Discover the charms of an underrated Canadian culture capital
This year is a good time to discover the underrated appeal of Manitoba’s capital city as the former trading post and ‘Gateway to the West’ marks a historic milestone
This year, Winnipeg, the provincial capital of Manitoba, is celebrating 150 years as a city. Prior to European settlement, Winnipeg was at the heart of Canada’s fur trade. Nowadays the city is worth visiting for its under-the-radar cuisine and arts scene, with attractions including the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Canada’s premier company; the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre; and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.
This flourishing arts scene also includes Quamajug, the world’s largest collection of contemporary Inuit art (more than 14,000 pieces), and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. This national institution has 10 permanent galleries showcasing personal stories through interactive multimedia displays educating on global human rights issues. A new exhibit celebrates Winnipeg 150 and the museum’s own 10th anniversary – Beyond the Beat: Music of Resistance and Change explores the transformative power of music throughout history.
Established in 1904, Assiniboine Park is Winnipeg’s urban playground. Here, your clients can tour The Leaf, an award-winning outdoor garden and indoor biome that features Canada’s tallest indoor waterfall. They can “Journey to Churchill” at the zoo and stand in an underwater viewing tunnel as rescued polar bears swim above, and they can visit Pooh Gallery to meet Winnipeg’s famous namesake. Winnie the Pooh was named after real-life “Winnipeg the Bear”.
The city’s Exchange District, with its historic collection of warehouse buildings and early terracotta-clad skyscrapers, provides the best impression of Winnipeg in days gone by. The 20-block district is very walkable, perfect for exploring antique shops, galleries, small-plate restaurants and coffee shops.
Winnipeg mayor Scott Gillingham said: “In every corner of our diverse community there are stories waiting to be told – of resilience and hope, and ones that tell the colourful tales behind our city’s history. Winnipeg’s story is still being written, and in celebrating our past we are laying the foundation for our shared future.”
Teaming Winnipeg up with other highlights in Manitoba, and there’s an itinerary for every season. During the winter, the province is a snow sports paradise, with skiing, snowboarding and husky sledding all offered. Summer is the time to enjoying hiking, biking, horse riding, white water rafting and the vibrant cheer of the Manitoba Sunflower Festival.
But if it’s polar bears that top your clients’ wish list, then autumn is the right time to head to the north of the province, and the town of Churchill on the shores of the vast Hudson Bay. It’s one of the few places in the world, where you can take a tundra buggy excursion to see polar bears in the wild. Add in the temptation of seeing purples, greens and reds dancing across the night sky in the Aurora capital of the world, and you’ll find plenty to entice your clients to consider Winnipeg and Manitoba.
Book it: Experience three nights in Winnipeg as part of Canadian Affair’s Manitoba, the Heart of Canada 11-night self-drive tour, from £1,556pp, based on two sharing, with Air Canada flights departing Heathrow on 27 September. A side trip to Churchill to see polar bears can also be added, with polar packages starting from 8 October; canadianaffair.com
Five fun facts to help you 'win' Winnipeg
1. Winnipeg has the sunniest winter season, with on average 358 hours of sunshine. However, it can get very chilly – in 2013, Manitoba was in the grip of winter freeze when temperatures in Winnipeg were reportedly as cold as the surface of the planet Mars.
2. The Royal Canadian Mint in Winnipeg is one of two locations for the Canadian Royal Mint (the other is in Ottawa). Winnipeg is a high-speed manufacturing facility where all Canada's circulation coins are produced as well as currency for 60 governments around the world.
3. Winnipeg has one of the longest skating trails in the world. Starting downtown at the Forks, it runs along the Red and Assiniboine rivers for between six and nine kilometres with warming huts along the way.
4. The inspiration for James Bond was Second World War spymaster Sir William Stephenson who was born and raised in Winnipeg.
5. Snow White illustrator Charles Thorson based the iconic character he created for Disney Studios on a waitress he met at a diner in the West End of Winnipeg.
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