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Manitou Beach trying to make record of people floating in lake

MANITOU BEACH — To celebrate its centennial, the Resort Village of Manitou Beach is starting a new tradition: seeing how many people can float in Little Manitou Lake at one time.
Manitou Beach
Submitted photo by Google

MANITOU BEACH — To celebrate its centennial, the Resort Village of Manitou Beach is starting a new tradition: seeing how many people can float in Little Manitou Lake at one time.

The village’s Big Float on July 13 will be the first time the number of people in the lake are officially counted. That will then set a record that could be beaten in future years.

“Many people are aware of the heavy mineral content in Little Manitou Lake where you can float effortlessly, so we feel this would be a fun way to celebrate our unique lake in Saskatchewan,” said Brendan Manz, Watrous-Manitou’s community development officer.

An attempt was made to have the record sanctioned by the Guinness Book of World Records, but even after four applications, Guinness chose not to endorse the event, said the event’s Facebook page.

“In the end, that is actually a gift,” the event page said. “We don’t have to perform with the rigidity they would require; instead, we are having fun. Our record will be a local one.”

The community is encouraging anybody of any age to participate.

Registration for The Big Float will start at 11 am. Just a name and the place where one is from is all that is needed to be part of the official count.

At 2 pm, a horn will sound and everyone will be asked to enter the lake

“Soon after everyone has made into the lake safely and people are floating, several overhead photos will be taken from different vantage points, including from an above plane flying over the lake,” Manz said.

The Big Float will start on the Main Beach in Manitou Beach Saturday, July 13. Registration starts at 11 am and the float begins at 2 pm.