The Ninette Sanatorium, also known as the Manitoba Sanatorium, was established in 1909 on the shores of Pelican Lake. Designed specifically for tuberculosis (TB) treatment, the site included numerous stone buildings surrounded by trees and a scenic lake view. This picturesque setting was intentional, as early TB care focused on rest, fresh air, and nutritious food. A large veranda was added to allow patients to rest in their beds while breathing in fresh air. Surgical procedures were later incorporated into treatment methods.
Initially built to accommodate 60 patients, the facility expanded rapidly. By the early 1920s, it had space for 280 patients, making it the largest and longest-operating sanatorium in Manitoba. The Sanatorium Board of Manitoba operated several such facilities in the province from the early 1900s to the 1960s, before the advent of effective medical treatments for TB.
At first, Ninette primarily admitted non-Indigenous patients. However, as TB rates declined among these populations after World War II, more Indigenous patients were admitted. These included First Nations, Métis, and Inuit men, women, and children. In 1963, 80 Inuit patients were sent from Eskimo Point (now Arviat) in the Northwest Territories. Treatment for First Nations and Inuit patients was federally funded, while the province covered the costs for non-Indigenous and Métis patients.
The sanatorium officially opened in May 1909, with its first patient admitted on May 24, 1910. Over the decades, it grew into a sizable complex of more than a dozen buildings. Initially, municipalities where patients lived paid the operating costs, but in 1939 the Manitoba government assumed these responsibilities, excluding federal cases like veterans and Indigenous patients.
As medical advances made sanatoriums obsolete, Ninette's role shifted. By the early 1970s, it mainly served as a retirement home for long-term patients. The facility officially closed in 1972, and its grounds were repurposed the following year as the Pelican Lake Training Centre. This new facility provided housing and vocational training to people with intellectual disabilities, operating until 2000. Only part of the original complex was used during this time; many unused buildings deteriorated and were eventually demolished.
In the early 2000s, the remaining structures were used as a Christian retreat and conference center. The property later became privately owned. Though it fell into further disrepair, it was sold again around 2023. The new owners plan to restore the buildings, converting them into rental units while preserving part of the site as a small museum honoring the history of the Ninette Sanatorium.
Small museum of artifacts from the Sanatorium days.
Administration building.
