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Winnipeg
—  City  —
That's In Canada
Downtown Winnipeg seen from The Forks
Flag Coat of arms Logo
Nickname(s): The 204, Winterpeg, One Great City, Peg City, The Peg, Gateway to the West, River City, Slurpee Capital of the World.
Motto: Unum Cum Virtute Multorum (One with the Strength of Many)
Winnipeg Location of Winnipeg in Manitoba
Coordinates: 49°54′N 97°08′W / 49.9°N 97.133°W / 49.9; -97.133Coordinates: 49°54′N 97°08′W / 49.9°N 97.133°W / 49.9; -97.133
Country	Canada
Province	Manitoba
Region	Winnipeg Capital Region
Established,	1738 (Fort Rouge)
Renamed	1822 (Fort Garry)
Incorporated	1873 (City of Winnipeg)
Government
- City Mayor	Sam Katz
- Governing Body	Winnipeg City Council
- MPs	List of MPs Jim Maloway Rod Bruinooge Steven Fletcher Pat Martin Anita Neville Shelly Glover Joy Smith Judy Wasylycia-Leis
- MLAs	List of MLAs Nancy Allan Rob Altemeyer Sharon Blady Erna Braun Marilyn Brick David Chomiak Gary Doer Myrna Driedger Jon Gerrard George Hickes Jennifer Howard Kerri Irvin-Ross Bidhu Jha Bonnie Korzeniowski Kevin Lamoureux Gord Mackintosh Jim Maloway Flor Marcelino Doug Martindale Hugh McFadyen Diane McGifford Christine Melnick Bonnie Mitchelson Theresa Oswald Daryl Reid Jim Rondeau Mohinder Saran Erin Selby Greg Selinger Heather Stefanson Andy Swan
Area
- Land	464.01 km2 (179.2 sq mi)
- Urban	448.92 km2 (173.3 sq mi)
- Metro	5,302.98 km2 (2,047.5 sq mi)
Elevation	238 m (781 ft)
Population (2006 Census[1][2])
- City	633,451 (7th)
- Density	1,365/km2 (3,535.3/sq mi)
- Urban	641,483 (9th)
- Urban Density	1,429/km2 (3,701.1/sq mi)
- Metro	694,668 (8th)
- Metro Density	131/km2 (339.3/sq mi)
Time zone	CST (UTC−6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC−5)
Postal code span	R2C–R3Y
Area code(s)	204
Demonym	Winnipegger
NTS Map	062H14
GNBC Code	GBEIN
Website	City of Winnipeg

Winnipeg (pronounced /ˈwɪnɪpɛɡ/) is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality in the Winnipeg Capital Region, which is home to more than sixty percent of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, in south central Canada, near the eastern edge of the Canadian Prairies,^[3] at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers (a point now commonly known as The Forks).^[4] It lies near to the Canadian Shield and hundreds of lakes including Lake Winnipeg and Lake Manitoba.

The name "Winnipeg" comes from the Cree words meaning muddy water, referring to dark water of the rivers and lakes in the region.^[5] The Winnipeg area was a trading centre for Aboriginal peoples prior to the arrival of Europeans. The first fort was built near the Forks of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers in 1738 by French traders.^[6] A settlement was later founded by the Selkirk settlers in 1812, the nucleus of which was incorporated as the City of Winnipeg in 1873. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Winnipeg was one of the fastest growing cities in North America and established itself as a transportation and manufacturing centre. It also became a centre for education: the University of Manitoba, founded during this period, is today the largest university in Manitoba.

Winnipeg is the 7th largest municipality in Canada, with a population of 633,451 in the Canada 2006 Census.^[1] The city's census metropolitan area, consisting of the city of Winnipeg, the rural municipalities of Springfield, St. Clements, Taché, East St. Paul, Macdonald, Ritchot, West St. Paul, Headingley, Rosser and St. François Xavier and the First Nations reserve of Brokenhead 4, is Canada's 8th largest metropolitan area, with 694,668 inhabitants.^[2]

Winnipeg has a diversified economy, with sectors in finance, manufacturing, food and beverage production, culture, retail and tourism. It is known for its urban forest and parks, and Downtown Winnipeg is centred on the famous Portage and Main intersection. Winnipeg is a major transportation hub, served by Richardson International Airport and railway connections to the United States as well as Vancouver and Toronto.

Winnipeggers are of predominantly European descent, but a wide variety of languages are spoken, including English, French, German, Tagalog (Winnipeg has the second largest Filipino population in Canada after Toronto) and Aboriginal languages such as Cree. This multicultural society is reflected in the cultural organizations and festivals based in the city, which include the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Le Cercle Molière, the Winnipeg Jewish Theatre, Festival du Voyageur and Folklorama; in addition, the Winnipeg Art Gallery contains the world's largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art. Other notable organizations based in the city include its sports teams: the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the Winnipeg Goldeyes, and the Manitoba Moose.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Before European exploration 1.2 Settlement 1.3 Late 1800s and early 1900s 1.4 Amalgamation to present 2 Geography 2.1 Climate 2.2 Cityscape 3 Demographics 4 Economy 5 Arts and culture 5.1 Museums 5.2 Theatre companies 5.3 Festivals 5.4 Music and dance 5.5 Cuisine 6 Local media 7 Sports 8 Law and government 8.1 Crime 9 Education 9.1 School divisions 10 Infrastructure 10.1 Transportation 10.2 Medical centres and hospitals 11 Military 12 Sister cities 13 See also 14 Notes 15 Further reading 16 External links

History

Before European exploration

Winnipeg lies at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, a location currently known as "the Forks". This historic focal point was at the cross roads of canoe routes traveled by Aboriginal peoples for thousands of years.^[7] The name Winnipeg is a transcription of the western Cree word wi-nipe-k meaning "muddy waters";^[5] the general area was populated for thousands of years by First Nations. Through archaeology petroglyphs, rock art and oral history, scholars have learned that native peoples used the area in prehistoric times for camping, hunting, tool making, fishing, trading and, further north, for agriculture.^[8]

Long before the first European presence, First Nations peoples appear to have been engaged in farming activity along the Red River, near present-day Lockport, where corn and other seed crops were planted.^[9] The rivers provided an extensive transportation network linking many indigenous peoples, including the Anishinaabe, Assiniboine, Mandan, Ojibway, Sioux, Cree, Lakota and others, facilitating trade and knowledge sharing. Lake Winnipeg was an inland sea, with river links to the mountains in the West, to the Great Lakes in the East, and to the Arctic Ocean in the North. The Red River linked ancient northern peoples with those to the south along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. The Ojibway made some of the first maps on birch bark, which helped fur traders navigate the waterways of the area.^[10]

Settlement

The first French officer arrived in the area in 1738.^[11] Sieur de la Vérendrye built the first fur trading post on the site, called Fort Rouge.^[12] Francophone trading continued at this site for several decades before the arrival of the Hudson's Bay Company.^[13] Many French men married First Nations women; their children, the Métis, hunted, traded, and lived in the general area for decades.^[14]

Lord Selkirk was involved with the first permanent settlement (Red River Colony), purchase of land from the Hudson's Bay Company, and a survey of river lots in the early 1800s.^[15] The North West Company built Fort Gibraltar in 1809, and the Hudson's Bay Company built Fort Douglas in 1812.^[16] The two companies competed fiercely over trade in the area. The Métis and Lord Selkirk's settlers fought at the Battle of Seven Oaks in 1816.^[17] In 1821, the Hudson's Bay and North West Companies merged, ending their long-standing rivalry. Fort Gibraltar, at the site of present-day Winnipeg, was renamed Fort Garry in 1822 and became the leading post in the region for the Hudson’s Bay Company.^[18] The fort was destroyed by a flood in 1826 and was not rebuilt until 1835.^[18] The fort was the residence of the Governor of the company for many years. A rebuilt section of the fort, consisting of the front gate and a section of the wall, can be found near the modern-day corner of Main Street and Broadway Avenue in downtown Winnipeg.^[19]

In 1869–70, Winnipeg was the site of the Red River Rebellion, a conflict between the local provisional government of Métis, led by Louis Riel, and newcomers from eastern Canada. General Garnet Wolseley was sent to put down the Métis rebellion. This rebellion led to Manitoba's entry into the Canadian Confederation as Canada's fifth province in 1870.^[20] On November 8, 1873, Winnipeg was incorporated as a city. Manitoba and Northwest Territories legislator James McKay named the settlement.^[21]

Late 1800s and early 1900s

Winnipeg developed rapidly after the coming of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1881, allowing it to take on its distinctive multicultural character.^[22] Canada was eager to settle the west before American interests and railways interfered. Agriculture was a booming industry. The Manitoba Legislative Building, constructed mainly of Tyndall Stone, opened in 1920; its dome supports a bronze statue finished in gold leaf, titled "Eternal Youth and the Spirit of Enterprise" (commonly known as the "Golden Boy").^[23] Many new lots of land were sold and prices increased quickly due to high demand.

Winnipeg faced financial difficulty when the Panama Canal opened in 1914.^[24] The canal reduced reliance on Canada's rail system for international trade; the real estate market slowed down, and the increase in ship traffic helped Vancouver eventually surpass Winnipeg to become Canada's third-largest city in 1920.^[25]

Following World War I, over 30,000 Winnipeggers walked off the job in May 1919 in what came to be known as the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919.^[26] The strike was the result of a postwar recession, labour conditions, and the presence of union organizers and a large influx of returning soldiers.^[27] After many arrests, deportations, and incidents of violence, the strike ended on June 21, 1919, when the Riot Act was read and a group of Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers charged a group of strikers.^[28] Two strikers were killed and at least thirty others were injured, resulting in the day being known as Bloody Saturday; the lasting effect was a polarized population.^[28] One of the leaders of the strike, J. S. Woodsworth, went on to found Canada's first major socialist party, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), which later became the NDP.^[29]

The stock market crash of 1929 hastened an already steep decline in Winnipeg; the Great Depression resulted in massive unemployment, which was worsened by drought and depressed agricultural prices.^[30] The Depression ended when World War II started in 1939. The Winnipeg Grenadiers were among the first Canadians to engage in combat against Japan in the Battle of Hong Kong during World War II. Those in the battalion that were not killed in the conflict were captured and brutalized in prisoner of war camps.^[31]

In Winnipeg, the established armouries of Minto, Tuxedo (Fort Osborne), and McGregor were so crowded that the military had to take over other buildings to increase capacity. In 1942, the Government of Canada's Victory Loan Campaign staged a mock Nazi invasion of Winnipeg to increase awareness of the stakes of the war in Europe.^[32] The very realistic invasion included Nazi aircraft and troops overwhelming Canadian forces within the city. Air raid sirens sounded and the city was blacked out. The event was covered by North American media and featured in the film "If Day".

After the war ended, pent-up demand brought a boom in housing development, but building activity came to a halt due to the 1950 Red River Flood, the largest flood to hit Winnipeg since 1861. The disaster held waters above flood stage for 51 days.^[33] On May 8, 1950, eight dikes collapsed, four of the city's eleven bridges were destroyed, and nearly 100,000 people had to be evacuated.^[33] This evacuation was Canada's largest evacuation ever.^[33] The federal government estimated damages at over $26-million, although the province insisted that it was at least double that.^[34]

In 1953, Manitoba was hit with the worst outbreak of poliomyelitis in Canada. There were 2,357 cases and 80 deaths. Around 2000 polio victims ended up at Winnipeg's King George Hospital with 92 patients ending up on respirators that had to be flown in by the RCAF from all over North America. The paid staff of the hospital climbed to 750 with 600 volunteers.^[35]

Amalgamation to present

Prior to 1972, Winnipeg was the largest of thirteen cities and towns in a metropolitan area around the Red and Assiniboine rivers. Unicity was created on July 27, 1971 and took effect with the first elections in 1972.^[36] The City of Winnipeg Act incorporated the current city of Winnipeg: the municipalities of Transcona, St. Boniface, St. Vital, West Kildonan, East Kildonan, Tuxedo, Old Kildonan, North Kildonan, Fort Garry, Charleswood, and St. James, were amalgamated with the Old City of Winnipeg.^[36] With the formation of Unicity, Winnipeg became the first large North American city to move beyond the stage of split-level metropolitan government to a single administration.^[37]

Immediately following the 1979 energy crisis, Winnipeg experienced a severe economic downturn in advance of the early 1980s recession. Throughout the recession, the city incurred closures of prominent businesses, such as the Winnipeg Tribune and the Swift's and Canada Packers meat packing plants.^[38] In 1981, Winnipeg was one of the first cities in Canada to sign a tripartite agreement to redevelop its downtown area.^[39] The three levels of government—federal, provincial and municipal—contributed over $271-million to the development needs of downtown Winnipeg.^[40] The funding was instrumental in attracting Portage Place mall, the headquarters of Investors Group, the offices of Air Canada, and several apartment complexes. In 1989, the reclamation and redevelopment of the CNR rail yards turned The Forks into Winnipeg's most popular tourist attraction.^[7]

Geography

Winnipeg lies at the bottom of the Red River Valley, a low-lying flood plain with an extremely flat topography.^[41] There are no substantial hills in the city or its vicinity. Winnipeg is also on the eastern edge of the Canadian Prairies. It is relatively close to many large Canadian Shield lakes and parks, as well as Lake Winnipeg (the Earth's 11th largest freshwater lake).^[42] According to the Census geographic units of Canada, the city has a total area of 464.01 km² (179.2 sq mi) and an elevation of 240 m (786 ft).^[43]

Winnipeg has four major rivers, the Red River, the Assiniboine River, the La Salle River, and the Seine River. The Red River is now considered a Canadian heritage river.^[44] The Red is home to the largest average size of channel catfish in the world.^[45] Winnipeg has claimed the Guinness World Record for "World's Longest Skating Rink", along the Red and Assiniboine Rivers.^[46]

Climate

Winnipeg has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb) with extremes of hot and cold. Winter temperatures generally remain below 0°C (32°F) and there is persistent snow cover from mid-November until the later half of March. Winters in Winnipeg are usually dry, and can sometimes feel colder due to the often windy conditions. The coldest temperature recorded in Winnipeg was −47.8 °C (−54 °F) on December 24, 1879.^[47] Summers in the Winnipeg area can sometimes be quite humid; nearby Carman, Manitoba reached 57C (127.4F) with humidex, breaking Canada's old humidex record, in 2007.^{[48][49][50][51]} The highest temperature ever recorded in Winnipeg was 42.2 °C (108 °F) on July 11, 1936.^[52]

Winnipeg is ranked as Canada's second sunniest city year-round,^[53] second for clearest skies year-round, and second for sunniest city in Canada in spring and winter.^[53] In the winter, Winnipeg has had up to 58 days per year where the temperature falls below −20 °C (−4.0 °F) during at least one point of the day.^[54] On average, Winnipeg has 45 days a year where the humidex reaches above 30°C.^[54]

Winnipeg's spring and fall tend to be rather contracted seasons, each averaging a little over six weeks. In general, the weather during these seasons is highly variable. For example, temperatures in Winnipeg in April have ranged from −26.3 °C (−15 °F) to 34.3 °C (93.7 °F),^[55] and in October from −20.6 °C (−5 °F) to 30.5 °C (86.9 °F). Late heat waves and Indian summers are a regular feature of the climate, as are spring or autumn snowfalls.

