WinnipegThe Red River Valleyby Robert Painter My first visit to Winnipeg was a brief stopover while traveling through en route from Vancouver to Montreal. I had only a few hours, but knew I wanted to return to experience more of this interesting city located about midway on that journey.
My second visit was even briefer, staying overnight while waiting to catch an early flight to Churchill, the place to go if you want to see Polar Bears. But, that’s another story.  This trip to Winnipeg was to see Winnipeg. My two earlier brushes with this historic city left me realizing there was much more to see and learn about here on the banks of the Red River.
 You may want to begin your adventure with a stop at The Forks. You can take a short boat ride on the Red to get a bit of geographical perspective of the area and then spend some time walking around the Oodena Celebration Circle. I probably can’t explain it too well, but just realize that it is designed as a place of harmony with the solar system, wind, earth and water. It is surrounded by limestone slabs that hold large armatures for sighting astronomical features.
 The Forks Market will provide you with a delightful array of shopping choices. You’ll find aboriginal art, handmade jewelry and other personal items as well as splendid gourmet treasures like organic baked goods, artisanal cheeses, meats, wines, etc. There are also a number of excellent places to stop for a meal or a quick snack. Whatever you do, be sure to check out the fabulous cinnamon rolls – they’re worth the trip to the Forks even if you do nothing else there.
Oh, and if you’re thinking that the name The Forks means there must be two rivers you’re right –the Red River is one and the Assiniboine is the other. Also, there is a Riverwalk that’s great for strolling or biking. Even running, but what’s the hurry. Besides the boat ride you could opt to rent a canoe and maybe burn off a few of those calories you picked up at the market. I told you those cinnamon rolls were good. Couldn’t eat just one could you?  It’s probably no surprise that Winnipeg has a French Quarter. You’ll want to walk across the spectacular Esplanade Riel Pedestrian Bridge and visit Old St. Boniface. The beauty of the remains of the St. Boniface Cathedral and the largest oak log building in North America – the St. Boniface Museum will certainly grab your attention.
 You may recall that much of the exploration of Canada and the development of the Hudson’s Bay Company were the result of the fur trade. Did you know that the fur trade was predominantly in search of beaver pelts? These fine pelts were used to make felt as that was the fashion of the day for both men’s and women’s head coverings. Although much of the trapping took place elsewhere, the Winnipeg area was an important supply base for the trappers.
 A visit to lower Fort Garry, a National Historic Site of Canada will offer you a number of opportunities to experience life as it was during the fur trade days. Parks Canada has outlined a number of ways to participate. They have designated tours for the Authentic Experiencer, the Virtual Traveller, the Rejuvenator, the Cultural History Buff, the personal history Traveller, the Gentle Explorer, the Cultural Explorer, the Free Spirit and the No-Hassle Traveller. Each has its own merits and, of course, you’re not limited by any of these designations. Mix and match if you wish. These are suggestions to help you based on your desires and expectations for your visit.
 I wouldn’t think of visiting Winnipeg without a visit to the Manitoba Museum. It is an excellent way to learn the history of the region. In addition to the two and a half million artifacts in the permanent collection there are frequent temporary touring and specialty exhibits. Nine permanent galleries represent each region of Manitoba, including the Grasslands, the Boreal Forest and the Arctic/SubArctic regions. The full size replica of the Nonsuch, the 17th century ship whose voyage in 1668 led to the formation of the Hudson’s Bay Company is an extraordinary sight.
The Manitoba Museum also houses a planetarium, ranked among the top five in the country, offering children’s shows, multi-media events that highlight the latest space discoveries and programs that introduce the wonders of the universe to viewers of all ages. You may be interested in learning more about the Metis. This term generally refers to a person of mixed racial heritage and is used to describe a culture that was made up initially of fur traders who met and married First Nations women. (If you’re not familiar with the term “First Nations” that would be equivalent to what in the U.S. would be referred to as “Native Americans.” Personally, I prefer the term “First Nations” because it appears to me to a bit more accurate and less offensive to other "native born" U.S. citizens.) Their children were the first generation of “Metis” and from this beginning developed a new language, new laws and a new culture. By 1870, the Metis made up half of the population of Manitoba and were, in time, very important in the political as well as cultural makeup of the province.  There are, of course, many First Nations people here in addition to the Metis. You’ll probably recognize names like Ojibway and Cree. You may not recognize Anishinambe, Swan Lake or Long Plains.
