The Pas

The Pas (once Fort Paskoyac and still sometimes called Paskoyac) is a small town in northern Manitoba. The Pas is known as "Gateway to the North". It had about 5500 people in 2011, a population roughly split between Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals.

Understand

It is approximately 630 km (390 mi) northwest of the provincial capital, Winnipeg, and 40 km (25 mi) from the border of Saskatchewan. It is sometimes still called Paskoyac by locals after the first trading post, called Fort Paskoya and constructed during French colonial rule. The Pasquia River begins in the Pasquia Hills in east central Saskatchewan. The French in 1795 knew the river as Basquiau.

Known as "The Gateway to the North", The Pas is a multi-industry northern Manitoba town serving the surrounding region. The main components of the region's economy are agriculture, forestry, commercial fishing, tourism, transportation, and services (especially health and education). The main employer is a paper and lumber mill operated by Canadian Kraft Papers. The Pas contains one of the two main campuses of the University College of the North.

The Pas is bordered by part of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation.

Climate

The Pas experiences a humid continental climate with long, cold winters and short, warm summers.

Get in

By car

The Pas is 626 km (about 6½-9 hours) north of Winnipeg on Highways 6 and 60.

By train

See also: Rail travel in Canada

• 1 The Pas station, 380 Hazelwood Ave. (updated Oct 2023)
  • VIA Rail Canada, toll-free: +1-888-842-7245. Operates a route two days per week between Winnipeg and Churchill with stops in Portage la Prairie, Dauphin, Roblin, Kamsack, Canora, Hudson Bay, The Pas, and Thompson. In addition, the route travels one day per week between The Pas and Churchill. Travel time to The Pas from Winnipeg is 13.75 hours, from Portage La Prairie is 12.5 hours, from Thompson is 9.5 hours, and from Churchill is 1 day 4 hours. (updated Apr 2022)
  • Keewatin Railway Company, toll-free: +1-204-623-5255. First Nations-owned company that operates a train between The Pas and Pukatawagan, serving remote First Nations communities along the route. (updated May 2024)

By plane

Airport

• 2 The Pas Airport (YQD  ^IATA). (updated Apr 2022)

Airline

• Calm Air, toll-free: +1-800-839-2256. A regional airline operating flights in Manitoba and Nunavut. (updated Apr 2022) There is one direct flight a day from Winnipeg (YWG ^IATA) to The Pas on Calm Air (1 hr 40 min, $440), and one flight that stops at Flin Flon (YFO ^IATA).

Get around

• Cal's Can, ☏ +1 204-623-3333. 24 hours. (updated Jan 2018)
• City Cab, ☏ +1 204-623-2500. (updated Jan 2018)

See

• Northern Manitoba Trappers' Festival, ☏ +1 204-623-2912. Manitoba's oldest festival and one of Canada’s oldest winter festival. It has been held every year continuously since 1948 and features a wide variety of winter activities including ice fishing, muskrat skinning, and an annual sled dog race, which is part of the International Federation of Sleddog Sports. (updated Jan 2018)

Do

• 1 Clearwater Lake Provincial Park, ☏ +1 204-627-8287. This park has an area of 593 km². Clearwater Lake comprises almost half of the park. Large areas of boreal forest including spruce bog cover the land areas. Clearwater Lake, a deep, clear, cold lake, is renowned for its excellent water quality and large lake trout. The nearly circular lake, 16 km (10 mi) in diameter, has an average depth of 13.1 m (43 ft) and a maximum depth of 39 m (127 ft). It is spring-fed and lacks major inflowing streams which may carry silt, although there are several small inflowing streams on its south and west shores. Campgrounds are on the south shore. Vehicle permit: $5/day, $12/3 days. (updated Jan 2018)

Buy

• Otineka Mall, Highway 10 N, Opaskwayak. M-W 10AM-6PM, Th F 10AM-9PM, Sa 10AM-6PM, Su noon-6PM. "The Largest Mall in the North": Warehouse One, Red Apple, North of 53 Paperwork Plus, Bank of Nova Scotia, Super Thrifty Drug Mart, Sports Traders, Shane’s Music, Kick It Sports, Ardene, food court. (updated Jan 2018)

Eat

• Good Thymes, 1607 Gordon Ave,, ☏ +1 204-623-2412. M-Th 11AM-11PM, F Sa 11AM-1AM. Sandwiches, burgers, pizza, pastas. Lunch $10-18, dinner mains $13-25. (updated Jan 2018)
• Fat Boy Restaurant, 329 Fischer Ave, ☏ +1 204-623-6322. M-F 6AM-9PM, Sa 7AM-9PM, Su 9AM-8PM. (updated Jan 2018)

Sleep

• Andersen Inn and Suites, 1717 Gordon Ave, ☏ +1 204-623-1888. All smoke-free rooms, free continental breakfast, indoor pool, free Wi-Fi access, business center. (updated Jan 2018)
• Wescana Inn, 439 Fischer Ave, ☏ +1 204-623-5446, toll-free: +1 800 665-9468. Rooms are equipped with coffee makers, small fridges, microwaves, and LCD TVs. Hair dryers, irons and ironing boards at your request. Free local telephone calls, free wireless internet in the restaurant/lounge, internet rooms available on request, onsite ATM, smoking and non-smoking rooms, one room wheelchair access, pet-friendly rooms. From $94. (updated Jan 2018)
• The Pas Motel, 1316 Gordon Ave, ☏ +1 204-623-3431. Just south of Clearwater Lake Provincial Park. 24 drive-up rooms at a budget price. Each room is equipped with refrigerators, microwaves, new flat screen televisions with HD channels, and wireless internet. Smoking and non-smoking rooms available. Taavi's Grill restaurant is open daily 7AM-3PM. From $79. (updated Jan 2018)

Go next

• Native-owned Keewatin Railway Company operates a subsidized connecting service from The Pas to Pukatawagan which reaches isolated native communities in that region of Manitoba (7½ hr, twice a week). Reservations ☏ +1 204-623-5255.

Routes through The Pas

Churchill ← Thompson ←	N  S	→ Hudson Bay → Winnipeg
END ← Flin Flon ←	N  S	→ Jct W → Swan River → Brandon
Hudson Bay ← Jct W ← becomes ←	W  E	→ END