A long time ago, one of the Canadian lakes was named by the Cree Indians Win Nipee, which means “muddy water”. When a city appeared near this reservoir, it began to be called the same. This is Winnipeg, Canada.
Briefly about the main thing
Winnipeg is the main city of the province of Manitoba, which is located 100 km from the Canada-USA border. Winnipeg is often referred to as the “Gateway to the West”, as it is a major railway interchange connecting Western and Eastern Canada and the United States. Winnipeg also has a major international airport.
Winnipeg is home to 55% of the total population of the province of Manitoba – of all the provinces in Canada, this is the highest concentration of population in one city. According to data for 2022, the number of inhabitants is 833,000, with the average age of the population being 38-40 years. More than 15.5% of all citizens are of Ukrainian origin, of which almost 3.5% speak their native Ukrainian at home.
The city has a fairly high crime rate: in terms of the number of violent crimes, Winnipeg is among the TOP 5 cities in Canada.
Historical background
Long before the white people came to this area, the Inyu (Cree), Dakota, Anishinabe (Ojibway), Dinah, Oji-Cree tribes lived there. The region, which was located at the crossroads of waterways, was important for all indigenous peoples: it was an important point where they converged for trade, declaration of war and peace, negotiations.
In 1738, merchants from France built Fort Rouge on this site, and in 1812 they founded a settlement that gave rise to the future of Winnipeg. Since 1822, the settlement was called Fort Garry, and in 1873 it received its current name.
In 1972, the Manitoba authorities decided to merge 13 small settlements, as a result of which the area of modern Winnipeg reached 465 km2.
Urban areas
Winnipeg has 236 neighborhoods.
The central part of Winnipeg (2.6 km2), where Portage Avenue and Main Street intersect, is the place of the economic “heart” of the city. More than 72,000 people have jobs in this part, and 40,000 students attend classes at the universities located there.
Exchange District was named after the first grain exchange, which operated in 1880-1913. In 1997, this 30-block area was designated a National Historic Site of Canada. The Exchange District is home to North America’s largest collection of terracotta and carved stone structures dating back to the early twentieth century. Other large downtown areas are The Forks, Central Park, Broadway-Assiniboine, and Chinatown.
Cultural and nightlife is concentrated in Sargent, Osborne Village, The Forks, Old St. Boniface, Exchange District, Corydon Village, Ellice Avenues.
Residential areas surround the city center from all sides, but they are most upset in the southern and western directions. South Pointe and Bridgewater are the newest developing areas in the southwestern part of Winnipeg, Sage Creek – in the southeastern part.
The richest area is South Tuxedo, where real estate prices are the highest in the city. As for the landscape in this area, it does not represent anything unusual. The only thing on the west side of the area is bordered by Assiniboine Park.
Point Douglas and Elmwood, located to the northwest of the center, have long been known as the most unsafe in the city.
The main commercial areas of Winnipeg are Polo Park, Corydon Strip, Pembina Strip, Kildonan Crossing, Osborne Village, Garden City. On the eastern side is Transcona, where industrial production and railway tracks are concentrated.
What to see in Winnipeg
There is a lot to see in Winnipeg – this city will be interesting for those who like vivid impressions and entertainment, like to learn something new.
Canadian Museum of Human Rights
This museum has recently added to the list of attractions in Winnipeg. It is interesting both for its unusual design and for its amazing collection. 10 galleries with many exhibits are located on 6 levels. Be sure to climb Israel’s Asper Tower of Hope – it offers a unique opportunity to enjoy panoramic views of the city.
The museum concept is interesting and somewhat contradictory: human rights are covered and considered from different points of view.
- The museum is open from 10: 00 to 17: 00, the day off is Monday.
- Address: Israel Asper Way Winnipeg, MB R3C OL5, Canada.
- Website https://humanrights.ca/.
Winnipeg Art Gallery
Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG) occupies a building that looks like a ship. It has the status of the oldest in Canada and the 6th largest in terms of its collections.
WAG has 25,000 exhibits that are part of a selection of Canadian, European, and Inuit classics and contemporary artists. There is also a collection of works of decorative and applied art and a selection of photographs of Winnipeg from various years.
There is a sculpture exhibition on the roof of the building. It also offers a beautiful panoramic view of the city and its immediate surroundings.
The gallery building is often used for lectures and other events, and tours for adults and children are organized there.
- The gallery operates on the following schedule: Tuesday-Thursday from 11: 00 to 17: 00, Friday from 11: 00 to 21: 00, Saturday-Sunday from 11: 00 to 17: 00.
- WAG is located in the city center, next to The Forks. Address: 300 Memorial BLVD, Winnipeg, Canada.
- Website: www.wag.ca.
Museum of Manitoba
There are 9 permanent galleries with exhibits that tell about the history of the province of Manitoba. A planetarium with a dome-shaped screen shows the starry night sky.
Users pay the most attention to:
- Pliosaur fossils (95 million years old);
- recreated hudson Bay Fur Market post;
- installations showing the northern Lights.
But the most important asset of the museum is the model of the ship Nonsuch of the XVII century. Visitors are even allowed to climb aboard to view the structure in detail.
- Museum of Manitoba is open Tuesday-Sunday from 10: 00 to 16: 00, Monday is closed.
- The attraction is located at 190 Rupert Avenue, Winnipeg, Canada.
- Website: https://manitobamuseum.ca/.
City parks
The city of Winnipeg is very green, there are many squares and small parks, there are also several large-scale parks.
Kildonan is known for the oldest trees in the province. For a comfortable stay, there is an outdoor swimming pool, a golf course, picnic areas and grills, children’s playgrounds and a restaurant, and the Rainbow Stage summer Theater. 2.7 km of paths are laid across the entire territory – and this is almost 38 hectares – and they run mainly along the Red River.
