In 1967, a pair of water towers in Boissevain, in the Municipality of Boissevain-Morton, were painted “Cold” and “Hot” as a Halloween prank by Rick Roy and Gene Traill. Three years later, to commemorate the improvement in water service from Manitoba’s founding in 1870 to its centenary in 1970, the Boissevain Lions Club painted a more official version that persists to today.
Although the towers have been decommissioned and the town is now served by an underground reservoir, they serve as a community landmark. The tanks were painted with colourful murals in the summer of 2022.
Boissevain Water Towers (July 2018)
Source: George Penner
Boissevain Water Towers (June 2019)
Source: Gordon GoldsboroughSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.22638, W100.05342
denoted by symbol on the map above
“Iconic “hot and cold” started as Halloween prank,” Boissevain Recorder, 9 September 2022, page 3.
We thank Michelle Scott for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and George Penner.
Page revised: 11 September 2022
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