Sturgeon Falls trail reopens with safety upgrades after brothers drowned
The Manitoba government installed fencing and new signs after two boys died at the Whiteshell Provincial Park site in July.
WINNIPEG — The Sturgeon Falls trail and viewing areas have reopened in Manitoba's Whiteshell Provincial Park with new safety measures, after two young boys drowned at the falls this summer.
Maximo Au Ramirez, 10, slipped off rocks and fell into Nutimik Lake on July 18. His brother, 13-year-old Aaron Au Ramirez, went into the water to try to save Maximo. Neither boy resurfaced.
Their bodies were later recovered by searchers. The roughly 1.9-kilometre Sturgeon Falls trail was closed following the drownings. The province announced safety upgrades near the end of July.
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Fencing has now been put up to create safer viewing areas and prevent access to the slippery rock areas, the province said in a Friday news release.
Signage that previously advised people not to swim in the area has been updated to now clearly identify the drowning hazards and strong currents, the province said.
As well, a new portage has been created to give canoeists and kayakers access to and from shoreline areas adjacent to the falls.
Environment and Climate Change Minister Mike Moyes said in the news release the upgrades were needed "so that another family does not have to suffer this kind of heartbreak."
Moyes said the upgrades were based on feedback from families, community members and local business owners.
Allison Baker-Thiessen, owner of the Nutimik Lodge, said the changes will help protect Manitobans and provide peace of mind for visitors.
"The new fencing, signage and portage have created safer spaces for families, visitors and paddlers to experience Sturgeon Falls while preserving the natural beauty that makes this area so special," Baker-Thiessen said in a statement. "These upgrades will help protect Manitobans and provide greater peace of mind for everyone who visits the site."
This summer's drownings weren't the first in the area. Last year, a 38-year-old woman drowned after slipping on rocks and being pulled by a strong current into Nutimik Lake.
And in 2023, a 12-year-old boy slipped off the rocks near the falls and fell into the lake. He was swept away into the rapids.
The trail and viewing areas are now open to the public.
With files from CBC News, Global News and CityNews