Next Stop, Winnipeg!

May 13th, 2011

After visiting Churchill, it took us about 13 hours on the train till we reach our next destination, Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba. On the train, we study the history and geography of the city. We learned all sorts things from it, from our sorts of useful to useless stuffs. This are some of what we found:

Winnipeg in the Past

Winnipeg in the Present

In the past, Winnipeg was used to be the main trading place with the natives, especially with the Metis. However, after the CPR was built, Winnipeg was flooded with immigrants, turning the city into the center of the province. Winnipeg still continues to grow, it become the center of Manitoba's economy in all kind of sectors: finance, manufacturing, food and beverage production, culture, retail and tourism.

Winnipeg is located at the geographical center of Canada: 49° 53' 0" N / 97° 10' 0" W. It is also located on the Great Plains, which were formed from the eroded materials from the edges of the Canadian Shield. The city is located in the valley of the Red River and has an extremely flat topography. There are no substantial hills in the city or its vicinity. Because of its distance from mountains and oceans, Winnipeg has an extreme humid continental climate, causing an intense change between winter and summer. In addition, due to the lack of high areas, precipitations in Winnipeg are also convectional.This was a great news for us because it meant that there will be little rain in Winnipeg.

Despite the great climate, the air quality in Winnipeg started to become an issue due to the rising in infrastructures and population: from 2007 to 2010, the number of people in Manitoba has rises from 723 000 people to 754 000 people. This great increase in population is mainly due to the increased immigration and the stable economics in Winnipeg. The only problems that this cause is the rising cost of settlement. However, it also lead to the increase in cultural differences.


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Our first stop in Winnipeg was Manitoba Legislative Assembly, which is located in the south part of downtown Winnipeg. Manitoba Legislative Assembly, principal among public buildings in the province, accommodates the legislative assembly, its committees and staff, as well as offices for the ministers and deputy ministers of all government departments. People in Winnipeg considered this building as "a symbol of strength and vitality in the capital city" and "not for present delight nor use alone... but such as our descendants will thank us for." 

The history of the Legislative Assembly isn't that interesting. However, the Architectural side of the building was amazing; the Tryndall stone, used for building the walls and the floor, gave out a really rich and warm feeling. Other than the building itself, the setting of the place was also very gorgeous; the building is located on 12 hectares of magnificently landscaped ground. 

 After visiting the assembly, we went to the Winnipeg Arena. We first thought that it was gonna be a really peaceful and quiet. However, we were really surprised to how CRAZY the place was. Instead of not having anyone, it was full of people, screaming and celebrating. We were anxious to know what happened so we went to ask a guy. He told us that the Winnipeg Jets, now known as Phoenix Coyotes, will be coming back to Winnipeg. We, as a non-hockey fans, didn't really understand that feeling. However, we still think that it's pretty cool how a team that left to Phoenix in the 70s will be coming back to its hometown.

It was around 1pm after we were done trying to find a way out of the arena. By that time, we were starving and our bellies were rumbling really loud. We decided to go to downtown Winnipeg for lunch. Though starving, it was a big business for us to find a good restaurant for us to eat in. We came across one French-continental restaurant called "Provence Bistro." We spend about two hours in there, enjoying the delightful meals. The restaurant's Les Poisons Fume was beautifully cook, and their Filet de boeuf were also amazing. After paying about a quarter of the money we have in the pocket, it was time for us to go to our next destination: RIEL HOUSE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE!!

We spent about 2 hours in Riel National Site, touring with a very beautiful guide which made our time there much more interesting. We got to know about the Metis, a group of natives descendant, and their history. We got to learn about their farming method in the past. We also got to see the design of the house in the 1880s that the Metis used to lived in, which we thought was really fascinating. However, the most important thing we learned was about Louis Riel who was regarded by many people as Canadian Hero:


Louis Riel was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and leader of the Metis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government and its first post-Confederation Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. Riel sought to preserve Metis rights and culture as their homelands in the Northwest came progressively under the Canadian sphere of influence. He is regarded by many as a Canadian folk hero today for his actions in which was repaid with his death.

Our tears were rushing out after we heard about the story of Riel for the first time. The tour ended smoothly with a story that will struck our heat forever. After we stop crying, we went to asked about our next destination. We were recommended to go to the "Fork National Historic Site of Canada." With no time to be waste, we quickly rush there, seeking for the next adventure!

Our first reaction to the The Fork National Historic Site of Canada was "WOW!!!" It was enclosed with people of all ages and races. We got to know from one of the person at the information counter that "The Forks is of national historic significance due to its strategic location at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine rivers that were part of a vast continental network of water routes. The site's significance derives from its continuous use over time for transportation, trade and settlement. A traditional aboriginal stopping place, The Forks was also the site of Fort Rouge, Fort Gibraltar and the two Forts Garry."

We found that this historic site is unlike any other historic we've been to. This is because instead of only showing history at one period of time, it shows all the events in the history that helped to shape Canada West into what it is in the present. In addition, there were also many activities going on which made the place very fascinating. 

It was around 6pm after we were done touring around the Forks, enough time for us to go to one more location. We decided to check out the University of Manitoba because this university is the first university in Western Canada and also the biggest university in Manitoba. We were amazed by the design of the buildings and the numerous resources in there. However, it was really strange for us, strangers, to walked in there and become the center of attention by all the students and faculties. One teacher came to ask us if we were graduate students from here. When we said "no," she gave us a strange-looking face. We decided to spent only good 30 minutes in there before we left the place.

It was amazing how many places we were able to go to in one day. Manitoba surely is a great place to visit, not only because it is the capital of Manitoba, but because of all the attractions they have. However, the adventure must go on and so, we decided to leave Winnipeg tomorrow on our Blue Dodge, towards our next and last destination in the Province of Manitoba, Brandon!