Like Chicago, Winnipeg is known as a windy city; the windiest month is April.^[56] However, Regina, Hamilton and St. John's (Canada's windiest city) are windier.^[57] Although tornadoes are usually not common near Winnipeg, a Fujita scale F5 tornado struck Elie, Manitoba (just 40 km (25 miles) west of Winnipeg) in 2007; this was the strongest tornado ever recorded in Canada.^[58] Winnipeg is also prone to flooding in the spring. Major floods include the 1950 Red River Flood, the 1997 Red River Flood, and the 2009 Red River Flood.^[59] These major floods led to the 1968 construction and subsequent expansion of the Red River Floodway, designed to protect Winnipeg from floods.^[60]

Climate data for Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	7.8 (46)	11.7 (53)	23.3 (74)	34.3 (94)	37.0 (99)	37.8 (100)	42.2 (108)	40.6 (105)	38.8 (102)	30.5 (87)	23.9 (75)	11.7 (53)	42.2 (108)
Average high °C (°F)	-12.7 (9)	-8.5 (17)	-1.1 (30)	10.3 (51)	19.2 (67)	23.3 (74)	25.8 (78)	25 (77)	18.6 (65)	10.8 (51)	-0.9 (30)	-9.7 (15)	8.3 (47)
Daily mean °C (°F)	-17.8 (-0)	-13.6 (8)	-6.1 (21)	4 (39)	12 (54)	17 (63)	19.5 (67)	18.5 (65)	12.3 (54)	5.3 (42)	-5.3 (22)	-14.4 (6)	2.6 (37)
Average low °C (°F)	-22.8 (-9)	-18.7 (-2)	-11 (12)	-2.4 (28)	4.8 (41)	10.7 (51)	13.3 (56)	11.9 (53)	6 (43)	-0.3 (31)	-9.6 (15)	-19.1 (-2)	-3.1 (26)
Record low °C (°F)	-42.2 (-44)	-45.0 (-49)	-37.8 (-36)	-26.3 (-15)	-11.1 (12)	-3.3 (26)	1.1 (34)	0.6 (33)	-7.2 (19)	-17.2 (1)	-34.0 (-29)	-47.8 (-54)	-42.8 (-45)
Precipitation mm (inches)	19.7 (0.78)	14.9 (0.59)	21.5 (0.85)	31.9 (1.26)	58.8 (2.31)	79.5 (3.13)	70.6 (2.78)	71.8 (2.83)	52.3 (2.06)	36 (1.42)	25 (0.98)	18.5 (0.73)	500 (19.69)
Rainfall mm (inches)	0.2 (0.01)	2.5 (0.1)	7.5 (0.3)	21.5 (0.85)	58 (2.28)	89.5 (3.52)	70.6 (2.78)	75.1 (2.96)	51.9 (2.04)	31 (1.22)	6.1 (0.24)	1.6 (0.06)	415.6 (16.36)
Snowfall cm (inches)	23.1 (9.1)	14.2 (5.6)	15.8 (6.2)	10.1 (4)	0.8 (0.3)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0.4 (0.2)	5 (2)	21.4 (8.4)	19.8 (7.8)	110.6 (43.5)
Sunshine hours	120.1	137.8	178.4	239.1	286.2	283.2	317.5	280.2	186.4	147.1	95.6	100.3	2,410.9
Source: Environment Canada[53] June 2009
Source #2: [61] December-30-09

Cityscape

According to the 2001 Census, there are 230 neighbourhoods in Winnipeg.^[62] Downtown Winnipeg (the financial heart of the city) is centred at the intersection of Portage Avenue and Main Street, about one kilometre (0.6 miles) from The Forks. All roads radiate outwards from this intersection, reputed to be one of the windiest in Canada.^[63] Downtown Winnipeg covers an area of about one square mile (2.5 km²), which is large for a city of its size. Surrounding the downtown area are various residential neighbourhoods. Urban development spreads in all directions from downtown, but is greatest to the south and west, and has tended to follow the course of the two major rivers. The urbanized area in Winnipeg is about 25 km (15 mi) from east to west and 20 km (12 mi) from north to south, although there is still much land available for development within the city limits. Winnipeg is known for its urban forest, particularly its beautiful American Elm trees.^[64] The two major parks in the city, Assiniboine Park and Kildonan Park, are both located in the suburbs.

The major commercial areas in the city are Polo Park (West End and St. James), Kildonan Crossing (Transcona and East Kildonan), South St. Vital, and Garden City (West Kildonan). The main cultural and nightlife areas are the Exchange District, The Forks, Osborne Village, Little Italy, Sargent and Ellice Avenues (West End) and Old St. Boniface. Osborne Village, the city's most densely populated neighbourhood, is also Canada's third most densely populated neighbourhood.^[65] It was voted the Best Place to Live in Uptown Magazine's 2008 Best of List.^[66]

Downtown Winnipeg's major neighbourhoods include The Waterfront District, The Forks, Central Park, Broadway-Assiniboine, the Exchange District (a national historic site), and Chinatown. Downtown Winnipeg is home to many of the city's main attractions, like Canwest Park and The Forks. Much of Downtown Winnipeg is linked with the Winnipeg Walkway, which is an skywalk linking major buildings, including the MTS Centre, Millennium Library, Cityplace, Winnipeg Square, and Portage Place mall.^[67]

Demographics

Ethnic Origins[68]
	Population	Percentage
English	141,480	22.6
Scottish	114,960	18.4
German	106,260	17.0
Canadian	104,130	16.6
Ukrainian	96,255	15.4
French	87,165	13.9
Irish	86,580	13.9
Polish	50,555	8.1
Visible minorities[69]
	Population	Percentage
Total	101,910	16.3
Filipino	36,820	5.9
South Asian	15,080	2.4
Black	14,200	2.3
Chinese	12,660	2.0
Latin American	5,390	0.9
Southeast Asian	5,325	0.9
Multiple	3,060	0.5
Arab	2,115	0.3
Korean	2,065	0.3
West Asian	1,885	0.3
Japanese	1,725	0.3
Other	1,585	0.3
Aboriginal identity[70]
	Population	Percentage
Total	119,090	20.1
North American Indian	76,155	10.0
Métis	42,180	5.97
Inuit	755	0.04

As of the 2006 Census, there were 633,451 inhabitants in Winnipeg itself, 694,668 inhabitants in the Winnipeg Census Metropolitan Area (CMA), and 711,455 in the Winnipeg Capital Region.^[2] Thus, Winnipeg is Manitoba’s largest city and Canada's eighth largest CMA.^{[2] [71]} Apart from Winnipeg, the Winnipeg CMA includes the Rural municipalities of East St. Paul, Headingley, Ritchot, Rosser, Springfield, St. Clements, St. François Xavier, Taché and West St. Paul, and the Aboriginal community of Brokenhead.

Of the city population, 48.3% were male and 51.7% were female. 24.3% were 19 years old or younger, 27.4% were between 20 and 30 years old, and 34.0% were between 40 and 64 years old. people. The average age of a Winnipegger in May 2006 was 38.7, compared to an average of 39.5 for Canada as a whole.^[72]

Between the censuses of 2001 and 2006, Winnipeg's population increased by 2.2%, compared to the average of 2.6% for Manitoba and 5.4% for Canada. The population density of the city of Winnipeg averaged 1,365.2 people per square kilometre, compared with an average of 3.5 for Manitoba. The population of the city of Winnipeg was estimated at 672,300 as of July 1, 2009 and that of the census metropolitan area to be 739,300.^[73]

Most Winnipeggers are of European descent, and/or classify themselves as Canadian. Over 8% of Winnipeg population is Aboriginal, and it is the city's (and province's) fastest-growing ethnic group. Non-aboriginal visible minorities make up 16.3% of Winnipeg's population. Winnipeg is home to 38,155 people of Filipino descent, or roughly 6% of the total population.^[68] This is the highest concentration of persons of Filipino origin in Canada, and the second largest Filipino population in Canada after Toronto.^[68][74]

More than a hundred languages are spoken in Winnipeg, of which the most common is English. 99.0% of Winnipeggers are fluent English speakers. In terms of Canada's official languages, 88.0% of Winnipeggers speak only English, and 0.1% speak only French. 11% speak both English and French, while 0.9% speak neither English nor French. Other languages spoken in Winnipeg include German (4.1% of the population), Tagalog (3.4%), Ukrainian (3.1%), Spanish, Chinese and Polish (all three spoken by 1.7% of the population). Several Aboriginal languages are also spoken, including Ojibway (0.6%), Cree (0.5%), Inuktitut and Mi'kmaq (both less than 0.1%). Other languages spoken in Winnipeg include Dutch, Hungarian, Non-verbal languages, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Italian, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Icelandic, Russian, Punjabi, Croatian, Serbian, Japanese, Greek, Creole, Danish, and Gaelic languages (all of which are spoken by roughly 1% or less of the population).^[75]

The 2001 census recorded that 72.9% of Winnipeggers belonged to a Christian denomination:^[76] 35.1% were Protestant, 32.6% were Roman Catholic, and 5.2% belonged to other Christian denominations. 5.6% of the population followed a religion other than Christianity—followers of Judaism made up 2.1% of the population, those of Buddhism and Sikhism made up 0.9% of the population each, and Muslims made up 0.8%. Hindus accounted for 0.6% of the population, and members of other religions made up less than 0.5%.^[76] 21.7% of Winnipeggers did not follow a religion.

Economy

Winnipeg is an economic base and regional centre. It has a diversified economy, covering finance, manufacturing, transportation, food and beverage production, industry, culture, government, retail, and tourism. According to the Conference Board of Canada, Winnipeg has the third-fastest growing economy among Canada's major cities in 2009 projections, with a real GDP growth at 2.5%.^[77]

Approximately 375,000 people are employed in Winnipeg and the surrounding area.^[78] Some of Winnipeg's largest employers are government and government-funded institutions, including: McPhillips Street Station Casino, Club Regent Casino, the Province of Manitoba, the City of Winnipeg, the University of Manitoba, the Health Sciences Centre, and Manitoba Hydro.^[79] Approximately 54,000 people (14% of the work force) are employed in the public sector.^[78] Large private sector employers include: Manitoba Telecom Services, Ipsos Reid, Canwest, Palliser Furniture, Great-West Life Assurance, Motor Coach Industries, Convergys Corporation, New Flyer Industries, Boeing Canada Technology, Bristol Aerospace, Nygård International, Canad Inns and Investors Group.^[80] Several large private family-owned companies operate out of Winnipeg. The Richardson Building (James Richardson & Sons) at Portage and Main was the first skyscraper to grace that corner.^[81] Other private companies include Ben Moss Jewellers, Frantic Films and Paterson Grain.

The Royal Canadian Mint, established in 1976, is where all circulating coinage in Canada is produced.^[82] The plant, located in southeastern Winnipeg, also produces coins for many other countries.^[83]

In 2006, Winnipeg was ranked by KPMG as one of the lowest cost locations to do business in Canada.^[84] As with much of Western Canada, in 2007, Winnipeg experienced both a building and real estate boom. In May 2007, the Canadian Real Estate Association reported a record-breaking month in Winnipeg in terms of sales and volume.^[85]

Arts and culture

The Winnipeg Public Library is a public library network with 20 branches throughout the city, including the Millennium Library.^[86]

Winnipeg is known for its murals.^[87] Many buildings in the downtown area and some in suburban areas have murals painted on their sides.^[88] Although some are advertisements, many are historical paintings, school art projects, or downtown beautification projects. Murals can also be found on several of the downtown traffic light switch posts and fire hydrants.

