Brooke, Caleigh and Emily Christie, owners of the Falcon Trails Resort, share some of their favourite things to do in Manitoba.

It's an exciting time at Falcon Trails Resort, a ski hill and cluster of quaint rental cabins that look out over Falcon and High lakes. After 20 years, the Christie family has finally finished building, and the three grown daughters, Brooke, Caleigh and Emily, run the place now. 

Brooke focuses on managing the staff at the ski hill, Caleigh does administration and Emily works on marketing, though they often find themselves juggling other roles. "I've done it all, from cabin cleaning to shovelling snow to chopping firewood," says Emily. "It's become part of our identity."

Photography by Ian McCausland

All three sisters left at some point to pursue other interests, but each felt the urge to return home. "You come to Manitoba and you don't have a sense of needing to be somewhere else," says Brooke. There aren't many places where skiing to work or jumping into the lake on lunch breaks is an option. "We've hosted volunteers from all over the world, and it's common for them to sign up for a week or two and stay for months or up to a year," says Emily. "They feel like they've found this authentic experience. It's not a show put on for tourists. It's how we live."

Caleigh and Emily's picks
"I really enjoy the Harvest Moon Festival in Clearwater," says Caleigh. "It combines music with a celebration of farming techniques and the harvest. Manitoba also has amazing rivers that run through the heart of the Canadian Shield, where you can experience whitewater rapids." Emily suggests the Bannock Point Petroforms, "a series of rocks that have been laid out in the shapes of animals. It's a culturally significant spot for the local Indigenous population."

For more great stories from Manitobans like Brooke, Caleigh and Emily, visit our special guide: Our Manitoba.