Pope National Wildlife Reserve:

Originally used as a water storage area for the railway during the age of steam locomotives, these parcels of land were returned to the federal government with the advent of the diesel engine. This area was designated as a national wildlife reserve in 1972. It is one of the few federally-owned parcels of land remaining in Manitoba, and is an important water source for the wetlands and marshes located downstream.

http://www.mb.ec.gc.ca/nature/whp/nwa/df06s03.en.html