Winnipeg has a large independent film community. It has also hosted a number of Hollywood productions: Shall We Dance? (2004), the Oscar nominated film Capote (2005), The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007), Horsemen (2009) and X2 (2003) had parts filmed in the province. Several nationally televised dramas have also been produced in Winnipeg. The National Film Board of Canada and the Winnipeg Film Group have produced numerous award-winning films. There are several TV and film production companies in Winnipeg. Some of the most prominent are Frantic Films, Buffalo Gal Pictures, Les Productions Rivard and Eagle Vision. Guy Maddin's My Winnipeg, an independent film released in 2008, is a comedic rumination on the city's history. It features archival footage and contemporary imagery blended into an extended autobiographical goodbye letter.^[89]

Animator Charles Thorson named Bugs Bunny in 1939 in the third outing for the popular cartoon character for Warner Bros.. In addition to animating Hare-um Scare-um, Thorson's designs were used by Walt Disney Animation Studios for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Snow White was based on a young waitress Thorson knew while living in Winnipeg. ^[35]

Winnipeg Bear, (also known as Winnie-the-Pooh) was purchased in Ontario, by Lieutenant Harry Colebourn of The Fort Garry Horse cavalry regiment en route to his embarkation point for the front lines of World War I.^[90] He named the bear after the regiment's home town of Winnipeg. A.A. Milne later wrote a series of books featuring Winnie-the-Pooh. An Ernest H. Shepard painting of "Winnie the Pooh" is the only known oil painting of Winnipeg’s famous bear cub.^[91] It was purchased at an auction for $285,000 in London, England, in 2000.^[91] The painting is displayed in Assiniboine Park.

Winnipeg is mentioned in the song "Anywhere Under the Moon" by Canadian folk duo Dala, on their 2007 album Who Do You Think You Are, as well as in Danny Michel's song "Into the Flame". Winnipeg is the subject of the song "One Great City!" by The Weakerthans.^[92] The title of the song was the slogan on signs welcoming visitors to Winnipeg. The city is also mentioned in Neil Young's "Don't Be Denied".

The Forks (a national historic site) brings locals and visitors alike to its shops, river walkways and festivals. It is home to the Manitoba Theatre for Young People, Winnipeg International Children's Festival, and the Manitoba Children's Museum. It also features a 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m²) skate plaza, a 8,500-square-foot (790 m²) bowl complex, and the Esplanade Riel bridge.^[93]

Museums

The Winnipeg Art Gallery is a public art gallery that was founded in 1912. It is Western Canada's oldest civic art gallery, and the 6th largest in the country.^[94] The collection includes the world's largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art.^[95] The Manitoba Museum is the largest museum in the city. The full-size replica of the ship Nonsuch is the museum's showcase piece.^[96]

Winnipeg is also the future home of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. It will be the first Canadian national museum outside of the National Capital Region. The museum will be located at The Forks. Construction of the museum began on April 1, 2008 and is expected to be completed sometime in 2012.^[97]

Theatre companies

Le Cercle Molière, based in St Boniface, is the oldest theatre company in Canada. This French-language theatre was founded in 1925.^[98] The Manitoba Theatre Centre (MTC) is Canada's oldest English-language regional theatre.^[99] Rainbow Stage, based in Kildonan Park, is Canada's longest-surviving outdoor theatre.^[100]

The Manitoba Theatre for Young People (MTYP) is one of only two Theatres for Young Audiences in Canada with a permanent residence, and is the only Theatre for Young Audiences that offers a full season of plays for teenagers.^[101] The Winnipeg Jewish Theatre (WJT) is the only professional theatre in Canada dedicated to Jewish themes.^[102] Shakespeare in the Ruins (SIR) is a theatre based in Assiniboine Park that presents adaptations of Shakespeare plays.

Festivals

Festival du Voyageur, western Canada's largest winter festival, celebrates the early French explorers of the Red River Valley.^[103] Folklorama is the largest and longest-running cultural celebration festival in the world.^[104] The Jazz Winnipeg Festival and the Winnipeg Folk Festival both celebrate Winnipeg's music community. The Winnipeg Music Festival offers a competition venue to amateur musicians. The Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival is the second-largest alternative theatre festival in North America.^[105] The Winnipeg International Writers Festival (THIN AIR) brings writers from all over the world to Winnipeg for workshops and readings.

Music and dance

The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO) is the largest and oldest professional musical ensemble in Winnipeg.^[106] It performs at the Centennial Concert Hall, and also runs the New Music Festival to display contemporary classical music. The Manitoba Chamber Orchestra (MCO) runs a series of chamber orchestral concerts each year, including CBC's Candlelight Concerts series.^[107] Manitoba Opera is Manitoba's only full-time professional opera company.^[108]

Among the most notable musical acts associated with Winnipeg are Neil Young, The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Streetheart, Harlequin, Chantal Kreviazuk, Bif Naked, Venetian Snares, Comeback Kid, The Waking Eyes, Econoline Crush, Brent Fitz, Jet Set Satellite, the New Meanies, Propagandhi, The Weakerthans, The Perpetrators, Crash Test Dummies, Christine Fellows, The Wailin' Jennys, Remy Shand, The Duhks, and The Stills.

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB) is Canada's oldest ballet company and the longest continuously operating ballet company in North America.^[109] It was the first organization to be granted a royal title under the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.^[109] The RWB also runs a full-time classical dance school, which is recognized internationally for excellence in dance training.^[109]

Cuisine

Winnipeg's restaurants and specialty food stores represent many ethnic cuisines, including those of the local Ukrainian, Jewish, Mennonite, Chinese, Indian, Italian, Korean, Greek, Thai, French, Vietnamese, and Filipino populations.^[110] Regional dishes include Winnipeg goldeye, a kind of smoked fish, fresh pickerel fillets and pickerel cheeks, and an East European style of light rye bread called Winnipeg rye.^[111] Also associated with Winnipeg are nips (hamburgers) from Salisbury House restaurant, perogies, Jeanne's cake, Russian mints from Morden's Chocolate, Old Dutch potato chips, and beer from the Half Pints and Fort Garry breweries.^[111]

Local media

Winnipeg has two daily newspapers: the Winnipeg Free Press and the Winnipeg Sun.^[112] There are five weekly newspapers delivered free to most Winnipeg households by region. There are several ethnic weekly newspapers,^[113] as well as regionally and nationally based magazines based in the city.

Television broadcasting in Winnipeg started in 1954, two years later than in eastern Canada. The federal government, in the interests of Canadian culture, refused to license any private broadcaster until the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation had created a national network. In May of 1954, CBWT went on the air with 4 hours of broadcasting including a 15 minute newscast.^[35] The first local private station CJAY began broadcasting in 1960. There are presently five English language stations and one French language station based in Winnipeg that supply free programming to the city. Additionally, some American network affiliates are available over-the-air.^[114]

Winnipeg is home to 24 AM and FM radio stations, two of which are French-language stations.^[115] CBC Radio One and CBC Radio 2 broadcast local and national programming in the city. NCI is devoted to Aboriginal programming and CKJS is devoted to multilingual ethnic programming.

Sports

Winnipeg has been home to several professional hockey, football, and baseball franchises. The Winnipeg Jets, the city's former National Hockey League team, was lost during the 1995-96 season to Phoenix, Arizona after a large and emotional campaign to "Save the Jets".^[116] Winnipeg has plans to replace Canad Inns Stadium, current home of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The University of Manitoba Bisons and the University of Winnipeg Wesmen represent the city in interuniversity sport. Winnipeg has two Manitoba Junior Hockey League teams, the Winnipeg Saints and the Winnipeg South Blues. The city is represented in the Canadian Junior Football League by the Winnipeg Rifles, and in the Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League by the Winnipeg Alliance FC.

As for motorsports, Manitoba offers central Canada’s largest high bank Dirt Oval racing facility (Red River Co-op Speedway). The facility offers ten different racing classes with racing happening most Thursday’s of the dry season (May-September). Dirt Track Stock Car Racing is the 4th largest spectator sport in Manitoba and still continues to grow

The MTS Centre, located downtown, is now the world's 19th busiest arena (its highest ranking ever), 13th busiest among facilities in North America, and 3rd busiest in Canada.^[117] Winnipeg is the first Canadian city to ever host the Pan American Games, and the second city in the world to host the event twice, once in 1967 and once in 1999.^[118]

Professional sports teams

Club	League	Venue	Established	Championships
Winnipeg Blue Bombers	CFL	Canad Inns Stadium	1930	10
Manitoba Moose	AHL	MTS Centre	1996	0
Winnipeg Goldeyes	Northern League	Canwest Park	1994	1

Law and government

In 1869–70, Winnipeg was the site of the Red River Rebellion.^[119] This rebellion led to Manitoba's entry into Confederation as Canada's fifth province in 1870,^[119] and on November 8, 1873, Winnipeg was incorporated as a city.^[120]

Since 1992, the city of Winnipeg is represented by 15 city councillors and a mayor elected every four years.^[121] The present mayor, Sam Katz, was elected to office in 2004 and re-elected in 2006.^[122] Katz is Winnipeg's first Jewish mayor.^[123]

The city is a single-tier municipality, governed by a mayor-council system.^[124] The structure of the municipal government is set out by the province of Manitoba in the City of Winnipeg Charter Act, which replaced the old City of Winnipeg Act in 2003.^[125] The mayor is elected by direct popular vote to serve as the chief executive of the city.^[126] At Council meetings, the mayor has one of 16 votes. The City Council is a unicameral legislative body, representing geographical wards throughout the city.^[125]

In provincial politics, Winnipeg is represented by 31 provincial Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs)—25 are members of the New Democratic Party (NDP), four are members of the Progressive Conservative Party, and two are members of the Liberal Party.^[127] In the provincial election of 2007, the NDP won two ridings from the Conservatives, rising from 23 to its present 25 seats in the city.^[128] All three leaders of the provincial parties represent Winnipeg in the legislature.^[129] Most Premiers of Manitoba have been residents of Winnipeg.

In federal politics, Winnipeg is represented by eight Members of Parliament: four Conservatives, three New Democrats, and one Liberal.^[130] There are six Senators representing Manitoba in Ottawa.^[131] Only two list Winnipeg as the division they represent, although all of them were residents of Winnipeg when appointed to the Senate. The political affiliation in the Senate is three Liberals, two Conservatives, and one Independent.^[131]

Crime

In 2004, Winnipeg had the fourth-highest overall crime rate among Canadian Census Metropolitan Areas listed, with 12,167 Criminal Code of Canada offences per 100,000 inhabitants; only Regina, Saskatoon, and Abbotsford had higher crime rates.^[132] Winnipeg had the highest rate among centres with populations greater than 500,000.^[132] The crime rate was 50% higher than that of Calgary, and more than double that of Toronto.^[132]

Statistics Canada shows that in 2005, Manitoba had the highest decline of overall crime in Canada at nearly 8%.^[133]

Manitoba has also had a continued problem with auto thefts, most of which occur in Winnipeg.^[134] To combat auto theft, Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) established financial incentives for motor vehicle owners to install ignition immobilisers in their vehicles. It now requires owners of high-risk vehicles to install immobilisers.^[135]

Winnipeg is protected by the Winnipeg Police Service, which has 1418 members. ^[136]

Education

Education is a responsibility of the provincial government in Canada.^[137] In Manitoba, public school education is governed by The Public Schools Act, The Education Administration Act, and regulations made under both Acts.^[137] Rights and responsibilities of the Minister of Education, Citizenship and Youth, public school boards, principals, teachers, parents and students are set out in the legislation.^[137] Winnipeg is home to private schools, both religious and secular. These are not governed by school boards, but must still adhere to regulations outlined by the province.

The University of Manitoba is the largest university in Manitoba, the most comprehensive and the only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution.^[138] It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university.^[138] In a typical year, the university has an enrolment of 22,500 undergraduate students and 3,500 graduate students.^[139] Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface, the city's only French college, is affiliated with the University of Manitoba.

The University of Winnipeg received its charter in 1967, but its founding colleges date back more than 130 years.^[140] The founding colleges were Manitoba College 1871, and Wesley College 1888, which merged to form United College in 1938.^[140] Until 2007, it was an undergraduate institution that offered some joint graduate studies programs. It now offers graduate programs exclusive to the university. In 2008, the university created a new faculty of business consisting of economics and business programs hived off from the faculty of arts.

The Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) is a private Mennonite university established in 1999. It was formed through the almagamation of three colleges: Canadian Mennonite Bible College (founded in 1947), Concord College (founded as Mennonite Brethren Bible College in 1944), and Menno Simons College (founded in 1988).^[141] It is an undergraduate institution, and offers some programs jointly with the University of Winnipeg.

Winnipeg also has two independent colleges: Red River College and Booth College. Red River College offers diploma, certificate, and apprenticeship programs and, starting in 2009, began offering a limited number of degree programs. In May 2009, the federal government of Canada pledged $9.5-million of funding to the college to help reconstruct the 104-year-old Union Bank Tower (regarded as "Canada's oldest skyscraper") for a second urban campus in downtown Winnipeg.^[142] Booth College, a Christian Salvation Army college, is a private university college established in 1982. It offers mostly arts degrees, as well as seminary training.

