WOODHENGE of Manitoba
Woodhenge is a place of wonderment and awe. The stones give one a sense of eternity and strength. The stones may have a different meaning for each of the visitors that may come here to dwell for a moment and draw a kind of special peace.
Woodhenge was created by Marcel Debreuil on what was his land at the time. Marcel gathered the stones (erratics) and placed them in circles. Glacial erratics are stones and rocks that were transported by a glacier, and then left behind after the glacier melted. There are many of these stones in the Pembina Hills.
I reached out to the family of Marcel Debreuil for some insight into this large art project, and here is what I can pass on to you. Thanks to Matt Penner and Cherie Debreuil.
"THE STONES” as they were always referred to as, was always intended as a place of inspiration and wonder, and a welcome place for fairy’s spirits and angels. This was contrary to a few locals believing they were “devil worshipers”?? And a place for devil worship, which just couldn’t be more wrong. Many family functions, and several of Marcels students over the years even had their (Christian) wedding ceremonies up at the stones.
After Marcel's passing his Native Canadian funeral ceremony was held up at the stones, and as always, ALL WERE WELCOME.
The stones came from many local fields and ditches, obviously transportation was an obstacle to overcome. Flat deck trailers were used to transport some of the larger stones. The story is told of one flat deck trailer that was snapped in the middle during transport of one of the larger stones. None of the stones travelled all that far, some were free and some were paid for.
Yes, Marcel had been to the actual Stonehenge for sure twice. One time was when you could still walk amongst the stones themselves, now you can no longer get near Stonehenge as it is sinking and has become dangerous. The same can be said for the stones. Marcel and I spent a week propping up and re-supporting one larger stones. This kept it up for another couple years but eventually fell over. Which urges me to advise safety while walking amongst the stones. They are not permanently stable as the ground freezes and thaws, the ground is always moving and that makes the stones a little unpredictable, safety is strongly advised!!
The stones are deliberately in circles in quantities divisible by 7.
The number 7 was very important to Marcel, the annual family party was held up at the stones every year on July 7 (7th month 7th day)
For myself personally I’d be careful to make comparisons between the actual Stonehenge and Marcel's stones, as Stonehenge (while we don’t really know for sure) presumably had its own specific purpose or intention,
We’re sitting here discussing this topic and had a bit of a laugh that possibly Marcel felt ripped off that he couldn’t walk amongst the actual Stonehenge on his second visit so he probably said, “Fine I’ll make my own”, but that’s just us poking fun.
There are specific stones dedicated to each family member but really only the people involved really know who’s stone is who’s, other than Marcel, he would likely know all of them.
He often had a good giggle about this exact thing, the wonderment of anyone who comes across the stones and has one of those, “What in the world is this!?!?” Kinda moment. This Virtual Cache would please him immensely to draw people to this place.
By Matt
Marcel Debreuil was an artist and teacher. He did both with
an energy and passion that
were as much a part of him as breathing.
He created many paintings, pottery and sculptures in
his lifetime including a large
Stonehenge on his Morden property which he often shared with the community.
The Virtual Cache is placed here with the permission of the current land owners who have agreed to share Woodhenge with us.
The land owners ask that everyone take home any trash that you may have while visiting Woodhenge.
The land owners also ask that your visit be within the circle of The Woodhenge and not wander in the trees in order to respect their privacy.
1. To validate your find, you need to post in your log a picture of the "Stones/Stone" with your nickname written on a piece of paper, your hand, your phone, etc...
Best would be a picture indicating you were here with a picture at your favorite stone or stones.
Pictures taken with only yourself or a GPS are not accepted.
2. (Optional) Add a short note on your visit and what it meant to you.
3. Message or email me the picture if you would like, but it is not nessary as I will check the logs.
Congratulaions Soccer squid on the FTF at night walking up the muddy road.
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.