturgeon are called Name (nah~may) in Anishnaabemowin, and have been so generous and important to Indigenous people and the land that they have been called The Buffalo of the Water.

Cover Image on this Article is by Christi Belcourt and is called 
The Fish are Fasting for Knowledge from the Stars