School divisions

There are seven school divisions in Winnipeg:^[143]

• Winnipeg School Division
• St. James-Assiniboia School Division
• Pembina Trails School Division
• Seven Oaks School Division
• Division Scolaire Franco-Manitobaine
• River East Transcona School Division
• Louis Riel School Division

Private schools are not governed by any school division.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Winnipeg has had public transit since 1882, starting with horse-drawn streetcars.^[144] They were replaced by electric trolley cars. The trolley cars ran from 1892 to 1955, supplemented by motor buses after 1918, and electric trolleybuses from 1938 to 1970.^[144] Winnipeg Transit now runs diesel buses.^[145] For decades, the city has explored the idea of a rapid transit link, either bus or rail, from downtown to the University of Manitoba's suburban campus.^[146]

Winnipeg is a railway hub and is served by VIA Rail, Canadian National Railway (CNR), Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), Burlington Northern Santa Fe Manitoba, and the Central Manitoba Railway (CEMR). It is the only city between Vancouver and Thunder Bay with direct U.S. connections by rail.^[147]

The city is connected to the United States via Provincial Trunk Highway 75 (PTH 75) (a continuation of I-29 and US 75). The highway runs 107 km (66 mi) to Emerson, Manitoba, and is the busiest Canada – United States border crossing between Vancouver and the Great Lakes.^[148] Much of the commercial traffic through Emerson either originates from or is destined for Winnipeg. Inside the city, the highway is locally known as Pembina Highway (Route 42).

The four-lane highway Perimeter Highway, built in 1969, serves as a Ring Road, with at-grade intersections and a few interchanges. It allows travellers on the Trans-Canada Highway to by-pass the city. A recent study cited dangerous intersections and low efficiency as its primary shortfalls.^[149] The Trans-Canada Highway runs east to west through the city (city route), or circles around the city on the Perimeter Highway (beltway). The city is also the starting point on the Yellowhead highway.

Some of the city's major arterial roads include Route 80 (Waverley St.), Route 155 (McGillivray Blvd), Route 165 (Bishop Grandin Blvd.), Route 17 (Chief Peguis Trail), and Route 90 (Brookside Blvd., Oak Point Hwy., King Edward St., Century St., Kenaston Blvd.).

Winnipeg's Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport is currently under redevelopment. A new terminal building is scheduled for completion by 2010, along with an office tower and a second hotel.^[150] The field was Canada's first international airport when it opened in 1928 as Stevenson Aerodrome.^[151] The airport is the 7th busiest in Canada in terms of passenger traffic and, along with Winnipeg/St. Andrews Airport, is among the top 20 in terms of aircraft movements.^[152]

Winnipeg Bus Terminal, located at Winnipeg International Airport, offers domestic and international service by Greyhound Canada, Jefferson Lines, Grey Goose Bus Lines, Beaver Bus Lines, Winnipeg Shuttle Service and Brandon Air Shuttle. ^[153]

Winnipeg has embarked on an ambitious wayfinding program, erecting new signage at strategic downtown locations.^[154] The intention is to make it easier for travellers, specifically tourists, to locate services and attractions.

Medical centres and hospitals

Winnipeg's major hospitals include Health Sciences Centre, Concordia Hospital, Deer Lodge Centre, Grace Hospital, Misericordia Health Centre, Riverview Health Centre, Saint Boniface General Hospital, Seven Oaks General Hospital, Victoria General Hospital, and The Children's Hospital of Winnipeg.^[155]

The National Microbiology Laboratory is Canada's front line in its response to infectious diseases and one of only a handful of Biosafety level 4 microbiology laboratories in the world.^[156] The National Research Council also has the Institute for Biodiagnostics laboratory located in the downtown area.

Military

Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg, co-located at the airport, is home to many flight operations support divisions and several training schools. It is also the headquarters of 1 Canadian Air Division and the Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Region.^[157] The base is supported by over 3,000 military personnel and civilian employees.

17 Wing of the Canadian Forces is based at CFB Winnipeg. The Wing comprises three squadrons and six schools; it also provides support to the Central Flying School.^[158] Excluding the three levels of government, 17 Wing is the fourth largest employer in the city.^[159] The Wing supports 113 units, stretching from Thunder Bay to the Saskatchewan/Alberta border, and from the 49th parallel to the high Arctic.^[158] 17 Wing also acts as a deployed operating base for CF-18 Hornet fighter-bombers assigned to the Canadian NORAD Region.^[158]

There are two squadrons based in the city. The 402 "City of Winnipeg" Squadron flies the Canadian-designed and -produced de Havilland CT-142 Dash 8 navigation trainer.^[160] The 435 "Chinthe" Transport and Rescue Squadron flies the Lockheed CC-130 Hercules tanker/transport in airlift search and rescue roles.^[161] In addition, 435 Squadron is the only Canadian Forces Air Command squadron equipped and trained to conduct air-to-air refueling of fighter aircraft.^[161]

Winnipeg is home to a number of reserve units:

• The Royal Winnipeg Rifles
• The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada infantry (along with the The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada Museum)
• 735 Communications Regiment
• 17 Service Battalion
• 17 (Winnipeg) Field Ambulance at Minto Armoury
• The Fort Garry Horse armoured reconnaissance regiment at McGregor Armoury
• HMCS Chippawa Naval Reserve Division

For many years, Winnipeg was the home of the Second Battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (2 PPCLI). Initially, the battalion was based at the Fort Osborne Barracks near present-day Osborne Village. They eventually moved to the Kapyong Barracks located in River Heights/Tuxedo. Since 2004, the 550 men and women of the battalion have operated out of CFB Shilo near Brandon.^[162]

Sister cities

Winnipeg maintains trade development programs, cultural and educational partnerships in sister city agreements with these cities:

• 1970: Setagaya (Japan) ^[163]
• 1971: Reykjavík (Iceland) ^[164]
• 1973: Lviv (Ukraine) ^[164]
• 1979: Manila (Philippines) ^[165]
• 1982: Taichung (Republic of China) ^[166] and Kuopio (Finland) ^[167]
• 1984: Beersheba (Israel) ^[168]
• 1988: Chengdu (China) ^[169]
• 1992: Jinju (South Korea) ^[170]
• 1999: San Nicolás de los Garza (Mexico) ^[168]

Winnipeg and Minneapolis (USA) were formerly sister cities.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Ukrainian Labour Temple
• Valour Road
• List of Winnipeg bus routes
• List of cities in Canada
• TRU Winnipeg
• Red River Floodway
• Manitoba Legislative Building

Notes

Further reading

• J. M. Bumsted, The Winnipeg General Strike of 1919: An Illustrated History (1994), 140 pp. heavily illus; ISBN 0-920486-40-1.
• Ramsay Cook; The Politics of John W. Dafoe and the Free Press (1963), 305 pp. B&W illustrations; ISBN 0802051197
• Grayson, J. P., and L. M. Grayson, "The Social Base of Interwar Political Unrest in Urban Alberta". Canadian Journal of Political Science, 7: 289–313 (1974)
• Hanlon, Christine; Edie, Barbara; Pendgracs, Doreen. Manitoba Book of Everything (2008) (ISBN 978-0-9784784-5-2)
• Kenneth McNaught; A Prophet in Politics: A Biography of J. S. Woodsworth (RICH: Reprints in Canadian History) (Paperback) Introduction Allen Mills. (2001), 304 pp.; ISBN 0802084273
• Norman Penner, ed., Winnipeg 1919: The Strikers' Own History of the Winnipeg General Strike (Toronto: 1973)
• Greg Shilliday, ed., Manitoba 125 - A History" (1995) ISBN 0-9697804-1-9 (v.1)
• K. W. Taylor; "Voting in Winnipeg During the Depression" Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology v 19 #2 1982. pp 222+
• Taylor, K. W., and Nelson Wiseman, "Class and Ethnic Voting in Winnipeg: The Case of 1941". Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology 14: 174-87 1977
• Wiseman, Nelson and K. W. Taylor, "Ethnic vs Class Voting: the Case of Winnipeg, 1945". Canadian Journal of Political Science 7: 314-28 1974
• Wiseman, Nelson and K. W. Taylor, "Class and Ethnic Voting in Winnipeg During the Cold War". Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology 16: 60–76 1979

External links

• Winnipeg.ca - Official Winnipeg website
• Destination Winnipeg economic and travel guide
• Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000: Winnipeg at Environment Canada
• Transit Riders' Union of Winnipeg
• Miles MacDonell Collegiate Alumni Association - Local Winnipeg History
• The Climate and Weather of Winnipeg, Manitoba - from Living in Canada
• Winnipeg and Manitoba stories- 250 stories about Winnipeg and Manitoba History

	Rockwood Rosser St. François Xavier	St. Andrews West St. Paul	St. Clements East St. Paul
	Cartier Headingley		Springfield
		Winnipeg
	Macdonald	Ritchot	Taché

Provincial and territorial capitals of Canada Victoria, BC · Edmonton, AB · Regina, SK · Winnipeg, MB · Toronto, ON · Quebec City, QC · Fredericton, NB · Halifax, NS · Charlottetown, PE · St. John's, NL · Whitehorse, YT · Yellowknife, NT · Iqaluit, NU

Neighbourhoods in Winnipeg Agassi · Airport · Alpine Place · Amber Trails · Archwood · Armstrong Point · Beaumont · Betsworth · Birchwood · Booth · Broadway–Assiniboine · Brockville · Brooklands · Bruce Park · Buchanan · Burrows–Keewatin · Burrows Central · Canterbury Park · Centennial · Central Park · Central St Boniface  · Chalmers · Charleswood · Chinatown · Cloutier Drive · Colony · Crescent Park · Crescentwood · Crestview · Dakota Crossing · Daniel McIntyre · Deer Lodge · Dufferin · Dufresne · Eaglemere · Earl Grey · East Elmwood · East Kildonan · Ebby–Wentworth · Edgeland · Elm Park · Elmhurst · Eric Coy · Exchange District · Fort Richmond · Fort Rouge · Garden City · Glendale · Glenelm · Glenwood · Grant Park · Grassie · Heritage Park · Holden · Inkster–Faraday · Inkster Gardens · Island Lakes · J.B. Mitchell · Jameswood · Jefferson · Kensington · Kern Park · Kil-cona Park · Kildare–Redonda · Kildonan Drive · King Edward · Kingston Crescent · Kirkfield · Lavalee · Leila–McPhillips Triangle · Linden Woods · Logan–CPR · Lord Roberts · Lord Selkirk Park · Luxton · Maginot · Mandalay West · Margaret Park · Marlton · Mathers · Maybank · McMillan · Meadowood · Meadows · Melrose · Minnetonka · Minto · Mission Gardens · Montcalm · Munroe East · Munroe West · Mynarski · Niakwa Park · Niakwa Place · Norberry · Normand Park · North Point Douglas · North St Boniface · Norwood East · Norwood West · Old Tuxedo · Parc La Salle · Peguis · Pembina Strip · Point Road · Portage–Ellice · Pulberry · Radisson · Richmond Lakes · Richmond West · Ridgedale · Ridgewood South · River–Osborne · River East · River Heights · River Park South · River West Park · Riverbend · Rivergrove · Riverview · Robertson · Roblin Park · Rockwood · Roslyn · Rosser–Old Kildonan · Rossmere–A · Rossmere–B · Royalwood · Sargent Park · Seven Oaks · Seven Oaks · Shaughnessy Park · Silver Heights · Sir John Franklin · South Point Douglas · South Portage · South Tuxedo · Southboine · Southdale · Southland Park · Spence · Springfield North · Springfield South · St. George · St. James-Assiniboia · St. John's Park · St. John's · St. Matthews · St. Norbert · St. Vital · Perimeter South · Sturgeon Creek · Talbot–Grey · Templeton–Sinclair · The Maples · Tissot · Transcona South · Trappistes · Tuxedo · Tyndall Park · University · Valhalla · Valley Gardens · Varennes · Varsity View · Vialoux · Victoria Crescent · Victoria West · Vista · Waverley Heights · Wellington Crescent · West Alexander · West Broadway · West Wolseley · Westdale · Weston · Westwood · Whyte Ridge · Wildwood · Wilkes South · William Whyte · Victoria West · Windsor Park · Wolseley · Woodhaven · Worthington

Subdivisions of Manitoba Subdivisions Regions · Census divisions · Communities · Rural municipalities Cities Brandon · Dauphin · Flin Flon (part) · Portage la Prairie · Selkirk · Steinbach · Thompson · Winkler · Winnipeg

Pan American Games host cities 1951: Buenos Aires • 1955: Mexico City • 1959: Chicago • 1963: São Paulo • 1967: Winnipeg • 1971: Cali • 1975: Mexico City • 1979: San Juan • 1983: Caracas • 1987: Indianapolis • 1991: Havana • 1995: Mar del Plata • 1999: Winnipeg • 2003: Santo Domingo • 2007: Rio de Janeiro • 2011: Guadalajara • 2015: Toronto

Census metropolitan areas (CMAs) in Canada by size Toronto, ON · Montreal, QC · Vancouver, BC · Ottawa, ON · Calgary, AB · Edmonton, AB · Quebec City, QC · Winnipeg, MB · Hamilton, ON · London, ON · Kitchener-Waterloo, ON · St. Catharines-Niagara, ON · Halifax, NS · Oshawa, ON · Victoria, BC · Windsor, ON · Saskatoon, SK · Regina, SK · Sherbrooke, QC · St. John's, NL · Barrie, ON · Kelowna, BC · Abbotsford, BC · Greater Sudbury, ON · Kingston, ON · Saguenay, QC · Trois-Rivières, QC · Guelph, ON · Moncton, NB · Brantford, ON · Thunder Bay, ON · Saint John, NB · Peterborough, ON

From Wikiquote

Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada.