 Other cultural opportunities abound in Winnipeg. The Winnipeg Art Gallery houses a splendid collection of Inuit art. The Inuit are First Nations people from the far north of Canada and Inuit soapstone carvings are collected the world over by connoisseurs of their work. The gallery publishes a seasonal catalog of their continuing and upcoming collections. One of the highlights of my visit to the gallery, in addition to the fine Inuit art, was the collection of Daumier Prints, a series of satirical caricatures aimed at those participating in the always entertaining profession of the law.
The beginning of the Winnipeg Art Gallery is, to me at least, quite fascinating. While Winnipeg was still a wild and wooly frontier town a small group of local businessmen, in 1912 contributed $200 each, rented a couple of rooms in the Federal Building and opened the first civic art gallery in all of Canada. A great vision that turned into a wonderful gallery.  But don’t think Winnipeg is only about art and culture. The Oak Hammock Marsh is nearby and its interpretative center is a remarkable environmentally sensitive structure designed to blend with the surrounding landscape. There are prairie grasses and wildflowers growing on the roof, the windows are planned to reduce the possibility of birds flying into them, Natural landscaping using native species, berms abutting walls to insulate the building, on-site recycling, composting of yard wastes and many other environmentally sound practices were included in the plans. Even the floating boardwalk is supported by using recycled pop bottles.
The Marsh itself supports about thirty species of mammals, seven species of fish, five species of amphibians, three species of reptiles and innumerable species of invertebrates. Among the mammals are a few beavers and thousands of muskrats.  Oak Hammock is a special place for bird watchers. Three hundred species have been sighted here and there are about 75 pairs of giant Canada geese nesting in the hammock. With over 18 miles of nature trails you can hike and bike in the summer and snowshoe in the winter to your hearts content. Wouldn’t you love to see a pure white snowy owl in the winter or take a canoe trip through the marsh in the summer?
 Winnipeg is an important stop on the way to see the Polar Bears and Beluga whales in and around Churchill. I would recommend flying to Churchill with Nolinor Aviation in one of their wonderful old Convair planes. They’re fully reconditioned and in beautiful condition. For me, the best part is that they haven’t jammed the seats together – still lots of legroom in all the seats. You won’t have to pay extra for a few more inches of space. And you might want to consider just flying one way. Not in case you get eaten by a bear in Churchill, but so that you can make the return trip by train. I didn’t take the time to do it on my trip north, but surely will the next time around. When you do go to Churchill be sure and plan for a least two or three days in Winnipeg – you’ll be glad you did.
I can’t tell you everything you may want to know about Winnipeg, so you’ll just have to visit for yourself. But let me finally ask you a few questions. Did you know that Canada has twice hosted the Pan American Games – both times in Winnipeg? Did you know that Folkorama held in Winnipeg each August is North America’s longest running multicultural festival? Did you know that “Winnie the Pooh” came from Winnipeg? Did you know that one of your favorite summertime beverages is consumed more in Winnipeg than anywhere else in the world? For 8 years in a row, Slurpee rocks in Winnipeg. Did you know that the first Aboriginal TV network in the world started in Winnipeg? Did you know the inventor of the cellular telephone came from Winnipeg? Did you know the first new national museum, The Canadian Museum for Human Rights will be built at The Forks in Downtown Winnipeg? Reason enough for a visit to Winnipeg. When You Go:More info about Winnipeg: www.destinationwinnipeg.ca. Ask for a visitor’s guide. The Forks Visitor Information: www.theforks.com. Ask here about the guide series Routes on the Red: www.routesonthered.ca.  More about The Manitoba Museum: www.manitobamuseum.ca
The Winnipeg Art Gallery: www.wag.mb.ca Don’t forget this one: www.oakhammockmarch.ca The Polar Bears: www.tundrabuggy.com Story and by Robert Painter. Rpainter2006@comcast.net. | 