Narcisse Snake Dens, Manitoba Are Another Seven Wonder Nominee

In my last blog, I mentioned that a CBC.ca television contest was underway to discover the ‘Seven Wonders of Canada’. Large and small venues were suggested by Canadians and voted on by over a million others. Although the personal voting is now closed – the final decision is in the hands of three-judges. Winners will be announced during the Sounds of Canada program on the 7th June.

The Narcisse Snake Dens are located six kilometers north of Narcisse, Manitoba. (136 km north of Winnipeg). Each winter, tens of thousands of non-venomous Red-sided Garter Snakes live in a selection of natural subterranean limestone caverns. In the spring when the snakes leave their dens, they mate before they head to nearby marshes for the summer. It is the world’s largest gathering of this variety of snakes.

The best time and place to witness this tangled slithering mass is from the viewing platform during early spring - just after the snow melts. One visitor Kari, stated that she expected to ‘see’ the snakes, but she was so surprised to ‘hear’ them. The sounds of their scales as they rubbed together made an awesome noise. Kari was also surprised to talk with so many visitors who came to the den to overcome their ‘fear’ of snakes. Tunnels have even been built under the roads to restrict deaths of the snakes due to traffic.