Sourced

• "...I was amazed how people would wear T-shirts at the windy corner of Portage and Main where the wind comes whistling off the plains. Seeing people wear T-shirts made me feel like a big pansy, I was in a big parka, and you'd see girls in little dresses going down the street. I couldn't understand it." Craig Ferguson from the Late, Late Show commenting on his time spent in Winnipeg in 2004 filming the movie Niagara Motel.
  • Winnipeg Sun, April 2, 2006. Hart Berger reporting.

• "Sweet guinea pig of Winnipeg!"
  • Hermes, from the TV series Futurama

• "If you kids can't keep your hands to yourself, I'm gonna turn this car around, and there'll be no Cape Canaveral for anybody. (Nelson smacks the back of his head). THATS IT! BACK TO WINNIPEG!" ~ A father warning his kids who are fooling around in the back of the car.
  • The Simpsons 3F17 - "Bart On The Road"

• "Every salvage mission that's been to this system has disappeared. Even those old pirates out at Winnipeg Drift say it's cursed."
  • The character Harper making a remark in EPISODE 112: The Mathematics of Tears in the TV series Andromeda

• "I could, remember when we were in Winnipeg? Six hours, I couldn’t go." Paul talking to Jamie about their dog who has to hold it in for hours while trapped in their apartment.
  • "An Angel For Murray" (406) Mad About You

• "With the thermometer at 30 below zero and the wind behind him, a man walking on Main Street in Winnipeg knows which side of him is which."
  • Stephen Leacock Source: My Discovery of the West, 1937

• “I wouldn't say it's cold, but every year Winnipeg's athlete of the year is an ice fisherman.”
  • Dale Tallon, ThinkExist.com

• “You could live in Winnipeg a thousand years and not meet Ringo, Paul McCartney, or Bob Dylan.”
  • Burton Cummings, ThinkExist.com

• “Winnipeg is like Fargo, North Dakota, without the action”
  • Billy Jay, ThinkExist.com

Unsourced

• “When my dad was playing in Winnipeg in '72-I was about 8 years old-he took me to my first outdoor rink in the winter. My feet were so cold, and then it gets even more excruciating once they start to thaw. It was the most excruciating pain I've ever had.”
  • Brett Hull
• “You've got to remember that west of Winnipeg the ridings the Liberals hold are dominated by people who are either recent Asian immigrants or recent migrants from eastern Canada: people who live in ghettoes and who are not integrated into western Canadian society.”
  • Stephen Harper

External links

From Wikitravel

Winnipeg [1] is a the capital and largest city in Manitoba, and a major centre on the Canadian Prairies. About 675,000 people live in the city proper, with about 725,000 in the entire metropolitan area. "The Peg" is a city as diverse in and of itself as the whole of Canada.

It is a well rounded city with a stable economy. It is a destination for architecture, rivers, history, money (mint) arts, and museums. It has something for everyone-from boutiques to cheap value stores, Winnipeg has a great retail market, where a lot of new concepts are tried.

Understand

Winnipeg started out as a fur trading post located at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, and was a crossroads for many early settlers. Many trails converged on the city and later became streets (which is evident when you see the city's somewhat haphazard road layout). After the construction of the CP railway across Canada, Winnipeg became a major transportation hub and "Gateway to the West." The city experienced a boom during the early 20th century, and for while was western Canada's major economic centre. Fortunately for the visitor, the economy slowed around the middle of the century, leaving intact a remarkable collection of period architecture, primarily in the city's downtown Exchange district.

The Red and Assiniboine rivers form Winnipeg's most prominent geographical features, and have played an important role in this city's development. "The Forks," where the Assiniboine flows into the Red, has been a meeting place since Aboriginal peoples first came there to trade. Today, it's the city's top tourist destination, with shops and restaurants representing the city's many ethnic groups, and a well-maintained expanse of riverside park.

Winnipeg is off the tourist trail for most visitors to Canada, and the visitor will experience an authentic and friendly Canadian Prairie City which leaves many pleasantly surprised.

Winter must haves Winnipeg is cold in the winter and if you plan on spending any time outside between November and April you should consider packing: Toque or earmuffs Long sleeve shirts Sweaters Thick jackets Boots (depending what you will be doing) Gloves or Mittens Scarf (optional, but very very helpful)

Daytime highs in July and August average around 79°F (26°C), and humidity can often make it feel uncomfortably hot, particularly in July. Winnipeg is also known for its high mosquito population, particularly during early summer.Late August and September tend to provide the most pleasant environment for summer visitors. The winters are long and can be cold with temperatures dropping below -4°F (-20°C) on most winter nights with rare extremes going down to -40c, though there is still much to enjoy during these months. Snow can be expected from November to late March. The city turns on what is arguably Canada's best display of Christmas lights from late November until well into January. More detailed climate information is available from Environment Canada [2].

Highway planning

Winnipeg is one of the first Canadian cities of its size to have a ring road (Highway 100/101), which provides a by-pass for travellers on the Trans-Canada Highway. Portage Avenue, the city route of the Trans-Canada Highway, follows regular city streets.

Get in

By plane

The Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport is the major airport serving the city. It is conveniently located in the west end of the city about 4.4 miles (7 km) from Portage and Main. Major airlines servicing Winnipeg include Air Canada [3], WestJet [4], Northwest Airlines [5], and United Airlines [6], as well as many smaller regional carriers.

There are daily non-stop flights to Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Hamilton, London (Ontario), Thunder Bay, Regina, Saskatoon, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, numerous smaller destinations in Manitoba, Northern Ontario, and Nunavut, as well as non-stop charter and seasonal service to Detroit, Florida, Mexico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.

Flight times are three hours to Vancouver, two and three quarter hours to Montreal, two and a half hours to Toronto, Ottawa or Denver, two hours to Edmonton, Calgary or Chicago, one hour to Minneapolis, Regina, Saskatoon or Thunder Bay.

The airport is currently building a new terminal which will open in 2010. Flight information phone line: 204-987-9780. [7].

The traveller may also wish to consider utilizing air services provided to Grand Forks, North Dakota or Fargo, North Dakota, which are two and a half hours and three and a half hours by road from Winnipeg respectively. Particlarly when flying to and from other points in the United States, this can result in very substantial savings. The international boundary at Pembina, North Dakota & Emerson, Manitoba is open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Then call the shuttle service [8] to get to or from Winnipeg.

There are usually, but not always, taxi cabs and Limo Sedans-for-hire waiting at the airport. Expect to pay around $20 plus tip (15-20%) for a taxi (room for about 2-3 people depending on luggage) to central Winnipeg. Maximum fare to anywhere in the city is about $55 depending on traffic. Limo-Sedan fares (up to 4 people with luggage) are generally $30 flat rate and up. The Limos can actually be cheaper per/person than a taxi depending on where you are going and because your price is pre-determined, the traffic and time it takes is not a factor. If you need a Limo or Shuttle Van (up to 10 people with luggage) you should have it pre-booked to guaranty it will be there, especially in the Winter. Pre-booking a Limo will cost you a little more, but it will be there when you arrive and waiting, just for you. If you need a private Limo or Shuttle Van, you can call Winnipeg Shuttle & Limo Xtra Service at (204) 981-0981 [9] They will meet and greet you at the Airport or anywhere you like, with personal and professional Door-to-Door Service.

Public transport is offered by Winnipeg Transit's Route 15 Mountain bus which runs every 10 to 25 minutes between about 6:00AM to 1:00AM (depending on time of day - Saturdays & Sundays/Holidays both have their own bus schedule) and will take you downtown in about 30 minutes. Fare is $2.30.

By bus

Greyhound Canada and Grey Goose [10] provide service to downtown Winnipeg from across the continent; routes also extend throughout the province of Manitoba. The bus depot is located at the Airport.

By train

Via Rail [11] offers The Canadian to Vancouver (via Edmonton and Jasper) or Toronto, which departs from Union Station at Broadway and Main. Trains to Toronto depart on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays; Trains to Vancouver depart Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Winnipeg is also the origin of The Hudson Bay, which departs three times weekly with service to Churchill on Hudson Bay via The Pas and Thompson. Union Station is within easy walking distance of The Forks. It was designed by the same architects behind Grand Central Station in New York, and is a monument to the Beaux-Arts era. It is definitely worth a visit and houses a railway museum in the summer months. Beware, trains are almost always extremely late, with delays above five hours being a not-uncommon occurrence.

By car

Winnipeg is on the Trans-Canada Highway [12]. From the south, take US Interstate 29, which then becomes provincial highway 75, and Pembina Highway once inside Winnipeg's city limits. Winnipeg is one hour from the Canada-US border and two and one half hours from Grand Forks, ND. From the west, the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) leads directly to Winnipeg from Regina. Winnipeg is 3 hours and 20 minutes from the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border. From the east, Ontario Highway 17 becomes Highway 1 at the Manitoba border (at which time it becomes a 4-lane divided highway). The journey from the Ontario border to Winnipeg is 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Approximate driving times from nearby cities to Winnipeg are about 8 hours from Saskatoon, 6 hours from Regina, 8 hours from Thunder Bay, 3.5 hours from Fargo, 6 hours from Bismarck and 7 hours from Sioux Falls or Minneapolis. It is 14 hours from Edmonton, Calgary or Chicago.

Get around

Winnipeg is a large, spread-out city, and it can take a while to get around. Unlike most North American cities this size, there is no urban freeway network in the city. Public transportation service is adequate to good in the inner part of the city and on main suburban roads, but only fair to poor in outer suburban areas and some bus routes run only infrequently during the evening or on weekends. Traffic jams, particularly in the downtown area, are common during the rush hour periods which are generally from 0730 to 0900 and 1530 to 1730 Monday to Friday. Much of Winnipeg's downtown real estate is devoted to parking, with ubiquitous and cheap surface lots continuing for multi-block stretches. It is worth considering renting a car, especially if any excursions outside of the city are planned.

Walking

Winnipeg is generally not a walking-centric city. Because municipal law mandates that all new buildings must contain large amounts of parking between the sidewalk and the building itself, pedestrians will be confronted with a morass of cars in all directions. Winnipeg's main arteries all contain boulevards and are extremely wide by world standards, with Main Street having ten lanes where it meets Portage Avenue downtown. However, this pedestrian-unfriendliness is primarily perceived rather than real. Virtually all streets contain sidewalks on both sides running for the street's entire length, and stoplight crossings are frequent even on highways.

Most of the major attractions are within walking distance of the intersection of Portage Avenue and Main Street, which is the heart of the city and all streets radiate outward from this intersection. The Forks is approximately a 10 to 15 minute walk away, and the French-speaking community of Saint Boniface is approximately 15 to 20 minutes stroll across the Red River. It is about a 20 minute walk across the Assiniboine River to the Osborne Village area and 30 minutes to Corydon Avenue. Interesting walks in Central Winnipeg include the River Walks along the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, the Esplanade Riel to St.Boniface and Tache and Provencher Avenues, along Broadway from Osborne to Main, and in the Exchange District. Also check out the Wolseley area (just to the southwest of downtown, great architecture, and a reasonable collection of shops, organic grocery stores and organic restaurants), Crescentwood (Wellington Crescent), and Scotia Street in the North End. One should note that walking across Portage and Main is prohibited and physically impeded by concrete barricades. Since the 1970's, and despite protests, pedestrians have been required to cross this famous intersection through an underground concourse, which has a variety of entry points in or near the office towers on all four corners.

As it can get very cold during Winnipeg's winters, the downtown area has a network of tunnels and sky-walks that can get you from the Fairmont Hotel east of Main Street all the way to One Canada Centre on Portage Avenue, a block east of the Greyhound bus depot. It connects you to all of the buildings around Portage and Main, Winnipeg Square, Cityplace and Portage Place malls, the Millennium Library (Winnipeg's central library branch) and the MTS Centre arena. It covers approximately 2km with many shops along the way, making travelling during the winter a lot easier.

By bus

Winnipeg Transit has bus routes running throughout the city. Service is generally good on major routes in the inner city but only fair to poor in the outer suburban areas. As of January 1st, 2009, adult bus fare is $2.30 (CDN). There is a reduced fare of $1.75 for children, high school/college students, and seniors (65+ years of age), for which identification is required. Tickets and passes are also available from some locations at reduced rates. A transfer can be requested when you pay your fare, which entitles you to ride as many buses as you like within the next 90 minutes.

From Downtown, use the 15 Sargent bus for the airport, the 11 Portage, (daytime 21 Express or 22 Express) buses for the bus depot, Polo Park mall, or Assiniboine Park, the 16 Osborne or 18 Corydon buses for Osborne Village, the 18 Corydon bus for Corydon Avenue, and the 18 North Main - Riverbend bus for Kildonan Park. For Saint Boniface use route 10 buses.

Transit's website [13] includes schedules and a helpful travel planner called Navigo.

Winnipeg has 3 free downtown buses (started to promote shopping). So if you're looking to get around downtown on little cash. Check this out: [14].

