Grand Rapids is located at the point where the
Saskatchewan River meets
Lake Winnipeg. These rapids, or the portage around them, were part of a vital supply-chain in the
region, one which linked the
Red River Settlement to the
Saskatchewan River.
1 At one time, the
Colville, a round-bottomed steamer, carried freight from
Lower Fort Garry to Grand Rapids
and, in 1877, a
light tramway was completed at Grand Rapids
in order to carry goods
over the portage.
2