Winnipeg - Manitoba , Canada

From Grand Falls, North Dakota to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada it is a around a 31/2 hr drive.  So we decided as we were so close and had never been to Winnipeg we decided to visit for 24 hours.   The trip up from the US was a view of wide open space and a very straight road.

Winnipeg is the capital of Manitoba and is located at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers.  It is known as the ' Gateway to the West'.  It is a railway hub and has a diverse economy.
The best way to see this interesting city is by the Winnipeg Trolley.  So we availed ourselves of this mode of transport for a 95 minute narrated tour.

There are a number of very interesting and pleasant buildings throughout the city.  The first part of the trip was through St Boniface which is the home of the largest number of Francophones outside of Quebec.  It has several historic buildings.

 We went by the Manitoba Legislature.

 And many ornate buildings.

We passed the home where Neil Young grew up.  The tour guide told the story that some years after the home was sold the the new owners returned home to find Bob Dillon sitting on the front stairs and wanted to pay homage to his idol.  The owners invited him in and showed him around.

In summer the trees provide amazing canopies along the streets.

We drove through Assinboine Park which was designed by a student of Frederick Law Olmsted who is famous for designing Central Park in New York and many other outstanding  parks.

It is a huge park and they even have a cricket pitch.

We passed by the final resting place of Louis Riel 1844 - 1885.  He is considered by some as a fanatic and a rebel against the Canadian Nation or by contrast a heroic rebel who fought for his Francophone people from the unfair encroachments of the Anglophones.  He was a founder of the Provence of Manitoba,  and was the first Prime Minster Post - Confederation.

We decided to have lunch at The Forks Market.  It has been the meeting place for over 6,000 years for the early Aboriginal people, followed by European fur traders, Metis buffalo hunters, Scottish settlers, riverboat workers, railway pioneers and thousands of immigrants.  It is located at the junction of the Assiniboine and Red Rivers. 

We decided on fish and chips.

 We were not disappointed.

We then tried some of the local beers.

Then checked out the wine shop but did no buy any.

 In the same area as The Forks Market is the Canadian Museum of Human Rights.  The building is made to represent coming up from the earth, wrapped around by wings to protect and the central tower representing the  hope for the future.

There is also a Peace Avenue which respects and remembers those who have gone before and hope for the future.

Throughout Canada there are many Inuksuk.  They are man made stone land marks used by Inuti, Inupiai, Kalaallit, Yupik and other peoples of the Artic region.  Historically the most common type of Inuksuk is a single stone.

Many think that everything is bigger in Texas.  Well, at the Elephant and Castle Pub in Winnipeg, the steak and mushroom pie took the cake.  It was delicious.

It has been such a joy to return to Canada even thought it was only for 24 hours.

Back to North Dakota tomorrow to continue on with our travels.

Cheers,  Beverley and Ross