Shuttle Service

You can hire a "Flat-Rate Vehicle" to travel to your destination with a Shuttle or Limo Service. This "Door to Door" service can be more economical, especially for longer distances. As an "Airport Transfer Service" they can also provide a much larger vehicle, capable of transporting much more people (Shuttle Van -up to 10, Stretch SUV Limo -up to 12) including lots of luggage or up to 15 people without luggage. They can also stop at multiple locations to pick up your friends or relatives on the way to the Airport or where-ever you are going. This will also prove even more economical than taking separate taxi's. Your group can then split the cost of one larger vehicle. You can call Winnipeg Shuttle Service for prices and to reserve at (204) 981-0981.[15] They have many different types and sizes of vehicles, from Shuttle Vans, Executive Sedans and SUV'S, to Luxury Limousines, and Super-Stretch SUV Limousines to choose from with great service.

Taxi

Winnipeg Taxicab Tariff : Starting fee: $3.50 with 72.5 metres, then $0.10 for each additional 72.5 metres + $0.10 for each 13.18 seconds of time. Whenever the taxi stops, there's a "waiting time charge" of $0.10 for each 13.18 seconds of metered waiting time. A 10 km ride works out to about $17.20 + any waiting times + tip (15-20%).

Taxi's can only take 2-3 people with small luggage and maximum total of 4 people by Manitoba Law. The Taxi's are predominantly the Toyota Prius compact car.

The Taxi's are all metered and not allowed by law to give flat rates. Smoking is not allowed in any Public Area or Public Service Vehicle in Manitoba. Open alcohol is illegal in any vehicle in Manitoba including Taxis and Limos and is strictly enforced by the Police, RCMP and Provincial Authorities.

• Blueline Taxi (204) 925-8888
• Duffy's Taxi (204) 775-0101
• Spring Taxi (204) 774-8294
• Unicity Taxi (204) 925-3131
• Vital Transit Services Limited (204) 633-2022
• Winnipeg Shuttle and Limousine Service (204) 981-0981 [16]

• Statue Look, Portage Ave. between Spence and Westbrook. This area is full of all kinds of neat statues, artwork and designs that are eye catching and some, odd. Look at a giant bulldog, a weird fat man sitting, abstract rectangular prisms, historic figures, and more.

• The Forks [17]. A tourist attraction on the Red River. The Forks Market offers fresh and speciality foods plus more than 50 unique shops - housed in an eclectic and historic building that was originally a horse stable. The market has an excellent food court with various ethnic food options including favourites 'Taste of Sri Lanka' and 'Bindy's Caribbean Delights'. Head to the hayloft for handicrafts and one-of-a-kind items from clothing and artisan-inspired gifts to jewellery, toys and much more. In the winter you can rent ice skates and go skating down the Red River. In the summer, there are special events and outdoor entertainment almost daily, not to mention some fantastic patios and outdoor bars. If you're visiting Winnipeg, it's a must-see. For information, call 204.942.6302

• The Royal Canadian Mint [18]. The Royal Canadian Mint’s facility in Winnipeg, designed by local architect Etienne Gaboury, produces billions of coins each year. This is where all Canadian circulation coins are made, as well as those for 60+ governments all around the world. A fascinating guided tour includes the viewing of a 5-minute video in the theatre area followed by a 40-minute walking tour overlooking the state-of-the-art manufacturing facility where the precise art, craft, and science of coin-making is revealed. Open year-round, the on-site Boutique offers beautiful collector coins, an exclusive line of Royal Canadian Mint clothing, and an exciting collection of souvenirs and gift ideas. The adjacent interactive coin museum involves the visitor in unique learning activities including the ability to make your own souvenir coin and the opportunity to lift and hold a 99.99% pure gold bar worth over $200,000. The mint is located at 520 Lagimodiere Boulevard, at the junction of Highways 1 and 59. For information, call (204)983-6429 or 1-866-822-6724.

• The Exchange District National Historic Site[19].
  

  

  Music in the Market at the Exchange District in Downtown Winnipeg
  The heart of historic downtown Winnipeg is the Exchange District National Historic Site, an area of 20 blocks and more than 150 turn of the century buildings from Winnipeg's boom period. This National Historic Site is Winnipeg's cultural epicentre - home to many art galleries, art-house theatres and other cultural institutions, but the architecture and broad wealth of distinct retail and dining amenities have made it a premiere attraction for visitors to the city. Old Market Square is home to many of the city's premiere arts and cultural festivals, and the Historic Walking Tour Program [20] is a must-do for any visitor to Winnipeg. The area has also served as the backdrop for numerous films, most notably Brad Pitt's The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and Capote, often standing in for historic areas of Chicago and New York City. Check here [21] to learn more about the Exchange District.

• The Aboriginal Centre [22]. Located in the historic CP Rail Station, the Centre is a gathering place and vital central resource for Winnipeg’s Aboriginal community. Visitors will enjoy seeing the Rotunda area, complete with the original doorways through which many travellers passed, restored to its former grandeur. The Aboriginal Centre Restaurant provides tour groups and the casual lunch crowd, the opportunity to experience traditional Aboriginal cuisine. The Aboriginal culture is featured in various art forms at Canadian Plains Gallery. Scheduled summer tours operate from May long weekend to Labour Day weekend. Group tours available upon request September to May. Address:181 Higgins Avenue. Use extra caution when visiting this area. Hours: Monday to Friday 8:30-4:30. For information, call (204) 989-6383.

• Manitoba Legislative Building. Visit Manitoba’s beloved "Golden Boy", who is perched atop the Provincial Legislative building. The Golden Boy, a magnificently gilded 5.25M (17.2-foot) figure sculpted by Charles Gardet of Paris and cast in 1918 at the Barbidienne foundry in France, is probably Manitoba's best known symbol. Embodying the spirit of enterprise and eternal youth, he is poised atop the dome of the building. He faces the north, with its mineral resources, fish, forest, furs, hydroelectric power and seaport, where his province's future lies. The foundry was partially destroyed by bombs during the First World War, but the Golden Boy emerged unharmed. Go inside the building to see the exquisite grand staircase and rotunda. Guided tours available. 450 Broadway. For information, call (204) 945-5813, or check out information and a virtual tour at [23].

• St. Boniface. The city's French quarter boasts a wide variety of activities, shops and over a dozen restaurants guaranteed to satisfy your palate. Swing and dance at the winter festival Le Festival du Voyageur that runs for approximately a week every February, savour a home-cooked meal, visit exhibitions, take part in guided tours and view over 35 designated historical sites. For more information on St. Boniface, call the Riel Tourism Bureau at 1-866-808-8338 or locally, (204) 235-1433.

• St. Boniface Cathedral. The original cathedral, built in 1908, was destroyed by fire in 1968. The remaining walls were incorporated into the design of the new church, creating a dramatic facade facing west across the Red River towards downtown Winnipeg. The cathedral is a beautiful testament to Winnipeg's history. There are also theatrical productions performed in the adjacent cemetery. Hear stories from the French, Métis and Manitoba History while visiting gravesites of fascinating historical characters including Louis Riel, founder of our province. For information on Theatre in the Cemetery, call 1-866-808-8338 Address: 190 Avenue de la Cathédrale Hours: Tour hours are 2:00 and 7:00 p.m., Wednesday to Friday, 2:00, 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Season: July and August. For information, call (204) 233-7304

• Osborne Village. This is arguably the city's main cultural centre, catering mainly to twenty-somethings. Still, the area has a good mix of businesses that cater to all ages. "The village", as it is known, runs along Osborne Street from Roslyn Road, right up to the intersections of Pembina, Osborne, and Corydon. The street is lined with boutique fashion stores catering to all walks of life (from Goth to Hipster to Earthy and back), excellent restaurants, nightspots, and arguably one of the city's better record stores, Music Trader. The surrounding areas are full of large, beautiful homes and a few scattered businesses. A walk around the area in the summertime is highly recommended. With regards to nightlife, Buccacino's restaurant holds a Jazz night on Monday nights.Popular nightspots are The Toad, Carlos and Murphy's, and The Cavern. All locations are within a block of each other. Papa George's, a Greek restaurant, is open until 4AM (one of the few things open late in Winnipeg) and serves as an after-the-bar location for many partyers. The Gas Station theatre, once marked for demolition to put in a Giant Tiger location, still remains as the area's arts and cultural outlet.

• Manitoba Museum, 190 Rupert Ave (Downtown), ☎ (204) 956-2830, [24]. Summer hours (May 16-Sept 7): 10AM-5PM, Winter hours: Tue-Fri 10AM-4PM, Sat-Sun 11AM-5PM. You can explore a vivid portrayal of Manitoba’s rich and colourful history through nine galleries that total approximately 68,000 square feet of exciting exploration (approximately 4 football fields). All regions of Manitoba are represented in the galleries, including the Grasslands, the Boreal Forest, the Arctic/Sub arctic. There are also some recent additions to the Museum: the Hudson Bay Company Collections Gallery and the Parklands/Mixed Woods Gallery, which is the largest and most interactive of the galleries. $5-$8 (Senior, youth, family and bundle discounts).  edit
• Manitoba Children's Museum, 45 Forks Market Road (The Forks), ☎ (204) 924-4000 (general@childrensmuseum.com, fax: (204) 956-2122), [25]. Summer hours (July & August): 9:30AM-6PM, Winter hours: Sun-Thu 9:30AM-4:30PM, Fri-Sat 9:30AM-6PM. The Manitoba Children’s Museum is home to several hands-on galleries, offering plenty of family fun. Be a TV anchor, visit the land of fairy tales or climb aboard a fully refurbished locomotive and passenger train car. In November and December, you can take a magical stroll through the Santa Village and perhaps even meet the man in the red suit himself. $6.25-$7 (Senior, adult and group discounts).  edit
• Winnipeg Art Gallery, 300 Memorial Blvd (Across from the historic Hudson Bay department store on Portage Ave), ☎ 789-1760‎, [26]. Tue-Sun 11–5PM, Thur 11-9PM, Closed Mon. The Winnipeg Art Gallery is Western Canada's oldest gallery, and features Manitoban, Canadian, and international artists. With it's striking architecture, it is an integral part of downtown Winnipeg. Adults $6, Students/Seniors $4, Youth $3 (ages 6-12).  edit
• Manitoba Electrical Museum, 680 Harrow Street, ☎ 477-7905, [27]. Mon-Thur 1–4PM. A small but interesting museum, very kid friendly. Features electric street car, robot made of household electronics and consumer products through the ages. Free.  edit
• Costume Museum of Canada, 109 Pacific Ave (Exchange district), ☎ (204) 989-0072 (info@costumemuseum.com), [28]. Mon-Sat 10AM-5PM, Sun 12PM-4PM. This museum has wonderful exhibits that go through the history of fashion in Canada. The exhibits change frequently and with over 35000 artifacts, there is always something new to see. $4-$5 (Senior, student discounts).  edit

Architecture

Modern architecture

• Winnipeg Art Gallery

• Promenade de Riel

• St. Boniface Cathedral

• Winnipeg Clinic

• Manitoba Hydro

Old Architecture

Winnipeg is filled with historical architecture. Almost every corner in downtown has a historical building with amazing details, colouring, and preservation. All one has to do is walk along Main Street, Portage Avenue, or Osborne Street to see that beauty. If youre looking for specific underpants:

• Manitoba Legislature.  edit
• Union Building.  edit
• Confederation Life.  edit
• Hotel McLaren.  edit
• Paris Building.  edit
• Vital Statistics Building - Winnipeg.  edit
• Keewayden Building.  edit
• Hydro Sub Stn No1.  edit
• Maltese Cross Building, 63 King St.  edit
• Ashdown Warehouse.  edit
• The Grain Exchange.  edit

• Assiniboine Park. If you are looking for a great summer outing at the park with a frisbee, this is the place to go. There is a zoo and all of its amenities on site for those wanting an attraction. Explore over 378 acres (153 hectares) along the Assiniboine River. The Zoo, Conservatory, English Garden, Leo Mol Sculpture Garden, Tudor-style pavilion, and a fine example of a French formal garden are a few of the features found in the park. Picnic areas and cycling and walking trails are popular with visitors. In the winter, enjoy cross-country skiing, tobogganing and skating on the Duck Pond. All public areas are wheelchair accessible. Main Entrance is on Corydon Avenue one mile west of Kenaston Boulevard. The park may also be accessed from Portage Avenue via a footbridge over the Assiniboine River. Address: 2355 Corydon Avenue

• Assiniboine Park Conservatory. View 10 different displays a year in the Floral Display Gallery, including Orchid and Bonsai shows and a special Holiday Lights Display over the Christmas season. Dating from 1914, the Palm House exhibits a tropical jungle with visitors walking under a canopy of mature tropical trees to admire orchids selected from the Conservatory’s extensive collection. The Gift Shop offers unique gifts for the gardener in everyone. The Garden Restaurant serves light meals and refreshments in a garden atmosphere. For information, call (204)986-5537.

• St. Vital Park. Situated on the Red River, this park is the perfect place for family get-togethers and recreational sports. In winter, the duck pond becomes a skating rink. Located on River Road, north of Bishop Grandin Boulevard. For information, call (204) 986-7623.

• Kildonan Park. North on Main, this park is a favourite, especially Sunday night "Cruise Nights". You will find many interesting new and vintage cars cruising through the park and meeting up with friends. Kildonan Park is also home to the Rainbow Stage theatre, which is an open-aired theatre located in the centre of the park. Rainbow Stage company puts on a professional musical every summer, usually running from the end of July until the end of August. As most parks, they also have BBQ/Picnic designated areas, a pool, play structures, and some interesting landscaping.

• Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB), 380 Graham Avenue (Downtown), ☎ (204) 956-0183 (fax: (204) 943-1994), [29]. The Royal Winnipeg Ballet is known worldwide for its technical excellence and its eclectic repertoire. Strongly rooted in classical ballet, the RWB’s repertoire is diverse, ranging from the classics to innovative contemporary ballet. $12-$15 (senoir, student, subscription discounts).  edit
• Manitoba Theatre Centre (MTC), 174 Market Ave (Downtown), ☎ (204) 942-6537 (patronservices@mtc.mb.ca, fax: (204) 947-3741), [30]. Discover Canada’s flagship regional theatre producing 10 exciting productions in two state-of-the-art venues: the Mainstage and the Warehouse along with a Master Playwright Festival and the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival. Main season runs October to May. $25-$85 (student, senior, subscription discounts).  edit
• Manitoba Theatre for Young People (MTYP), 2 Forks Market Rd (The Forks), ☎ (204) 942-8898 (fax: (204) 943-4129), [31]. Manitoba Theatre for Young People presents a full season of professional theatre for young people, age 3 to teen, and their families. One of the most respected theatre companies in Canada, for children or adults, MTYP presents 10 plays each season in their state-of-the-art, fully reconfigurable theatre. Each year, MTYP welcomes guest companies from around the world, as well as creating and presenting plays by the company’s own artistic team. The season runs from October to May. $27-$30 (student, senior, group discounts).  edit

Festivals

The city is home to several festivals.

• Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival (The Fringe), Old Market Square (Exchange district), ☎ (204) 942-6537 (info@winnipegfringe.com), [32]. July 15th-26th, 2009. North America's second largest Fringe Festival, held every July. $4-$9, passes available.  edit

• Folklorama, venues throughout the city (guides available), ☎ (204) 982-6210 (info@folklorama.ca, fax: (204) 943-1956), [33]. August 2nd-15th, 2009. The largest and longest running multicultural event of its kind in the world. Cultural pavilions are spread out at various locations throughout the city for two weeks in August, with a wonderful variety of music, dancing, and food showcasing the city's amazing ethnic diversity.  edit

• Winnipeg Jazz Festival [34] is in June, with performers in multiple venues around town.

• Winnipeg Folk Festival [35] is every July in Bird's Hill Park, just a short drive north of the city.

• Red River Exhibition [36] runs from late June to early July in Exhibition Park, near the Assiniboia Downs Racetrack at the southern end of the city.

• Le Festival du Voyageur [37] is western Canada's largest winter festival. For 10 days in February, this fur-trade-themed celebration lights up Saint Boniface, Winnipeg's French Quarter.

• Winnipeg Comedy Festival [38] is an annual festival that takes place at the Gas Station Theatre, in Osbourne Village.

• Manitoba Moose [39], Ice hockey (American Hockey League): MTS Centre, Portage Avenue and Donald Street. The Manitoba Moose are the farm team for the Vancouver Canucks. Fans attending Moose games are are able to watch many recent draft picks and future stars of the NHL. The MTS Centre was built in 2004 and is an amazing venue for hockey games and concerts. The hockey season begins in October and ends in May. Tickets for Moose games range from $12-$35.

• Winnipeg Blue Bombers [40], Football (Canadian Football League): Canad Inns Stadium, 1465 Maroons Road (next to Polo Park Shopping Centre). The Blue Bombers have a long history of support in the city. The Bombers have made it to the league finals 21 times since 1937. They last won the Grey Cup in 1990; in 2007, they lost the final to Saskatchewan, their friendly rivals. The CFL season starts in June and ends in November. Tickets to see a game at Canad Inns Stadium range from $20 to $75. In 2006, Winnipeg hosted the Grey Cup.

• Winnipeg Goldeyes [41], Baseball (Northern League): CanWest Global Park, 1 Portage Avenue East (next to the Forks). Since returning to Winnipeg in 1994, the team has been a perennial powerhouse, missing the playoffs only once and frequently finishing first in their division. CanWest Global Park is considered one of the nicest minor league baseball parks in North America. The season runs from May to September. Tickets are very affordable, ranging from $4-$15. With room for only 7,481, most games are sell outs.

• Assiniboia Downs [42]. Live thoroughbred horse racing Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Sundays and holidays are Family Fun Days with free children’s activities: petting farm, pony rides and giant inflatables. The licensed terrace dining room overlooks the race track. Year-round simulcast wagering on races from around the globe. Season runs from the beginning of May to the end of September. Located at 3975 Portage Avenue. For information, call (204)885-3330.

• Club Regent Casino [43]. The Casinos of Winnipeg are the two largest casinos in Western Canada. With its exotic tropical theme, Club Regent Casino is the best indoor vacation sensation in the nation. It boasts the second highest waterfall in the province and one of the largest walk-through aquariums in Canada. This casino is a tropical forest filled with fun dining and the best local and international entertainment in the concert bowl and lounge. And don’t forget the huge variety of games. Group tours available. Located at 1425 Regent Avenue W., open Monday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 a.m., Sunday, noon – 3:00 a.m. Closed on selected holidays. For information, call (204) 957-2700 or 1-800-265-3912.

• McPhillips Street Station Casino [44]. This casino, designed like a last-century railway village, offers a wide range of gaming options to suit all types of play and personal interest, including slots, table games, video gaming, and bingo. Experience local and international entertainment in the concert bowl. Grab a lunch or dinner buffet, Sunday brunch or take a look at the new a-la-carte menu. Take a multi-sensory magical history tour of Manitoba aboard the Millennium Express. Group tours are also available. Located at 484 McPhillips Street, open year-round; Monday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 a.m., Sunday, noon – 3:00 a.m. Closed on selected holidays. For information, call toll free 1-800-265-3912.

Buy

Aboriginal Crafts at the Forks market, many of which are unique to Winnipeg. Provincial Tax in Manitoba is 7% and Federal tax in Canada is 5%, therefore, expect your purchases to cost an additional 12% worth of tax.

• Corydon Avenue is one of the hottest areas in the city. This place is full of all kinds of stuff to browse. Drop in a neat grill or buy at the trendy shoe shop.

• Osborne Street is very up and coming and definitely something you should check out. Here you can admire the historical architecture whilst shopping among top-notch boutiques.

• Portage Avenue is ripped right through the downtown. In here are many different shops.

• Garden City Shopping Centre, 2305 Mc Phillips Street, ☎ 1-204-338-7076, [45]. located on the corner of McPhillips and Leila, is one level mall that has a lot of different stores, a small cinema, Sears, Canadian Tire and Winners  edit

• Polo Park Mall [46], located on Portage Avenue, is a large mall containing many stores, and a 500 seat food court. It is situated very near to the Canad Inns Stadium, where the Winnipeg Blue Bombers play. Included in the mall is Sears, The Bay, Zellers and a large movie theatre just across from the mall. As well as Phat, the urban headware store.

• St. Vital Centre [47], located off of St. Mary's Road at Bishop Grandin Boulevard, is a one level mall containing a variety of stores, a 550 seat food court, a large cinema, and a 22,000 square foot Chapters book store. Restaurants located in and around the mall, include Moxie's Classic Grill, Montana's Cookhouse, and earls.

• Ten Thousand Villages, 134 Plaza Drive (near the intersection of Pembina Highway and Bishop Grandin Boulevard), ☎ 204.261.0566, [48]. 10:00-5:30, Monday to Saturday. A fair-trade store run by the Mennonite Central Committee. The store offers various hand-made gifts and crafts created by artisans from around the world. All merchandise is bought from the artisans at a fair price to help provide income for struggling families in the developing world. (49.82349,-97.148) edit

Eat

Local cuisine includes:

• Winnipeg goldeye, a smoked fish available at most grocery stores and fish markets.

• Winnipeg-style rye bread, best bought unsliced directly from City Bread, 232 Jarvis Avenue, or Kub Bakery, 626 Stella Avenue.

• Winnipeg-style cream cheese is a good accompaniment for Gunn's bagels.

Other favourites are:

• Fresh pickerel filets and cheeks.

• Russian mints from Morden's Chocolate, 674 Sargent Avenue.

• Beer from Half Pints Brewing [49] 334 Keewaitin Avenue, and Fort Garry Brewing, [50].

• Manitoba maple syrup

• Kubasa or kielbasa, a ready-to-eat Eastern European pork garlic sausage smoked daily at Winnipeg Old Country Sausage, Metro Meats, Central Products, Tenderloin Meat, Karpaty Meat, and Wawel Meat Market.

• Mennonite farmer's sausage from Winkler Meats (for frying or barbecuing).

Restaurants

• Alycia's Restaurant, Ukrainian cuisine, patronized by the late comedian John Candy. 559 Cathedral Avenue at McGregor Street, in the North End.

• North Star Drive In, which is actually located right across the street from Alycia's, has arguably the best burger in town. If you try this family-run drive in, expect very friendly staff and delicious burgers, hot dogs, fries, etc. North Star also always has a fresh dogbowl of water if you happen to bring your pet along. Located at 531 McGregor, in the North End.

• C. Kelekis: A Winnipeg institution that started off with Mr. Kelekis Sr.'s popcorn wagon in the early part of the 20th century. Later the family opened a hot dog stand by Selkirk Locks but moved to the present location in 1931. Simple food, but very well cooked. The shoestring French fries, made fresh every day, are justly famed. The restaurant is also known for the wall of celebrity photos. Because of the restrictive liquor laws in Manitoba in the mid 20th C., drinking establishments were often closed as early as midnight or 1:00 AM. Kelekis, due to it's late hours and good reputation became the night spot for many entertainers and politicians. Today its hours are a little more restrained, closing at 7:30 on weeknights, but the food is just as delicious. 1100 Main St, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 1 204 582-1786.

• Salisbury House 21 of them scattered all over the city. Started during the Dirty Thirties, the company still succeeded due to good food at decent prices. For some reason, Salisbury refers to hamburgers as "Nips", and as every Canadian knows, French fried potatoes are "chips". Hence a hamburger and French fries is known to a few Manitobans as "nip'n'chips". Many expatriates returning to the city find it a necessity to have at least one Sals' "nip". (The other necessity is buying loaves of Winnipeg rye bread to take home to friends as "The best dang rye bread in the world!") A new investor in the company is Burton Cummings of the old Winnipeg rock and roll band, "The Guess Who".

• Diana's Gourmet Pizza Winnipeg is home to one of the best pizza chefs in Canada with a profusion of awards. Available only for take-out or delivery, you must sample their wares before you leave town. R-730 St. Anne's Road 954-7858

• Tavern in the Park Pavilion in Assiniboine Park (896-7275) Continental fusion cuisine in a one-of-a-kind locale in the Historic Pavilion in Assinboine Park.

• Baked Expectations. Popular bakery and restaurant located in Osborne Village, famous for its desserts.

• Monviso Ristorante Italiano A great Italian Restaurant with fabulous food and reasonable prices is located 637 Corydon Ave. The tiramisu is prepared from scratch on the premises and they feature over 20 different kinds of pasta. (204-287-8807)

• Mondragon Bookstore and Coffeehouse (Exchange District-Downtown)

Definitely worth a quick look to sample a variety of organic fair-trade coffees and excellent vegan cuisine. While you are there you should take a look through the extensive collection of activist literature and music. The Mondragon often hosts lectures, musical performances and just about anything else 'left' you can think of.

• Goodies Bake Shop [51] Unbelievably delectable desserts ranging from pavlova to key lime pie to gelati to baklava, Goodies has something for everyone. Located at the corner of Ellice and Erin, Goodies has ample parking, and should not be missed.

• Mercato Gelato Cafe [52] Amazing new cafe, centrally located at Confusion Corner. Feels like a sunny Italian Market all year round. They have hundreds of gelato and sorbetto flavours and they always have seventy two on display. They are Manitoba's Largest Selection of Gelato. They also have great panini, soups and salads. A take out freezer is a must if attending any dinners and not wanting to show up empty handed. A must taste! (204-452-0130)

• Logan Corner, is a really good Asian restaurant on the corner of Logan and King. It has 2 different menus: one is in Chinese and the other in English. Their food is great and they have a large variety.

Numerous restaurants can be found on Sargent and Ellice avenues in West End which offer a good variety of restaurants with good value dishes. There are many good Chinese restaurants in Chinatown (Princess and King Streets north of James Avenue), though walking these areas at night is not a good idea.

• Massawa Excellent Ethiopian cuisine. Leave your forks at home, kids. At Massawa, as with traditional Ethiopian cuisine, eating with your hands is how it's done. Very good vegetarian selection, good atmosphere. Located on Osborne Street between River Avenue and Stradbrook.

• Wasabi Two amazing sushi restaurants in Winnipeg, serving some of the most creative and beautiful rolls available in the city. The first being Wasabi on Broadway, the upscale casual chic restaurant in a big house. It is located two blocks West of Memorial on Broadway. The original is on Osborne Street, known as Wasabi Sushi Bistro/Next Door. The atmosphere in both restaurants is hip, modern and funky. The chain also runs a little grocery shop on Osborne called Wasabi at home, selling all specialty asian products.

Drink

The legal drinking age in Manitoba is 18 years.

Nightspots

Visitors will be pleasantly surprised at how affordable it is to "Party in the Peg". Bottles of beer and cocktails generally sell for between $3.25 and $4.50.

• Corydon Avenue/Osborne Village (Off of Pembina Highway) Take a stroll down the leafy streets during the summer. Lots of bars and restaurants.

