Whiteshell Colony Ltd.Farming & Agricultural Services in River Hills, Manitoba

Hutterite Colony Farm & Steel Products near Seven Sisters Falls, Manitoba in River Hills, Manitoba

A colony between the prairie and the Canadian Shield

Whiteshell Colony sits on Provincial Road 408 at River Hills, in the Rural Municipality of Whitemouth, a short drive from Seven Sisters Falls and the Whiteshell area of southeastern Manitoba, where the prairie gives way to the granite and forest of the Canadian Shield. It is a Hutterite colony of the Schmiedeleut branch, a daughter colony of Iberville Colony, which was founded in 1962, and it later established its own daughter colony, Clearview, in 1983. A provincial environmental proposal names Walter Gross as manager of Whiteshell Colony and estimates its population at about 150 or fewer.

Three kinds of work, one community

Like most Hutterite colonies, Whiteshell is a diversified community in which members live and work together, and several businesses run side by side.

• Farming. The colony's directory profile lists farms, ranches and mixed farming, along with agricultural services.
• Whiteshell Metal Works. A steel-products and outdoor-products shop at the colony, making picnic tables, benches, fire pits and carts for parks, campgrounds and schools. Its website, whiteshellmetalworks.com, shows products such as steel picnic tables and benches at a campsite, a teal garden cart, and fixed and folding fire pits. The shop lists Paul Gross as its contact and 204-348-6012 as its phone number.
• Trucking. A trucking company named Whiteshell Colony Farms Ltd, registered at the same River Hills address, is recorded as operating since 2002, hauling general freight and building materials.

Other products listed

The directory profile for the colony also mentions roofing, metal roofing and chairs among its goods and services. These are not described on the metal works website, so ask the colony directly about availability, sizes and lead times.

Why buy from a colony shop?

• Steel products are built locally, so repairs and special orders can be handled directly
• Park and campground buyers can deal with the maker rather than a distributor
• Colony purchases support a community-run enterprise that reinvests in the colony's farms and workshops

Visiting and ordering

Whiteshell Colony's mailing address is Box 29, River Hills, Manitoba R0E 1T0. For farm enquiries, call the colony at the number listed in this directory profile; for outdoor and steel products, contact Whiteshell Metal Works through its website. Please phone ahead before visiting, as colony work schedules and animal-health rules may limit access.