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Published: August 13th 2015
Today Tim and I decided to really explore downtown Winnipeg. I started out the day wearing two different earrings and only noticed after a couple of hours. Sheesh! People must have questioned my fashion sense!
We got our walking tour map out and set out from the French Quarter where we were staying. I've never been to Winnipeg, but people who have always seem to talk about it in a disparaging manner or give it nicknames like Winterpeg or the Slurpee Capital of the World.
Winnipeg surprised and delighted us. We were blown away by its history, architecture and beauty. Had we known, we would have visited it years ago instead of avoiding it. In fact, we almost skipped it on our cross-Canada tour altogether and what a pity that would have been.
Our day was punctuated with heavy downpours, bright sunshine and big, deep puddles, but that was all part of the fun. We came prepared and spent the day putting on raincoats and hats, taking them off again, opening and closing our umbrella, and ducking into doorways.
Winnipeg has so much history! We visited "The Forks" which is a green area located at the confluence
of the Red River and Assiniboine River. For at least 6000 years, the Forks was a meeting place for early First Nations people, and later, European fur traders, Métis buffalo hunters, Scottish settlers, riverboat workers, railway pioneers and tens of thousands of immigrants. Standing there, we could visualize the bustling place it must have been.
From there, you can see the $360 million Canadian Museum of Human Rights with its dramatic and stunning architecture. There's the Exchange District with over 150 heritage buildings heavily influenced by the Chicago style, the MTS Centre where the Jets play, the Art Gallery, the Theatre District and the Fort Garry Hotel.
We visited Union Station, which is a grand beaux-arts railway terminal built in 1908. We heard the rumble of a train above us and stepping outside, we were astonished to see a long line of train cars rolling by on the roof of the building.
Of course, a highlight was visiting the iconic intersection of Portage Avenue and Main Street, the 150-year-old meeting point of two former Red River cart trails. It is now the hub of some of Winnipeg's main transportation routes and was once the centre for the
banking industry in Western Canada. It was immortalized by Randy Bachman and Neil Young in the song "Prairie Town". The British band Blurt also has a song named "Portage & Main" on their album "Kenny Rogers' Greatest Hit".
The architecture and beauty of the Legislative Building left us open mouthed in awe. Its design and many statues reminded me of the Acropolis in Athens. The Cathedral of St. Boniface was stunning and while there, we visited Louis Riel's grave.
People were so friendly, often smiling as we passed. Several people saw us looking at our map and asked if they could help. A fellow happily agreed to have his picture taken. Manitoba really is the friendly province!
Even though we walked for six hours and 20 kms and our feet ached by the end, we could only touch on everything that downtown Winnipeg has to offer. We will come back one day and next time, we will take three or four days to explore this amazing and historical city.
When we got back to Claude and Ginette's, the hospitality just kept coming. They prepared a delicious meal and we sat and ate and delighted in their
company until we couldn't keep our eyes open any more. If they are an example of what Couchsurfing hosts are like, we are in for a treat. They were gracious, warm and interesting. It is our hope that one day, they will come to visit us so that we can return their hospitality.
The next time someone tells you that Winnipeg has little to offer, have them call us and we'll give them an earful. Winnipeg is amazing!
Today we drive to Thunder Bay to stay with our next host, Richard, who is barbecuing burgers for us for dinner. No losing weight on this trip!
(Scroll to bottom to see more photos.)
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Stuart and Sarah
non-member comment
I've changed my mind on Winterpeg
You should be a travel writer Eileen and Winnipeg should hire you as their sales rep!!!!