Corydon BIZ [53] Osborne Village nightlife [54]

• Exchange District - The city's late 19th/early 20th century collection of buildings. 20 square blocks of historical buildings left from Winnipeg's boom period (1880-1920) - very impressive. Due to the rarity of such a wide area of period business buildings, many film companies can be found shooting in this area.

Exchange District BIZ [55]

• Whisky Dix (formerly The Empire), 436 Main Street (Exchange district), ☎ 204-WHISKEY (manager@whiskeydix.ca), [56]. Friday & Saturday, 8PM-2AM. Live Bands, the Whisky Chix dancers, outdoor patio and three bars to choose from. 21+. $4.50 domestic beers, $4.50 cocktails ($7 double shots).  edit
• Alive, 140 Bannatyne (Exchange district), ☎ (204) 989-8080 (info@aliveinthedistrict.com), [57]. Friday & Saturday, 8PM-2AM. Live Bands, pop, older crowd. 21+. $4.00 domestic beers, $4.50 cocktails ($3.25 happy hour beer and shots).  edit
• Blush Ultra Club, 323 Portage Avenue (Downtown), ☎ (204) 221-4583 (fax: (204) 221-5297), [58]. Friday & Saturday, 8PM-2AM. VIP packages, dress code, events and theme nights. Fridays 18+, Saturdays 21+.  edit
• Vivid Nite Club & Lounge, 1931 Pembina Hwy (near Bishop Grandin Blvd), ☎ (204) 275-2399 (info@vividniteclublounge.com, fax: (204) 275-7112), [59]. Friday & Saturday, 5PM-10PM (lounge) 10PM-2AM (club). VIP packages, Vivid dancers, dress code, events. 20+. $4.25 domestic beers, $4.25 cocktails (nightly specials).  edit
• Tijuana Yacht Club (TYC [Canad Club]), 1405 St. Matthews Avenue (Polo Park area), ☎ (204) 775-8791 (dkarlenzig@canadinns.com, fax: (204) 783-4039), [60]. Thurs-Sat, 8PM-2AM. Younger crowd. 18+  edit
• Off-Campus (The O.C. [Canad Club]), 1792 Pembina Hwy (University of Manitoba area), ☎ (204) 269-6955 (rburt@canadinns.com, fax: (204) 261-4543), [61]. Friday & Saturday, 8PM-2AM. Younger crowd, university students. 18+  edit
• Palomino Club (The Pal), 1133 Portage Avenue (Polo Park area), ☎ (204) 772-0454 (Palomino2@shawbiz.ca, fax: (204) 261-4543), [62]. Mon, Thu, Sat 7PM-2AM, Tue 7PM-12AM, Fri 4PM-2AM. Pop, Hip Hop, Country, Karaoke. Older women. 18+  edit
• Pembina Draught Bar (The Pemby), 1011 Pembina Hwy, ☎ (204) 453-3724. Younger crowd, large selection of cheap beer by the pitcher, decent music, pool, fussball, and free darts. 18+  edit
• The Zoo Night Club (The Zoo), 160 Osborne Street (Osborne Village), ☎ (204) 452-9824. Often punk-rock, cheap beer, pool, and sometimes strippers. 18+  edit
• High and Lonesome Club (Times Change(d)), 234 Main Street (Downtown), ☎ (204) 957-0982 (info@highandlonesomeclub.ca), [63]. Wed-Fri 11:30-2:30, 5:30-8:30, Sat 5:30-8:30. Folk, Roots, Country, Blues. 18+  edit
• The Windsor Hotel, 187 Garry Street (Downtown), ☎ (204) 942-7528 (windsorh@mts.net), [64]. The best live blues in town. 18+  edit
• Bar Italia (Bar I), 737 Corydon Ave (Corydon area), ☎ (204) 452-1929. Billiard tables, a packed patio and attracts a hip, twenty-something crowd. 18+  edit

Gay & Lesbian Nightclubs

• Gio's, 155 Smith Street (Downtown), ☎ (204) 786-1236 (gios@gios.ca, fax: (204) 774-5091), [65]. Mon, Tue, Thu 4PM-11PM, Wed & Sat 4PM-2AM, Fri 4PM-3AM, Sun 4PM-12AM. LGBT, membership required, events. 18+  edit
• Club 200, 190 Garry Street (Downtown), [66]. Mon-Sat 4PM-2AM, Sun 6PM-12AM. LGBT, events, prizes, dining. 18+  edit

Winnipeg is generally a very tolerant city and was the first large city in North America to elect an openly gay mayor.

• The Elephant & Castle, 350 St Mary Ave (St Mary Ave and Hargrave St, in the lobby of the Delta Winnipeg Hotel), ☎ 942-5555‎. Faithfully recreated English pub atmosphere serves classic fare. Choose from 15 beer on tap, including UK faves like Guinness, Harp, Kilkenny and Newcastle. Popular with the after-work crowd. $8-$14.  edit
• Triple B's Bar and Billiards. Excellent food, many pool tables and Extraordinary karaoke on Wednesday nights.  edit
• Shannon's Irish Pub, 175 Carlton St (East side of the Winnipeg Convention Centre), ☎ 943-2302. Irish themed pub. Live music on occasion.  edit
• King's Head Pub, 120 King St (Exchange district), ☎ (204) 957-7710, [67]. Mon-Fri 11:30AM-2AM, Sat-Sun 2PM-2AM. Great place to go for beer, has the most beer on tap in the city. It's a British-style pub with great British and Indian food. Try the beef vindaloos for the hottest food on the face of this planet. Occasional live music upstairs.  edit
• Toad in the Hole Pub (The Toad), 112 Osborne St (Osborne Village), ☎ (204) 284-7201, [68]. Mon-Fri 11:30AM-2PM, Sat 11AM-2PM, Sun 11AM-12AM. Great place to go for beer, some darts, pool or a nice meal. Very friendly patrons. Reasonably priced. Live music in the basement (The Cavern) $4.25 domestic bottles (happy hour $3, specials).  edit
• Tavern United, 260 Hargrave St (Downtown MTS Centre), ☎ (204) 944-0022 (tuph@canadinns.com, fax: (204) 926-5735), [69]. Mon-Sat 9PM-2AM, Sun 12PM-12AM. Loud music, pool, VLTs, Rooftop patio. Other locations: 1824 Pembina Hwy, 2100 McPhillips St, 826 Regent Ave W  edit
• The Lo Pub, 330 Kennedy St (HI-Downtown hostel), ☎ (204) 943-5581 (winnipeg@hihostels.ca, fax: (204) 947-3041), [70]. Mon-Tue 2PM-12AM, Wed-Thu 2PM-1AM, Fri-Sat 2PM-2AM. Great happy hour prices, local beer on tap and is one of the best music venues in town.  edit

• HI-Winnipeg Downtowner Hostel, 330 Kennedy Street (at Ellice), ☎ +1 204 943-5581 (toll free: +1 866 762-4122), [71]. Beds start at $29.  edit
• Backpackers Winnipeg Guest House International, 168 Maryland Street, ☎ +1 204 772-1272 (toll free: +1 800 743-4423, backpackerswpg@hotmail.com, fax: +1 204 772-4117), [72]. $25 beds, $50 private rooms.   edit

• Fort Garry Hotel, 222 Broadway Ave, ☎ +1 204 942-8251 (toll free: +1 800 665-8088, ftgarry@fortgarryhotel.com, fax: +1 204 956-2351), [73]. checkin: 3PM; checkout: Noon. A former Grand Trunk Pacific Railway hotel, the Fort Garry was completed in 1913, and bears similarities to New York's Plaza Hotel. Oozes character and charm. Downtown, near Union Station. 246 rooms, average price $194.  edit

Unorganized

All major chain hotels have properties in Winnipeg. As well as in the downtown area, there are numerous hotels near the airport, near Polo Park Shopping Centre, and on Pembina Highway South. Cheap motels can be found throughout the city. The older hotels on Main Street should be avoided at all costs.

Visitors consistently report positive experiences at the following hotels:

• Inn at the Forks. Downtown, right at the Forks Market, 116 rooms, average price $164.

• Beechmount Bed and Breakfast. Downtown, 5 rooms, average price $110.

• River Gate Inn. Wolseley, 5 rooms, average price $89.

• The Columns. Wolseley, 4 rooms.

• Place Louis Riel Suite Hotel. Downtown, 280 rooms, average price $164.

• Norwood Hotel. St. Boniface, 52 rooms, average price $111.

• Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Winnipeg. Downtown, average price $134.

• Best Western Pembina Inn & Suites. South, average price $102.

• The Fairmont Hotel at the corner of Portage and Main is one of the top hotels in the city. This 4 star hotel has played host to such people as Queen Elizabeth II on many visits, and many famous celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Brad Pitt, and Ben Affleck just to name a few. The hotel has a roof top pool open all year and a first class service staff that is hard to match. Downtown, average price $228.

• Greenwood Inn. Airport, 213 rooms, average price $131.

• Hilton Suites Winnipeg Airport. Airport, 160 rooms, average price $181.

• Country Inn & Suites Winnipeg. Airport, average price $107.

• West Gate Manor. Wolseley, 6 rooms, average price $66.

• Galbraith House.

Other hotels include:

• Four Points by Sheraton Winnipeg Airport. Airport, 132 rooms, average price $145.

• Comfort Inn Airport. Airport, 81 rooms, average price $133.

• Delta Downtown Winnipeg. Accepts pets.  edit

• Holiday Inn Pembina Hwy.. Beautiful, clean hotel with good access to different parts of Winnipeg, and get this, it accepts pets! Try and get a hotel with window view showing north, as it has THE BEST views of downtown Winnipeg!!  edit

Stay safe

Winnipeg is relatively safe in comparison to many large cities in North America. By Canadian standards, the city has a moderately high crime rate though much crime is gang or alcohol related and rarely involves tourists who exercise the same degree of caution they would in any other urban centre. Areas where higher degree of caution is advised at night include areas north of City Hall on Main Street and the area surrounding Central Park.

Panhandlers are less numerous in Winnipeg compared to cities like Vancouver and they are very seldom aggressive, however displays of obvious wealth such as jewellery and expensive digital cameras should be kept to a minimum. It is best to acknowledge panhandlers but at the same time to keep walking.

Winnipeg has a history of fairly substantial auto theft and "smash and grab" problem, though the problem has been reduced in recent years. However, the auto theft is still at 327% that of the national average. As in any city, common sense should prevail. Never leave a vehicle unlocked and under no circumstances should any object be left in the car interior where it can be seen, no matter what the value (includes CD's, gloves, clothing, tools, etc). Keep all items in the trunk. Most importantly, never leave any coins, no matter what the amount in your ashtray or console. An individual with drugs or alcohol dependency will not hesitate to smash a car window even for less than $1.

If you rent a vehicle, ensure with your rental agency that it is equipped with an immobilizer. If you drive your own vehicle here, Manitoba Public Insurance offers a most-at-risk vehicle assessment [74]. While this is aimed at those intending to register vehicles in Manitoba, tourists may use this to consider if their vehicle is at an elevated risk for theft. Out of province tourists may also consult with their automobile insurance agent.

Winnipeg is a great starting point to begin exploring the province of Manitoba, and the Toban Experience enables independent travelers a way to visit popular destinations outside Winnipeg. Manitoba has many recreational opportunities, including canoeing, fishing, cycling, and cross-country skiing. One of the most popular out of town destinations is Grand Beach, located less than an hour from Winnipeg. Famous for its beautiful white sand beaches, it was once listed in top 10 fresh water beaches in the world by Playboy Magazine. Also visit Whiteshell Provincial Park (90 minutes east of Winnipeg via Highway 1 or Highway 44, or VIA Rail Service to Brereton Lake) for great camping, hiking, and boating. Oak Hammock Marsh, about a 40 minute drive north of the city is a must for bird watchers.

Routes through Winnipeg

Regina ← Portage la Prairie ←

W  E

→ Kenora → Thunder Bay

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From LoveToKnow 1911

There is more than one meaning of Winnipeg discussed in the 1911 Encyclopedia. We are planning to let all links go to the correct meaning directly, but for now you will have to search it out from the list below by yourself. If you want to change the link that led you here yourself, it would be appreciated.

• Lake Winnipeg
• Winnipeg, Canada

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Wikipedia

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Proper noun 1.3.1 Synonyms 1.3.2 Derived terms 1.3.3 Related terms 1.3.4 Translations 1.3.5 References

English

Etymology

• From Ojibwa wiinibig ("dirty waters") < wiini’ ("to make someone dirty"), wiinad ("it is dirty"), plus nibi ("water"), plural nibig ("waters").
• After the lake, from Cree and Ojibwa ouenpig ("murky water"), describing the river's water entering the lake (CanOD).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈwɪnəˈpɛg/
• Hyphenation: Win‧ni‧peg
•  Audio (CA)^{help, file}

Proper noun

Singular Winnipeg

Plural -

Winnipeg

1. A city in Canada, the provincial capital of Manitoba.
2. Lake Winnipeg, a large lake in Manitoba.
3. Winnipeg River, a river that flows 813 km from Lake of the Woods, Ontario, into Lake Winnipeg.

Synonyms

• Winterpeg (jocular)

Derived terms

• Winnipegger
• Winnipeg couch
• Winnipeg goldeye = goldeye
• Winnipeg handshake

Related terms

• Lake Winnipegosis
• Lake Winnibigoshish
• Winnebago

Translations

References

• “Winnipeg” in the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, Second Edition, Oxford University Press, 2004.