Falcon Lake, Manitoba

{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}

Falcon Lake is an unincorporated urban centre at the western end of Falcon Lake situated in the southeasternmost section of the Whiteshell Provincial Park in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is the major entry point to the Whiteshell from the Trans-Canada Highway. Three provincially operated campgrounds, Falcon Creek, Falcon Beach and Falcon Lakeshore, picnic areas, a swimming beach and adjacent public boat launch, several cottage lot divisions and numerous tourist services{{cite web |title=Falcon Lake Townsite Map |url=https://www.gov.mb.ca/sd/pubs/parks-protected-spaces/maps/whiteshell/falcon_lake_townsite.pdf |publisher=Government of Manitoba |access-date=29 December 2019}} make the community a favored entrance point to the provincial park. In 2003, 40% of park visitors entered the park at the Falcon Lake checkpoint.

The Falcon Lake Golf Course is an 18-hole public course designed by Norman H. Woods.{{cite web |title=Norman H. Woods |url=https://asgca.org/architect/nwoods/ |publisher=American Society of Golf Course Architects |access-date=29 December 2019}} The course was constructed in 1957–58{{cite web |title=Manitoba Golf Superintendents Association |url=https://www.mgsa.mb.ca/main.php?p=19 |website=www.mgsa.mb.ca |access-date=29 December 2019}} and opened in 1958.{{cite web |last1=Macbeth |first1=Ainslie J. |title=Investigation of an introduced subtropical alga (Lyngbya wollei) In Whiteshell Provincial Park Manitoba |date=2004 |url=https://mspace.lib.umanitoba.ca/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1993/7848/Macbeth_Investigation_Of_An.pdf |access-date=29 December 2019}}

Falcon Beach Ranch offers horseback riding, sleigh and wagon rides. A riding stable at this location first began operation in 1959.

The Falcon Ridge Ski Slopes, established in 1960, offers alpine and cross-country skiing.{{cite web |title=Locations To Ski – Manitoba Alpine Ski Division |url=http://skimanitoba.com/programs/ski-locations/ |publisher=Manitoba Alpine Ski Division |access-date=29 December 2019 |language=en-CA}}{{cite web |title=Falcon Ridge |url=https://www.ccsam.ca/wheretoski/groups/falcon-ridge/ |website=Where to Ski |publisher=Cross Country Ski Association of Manitoba |access-date=29 December 2019 |language=en-CA}} A biathlon range was added to the facility in the mid-1980s as the host site for the Junior National Biathlon competition.{{cite web |last1=Lockhart |first1=Scott |title=Biathlon at the Gun Club |url=https://lwgc.ca/wordpress/?page_id=397 |publisher=Lake of the Woods Gun Club |access-date=29 December 2019}} and continues to be used for training and events.{{cite web |title=Biathlon Manitoba |url=http://biathlonmanitoba.ca/ |access-date=29 December 2019}} It is the site of the Falcon Lake Floppet, a nordic ski event held annually since 2018.{{cite web |title=The FLOPPET |url=http://www.falconridgeski.com/floppet |website=Falcon Ridge Ski Slopes |access-date=29 December 2019}}

It is the birthplace of Megan Imrie, Canadian biathlete.{{cite web |last1=Penton |first1=Kirk |title=Falcon Lake's Megan Imrie moving on to life after biathlon {{!}} Winnipeg Sun |url=https://winnipegsun.com/2014/05/07/falcon-lakes-megan-imrie-moving-on-to-life-after-biathlon/wcm/c7f6865e-b818-4757-b81c-0052e64c1f5c |publisher=Winnipeg Sun |access-date=29 December 2019 |language=en-CA |date=8 May 2014}}

Beaver Days, an annual winter festival and fundraiser for the Whiteshell Community Club began in 1975. It includes a wide array of winter activities including snowmobiling, skiing, hockey, horse-drawn sleigh rides and skating.{{cite web |title=Beaver Days |url=http://www.whiteshellcommunityclub.ca/beaver-days.html |website=Whiteshell Community Club |access-date=29 December 2019 |language=en}}

The Falcon Lake Winter fish-off has been held annually since 2004. Hundreds of anglers gather to see who can catch the heaviest fish from the grid of holes the organizers have drilled through the ice.{{cite web |title=17th Annual Falcon Lake Winter Fish-Off, March 21 |url=https://www.winterfishoff.com/ |website=Annual Falcon Lake Winter Fish-Off |access-date=29 December 2019}}

It is known in ufology for the May 20, 1967, UFO sighting known as the Falcon Lake Incident.{{Cite web

| title = Canada's most famous UFO encounter

| accessdate = 2014-10-05

| url = http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/science-technology/the-unexplained/close-encounters-of-the-canadian-kind/canadas-most-famous-ufo-encounter.html

}} The 2010 album The Falcon Lake Incident was recorded at a cottage on Falcon Lake by Canadian singer-songwriter Jim Bryson.[http://exclaim.ca/articles/generalarticlesynopsfullart.aspx?csid1=115&csid2=844&fid1=49741 "Jim Bryson Recruits the Weakerthans for The Falcon Lake Incident"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100822175152/http://www.exclaim.ca/articles/generalarticlesynopsfullart.aspx?csid1=115 |date=2010-08-22 }}. Exclaim!, September 23, 2010.