Gimli is a community located in the Rural Municipality of Gimli and situated on the west side of Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba. Originally incorporated as a village on March 6, 1908, Gimli held town status between December 31, 1946 and January 1, 2003.HistoryGimli was settled first by Canadian Icelanders and later by Icelandic immigrants. Part of a region of Manitoba known as New Iceland, Gimli has preserved Icelandic culture and language within Canada. It is home to the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba.The Canadian Pacific Railroad reached Gimli in 1906 and soon the town and surrounding region became a tourist and vacation destination for people from Winnipeg. By the 1930s the south shore area of Gimli began to see cottages replacing farmland. With 42 miles of shoreline on Lake Winnipeg, Gimli is a popular fishing destination in summer.In 1983, the Gimli Industrial Park Airport became famous when an Air Canada Boeing 767 ran out of fuel over southern Manitoba and successfully glided to a landing at Gimli Motorsport Park. The aircraft in that incident became known as the Gimli Glider.Icelandic FestivalThe Icelandic Festival of Manitoba has been celebrated since 1890 and has been held in Gimli since 1932. Several thousand tourists come each year for three days during the August long weekend. Artworks from jewellery to paintings are displayed at the art museum as well along the pier wall that extends from downtown Gimli into the lake, and traditional Icelandic dishes are offered.