YEAR: 1983

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: June

DATE: early in the month

PROVINCE: Manitoba

COUNTRY: Canada

LOCATION DETAILS: Where Manitoba highway 315 crosses the Black River, not far from Black Lake in Nopining Prov. Park. The canoe trip starting point is at the river bridge. Canoe downstream (west) for about 8-10 hours. A few portages and light rapids to run. I believe the lake we camped at is called Little Black Lake.

NEAREST TOWN: Probably Bissett, MB

NEAREST ROAD: Prov. Hwy 315

OBSERVED: I can't say exactly if I had an encounter with a bigfoot or not, but after reading several of the accounts on this site, I have found some similarities with other encounters.

I was on a 3 day canoeing trip with a friend just east of Nopiming Prov. Park in Eastern Manitoba, canoeing west from Hwy 315 on the Black River. While canoe trips on this river are relatively popular, it is a rather remote area with marsh land, coniferous forest, a lot of exposed rocks and cliffs, and many small lakes, streams, etc.

After a full day of canoeing we arrived at a small lake. I believe it is called Little Black Lake. There is one good sized island on the lake which is close to the east shore (probably about 50 meters), and this is where we decided to camp.
In the early evening, not long before sunset, we began to prepare our dinner. It was an extremely calm, pleasent evening, is was clear, warm, and there was virtually no wind.

As I began to prepare our meal, I thought I could hear a faint noise in the far distance. At first it could hardly be heard at all, and I didn't say anything to my companion as I just thought my ears were playing tricks on me. To me, however, it sounded like a baby crying. We encountered, nor saw any evidence, that anyone else was canoeing in this area (even upon our return trip). Gradually the sound became louder and closer, and finally I asked my friend if he had been hearing anything. He replied that he thought he had been hearing some thing for about the last 15 minutes, but didn't say anything because he thought "his ears" might be playing tricks on him. After about 20 minutes we could both clearly hear this noise, though now it sounded more like high-pitched growling or whinning. By this time the sun had set, and the conditions were twilight. After a few more minutes we could hear twigs snapping and branches breaking and the growling was very prominent, though it didn't sound anything like any animal growling I've ever heard. I suggested that it might be a wounded animal, perhaps a lynx, but I didn't think a lynx would make so much noise beaking branches, etc. Eventually this creature was directly across from us on the east shore of the lake and was pacing back and forth. It was very easy to follow the sound. By now it was quite dark, and we could follow the sounds back and forth with our flashlights, and at times we thought we could see trees swaying as if being knocked, but we never saw the creature. After some time we started to become quite worried and I decided I would attempt to scare off the animal with a shot from the .22 rifle I had with me. I fired one shot into the tree tops above where the sounds were coming from. There was a loud echo from the blast, and you could hear the bullet whiz through the air, and hear some branches break. Immediately, and for the first time since the beginning of this ordeal, the creature went silent, and then a moment later we could clearly hear it run off through the forest, snapping many twigs and breaking branches. We had several wildlife encounters on this trip (moose, bear, dear, geese, etc), but experienced nothing like that night.

I have spent many years canoeing, hiking and horseback riding in the wilderness, but to this day cannot account for what this might have been. I never heard sounds like it made before that time, or since, and I've had many wild animal encounters.

OTHER WITNESSES: One other witness. We were both preparing dinner when the incident began.

OTHER STORIES: I have heard of other bigfoot sightings and foot prints in this area.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Just before, during, and just after sunset. A total duration of about 30 minutes. Exact time unknown.

ENVIRONMENT: Pine forest, swampy areas, rocky areas, small lakes & streams, fairly remote.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Blaine McMillan :

I contacted the witness and spoke to him at length about his report. I found him to be factual and honest about his encounter.

The witness and his friend were on a back country canoe trip through the Nopiming Provincial Park in Manitoba. After selecting their campsite the witness began to prepare their meal the witness began to hear a vocalization. He said the sounds he heard were soft at first but built up in intensity as the originator approached their isolated camp.

The witness and his partner never actually saw what was making the noises. But with the aid of their flashlights they were able to follow its movements as it paced back and forth through the brush on a nearby shore. As the vocalizations and movements intensified one of the witnesses began to worry for their safety and fired a single .22 rifle shot high above the sounds. The gentleman informed me that at this point the vocalizations immediately ceased and whatever had been on the opposite shore could be heard running away bipedally through the forest.

About BFRO Investigator Blaine McMillan :

• Retired Canadian Military (Reg Force) Safety Systems / Aviation technician with experience fighters and various SAR platforms. Author of Wood Knocks and Tossed Rocks:Searching for Sasquatch with the BFRO


• Married with two young sons. An avid camper, hunter and fisherman.


• Holds a BA in Criminology from the University of Manitoba, courses in Alternate Dispute Resolution, Anthropology and Political Science


• Attended the BFRO BC Expeditions in August of 2005, 2006, 2012 as well as Vancouver Island 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014.


• Organized the 2007, 2008 Vancouver Island as well as 2009 North Vancouver Island Expeditions.


• Author of "Woodknocks and Tossed Rocks: Searching for Sasquatch with the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization.

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