On the western bank of the Red River is the Royal Park. On an area of 38 hectares, there is a football field and two baseball areas, as well as an area for walking dogs without a leash. In the central part, near a picturesque lake with waterfalls, there is a beautiful Chinese pagoda.
Bruce Park, along the southern border of which the Assiniboine River flows, is a beautiful meadow, extensive gardens and areas of natural forest. Truto Creek flows through the park, which is crossed by wooden pedestrian bridges in three places. For children, there are beautiful playgrounds and a spacious swimming pool.
Among other parks in the city, Scurfield, Laverendry, Glenn McWhinney, Munson, and Wim Ridge are equally popular. But the best in Winnipeg is Assiniboine Park.
Assiniboine Park and Zoo
A picturesque green area of the same name is located on the banks of the Assiniboine River. This oldest Winnipeg park is recognized as the largest inner-city park in all of Central Canada-it covers an area of 445 hectares.There is a real forest of old trees, spacious manicured lawns with green grass. In summer, you can go cycling and roller skating in this park, and in winter, people come there with snowboards and toboggans.
A special attraction of this place is the world – famous Leo Mol sculpture garden with 50 bronze monuments.
The Assiniboine Park Zoo has been located on the territory of this huge natural park since 1904. Its rather large area of 32 hectares has become a native home for many representatives of the fauna. Throughout its existence, Assiniboine Park is best known for its significant number of polar bears. His exotic pets include a red kangaroo and a Siberian tiger.
Since the opening of Assiniboine Park, the entrance to its territory was free, it was maintained at the expense of taxpayers. After a while, they began to make various attempts to raise funds: they installed piggy banks on the territory of the zoo, opened a gift shop. In 1993, it was decided to charge an entrance fee in order to have the necessary funds for the maintenance of animals and modernization of the zoo.
- Address: 55 Pavilion Crescent, Winnipeg, Canada.
- Assiniboine Website www.assiniboinepark.ca.
- The public green area is accessible to visitors around the clock and completely free of charge.
- The zoo is open every day from 9: 00 to 17: 00.
- For children under 2 years of age, the Assiniboine Park Zoo is free of charge. For other visitors, ticket prices at the ticket office are as follows: children 3-17 years old – $ 13.25, adults 18-59 years old – $ 23.5, seniors – $20.50. When buying tickets online on the site, prices are$ 1 lower.
Climate in Winnipeg
The city of Winnipeg’s location in the interior of Canada provides it with continental climate conditions characterized by warm, humid summers and long, harsh winters.
The average temperature in winter is kept at -19°C, while sometimes it reaches minimum values of -40°C. In the winter months, precipitation falls to 55.2 mm.
In summer, the temperature regime is kept on average at +20°C, but sometimes the heat is +30°C.
Spring and autumn are cool. But Winnipeg’s frost-free season is relatively long for a region with harsh winters. In spring, frost usually occurs at the end of May, and the first autumn frost occurs at the end of September.
During the year, there are about 318 sunny days, the largest number of which occurs in July. With this number of sunny days, Winnipeg is considered the 2nd most sunny city in the country.
Public transport links
Winnipeg is a vast city spread over a large area. But unlike many North American cities of similar size, it doesn’t have an extensive urban highway network.
The buses
In 1970, the municipal transport company Winnipeg Transit decided to no longer use electric transport in the city. Although there is still some debate about whether this is appropriate, only diesel buses run in Winnipeg. A list of all the company’s routes and an up-to-date schedule is always available on the website www.winnipegtransit.com.
In the central part of the city and in the main suburban areas, public transport is operating at a good level. But in more remote suburban areas, public transport is poor: there are very few flights on weekends and in the evenings. In addition, in the city center, where there is already a place to hide from the weather, heated bus stops are installed. And in residential areas, stops are often marked simply with a column, or there is an ordinary glass booth that hardly protects from wind and rain.
Winnipeg Transit Route 15 and Route 20 public buses run from the airport to the city center. Flights are available every 10-25 minutes, starting from 6: 00 and until 1: 00 on weekdays. The schedule may change on weekends and public holidays.
Bus fares
You can pay your fare directly on the bus, but drivers only accept cash. The bus fare is:
- children under 11 years old are free of charge, but they are only allowed on the bus when accompanied by an adult;
- $ 3.05 for adults;
- $ 2.55 for young people under the age of 16 and for people 65 and older.
When paying for the trip, you can request a transfer – it allows you to travel on an unlimited number of buses within the next hour.
Paper travel tickets can also be purchased in almost every store. They are sold in strips of 5 or 10 pieces, but the prices in this case will be much lower:
- $ 2.7 for adults;
- $ 1.91 for older people and for young people.
The same rates apply to the peggo e-card to be replenished.
Taxi
In Winnipeg, there are several taxi corporations, the most ambitious: Spring Taxi, Unicity, Duffy’s Taxi.
The maximum cost of a trip to the city’s districts is about$55. A trip from the airport to Winnipeg will cost$ 20, but it is customary to leave a tip in the amount of 15-20%, depending on the luggage.
Interesting facts about Winnipeg
In late February 1942, Winnipeg was attacked by soldiers in Nazi uniforms. They almost immediately “suppressed” the resistance of local defenders and “captured” the whole of Winnipeg. The city immediately received a new name – Himmlerstadt. The “Nazis” removed state banners from their homes and placed swastikas everywhere, looting homes and shops. Many officials were arrested, new laws were established, and the Reichsmark was put into use.
In the evening, the performance was stopped, after which an action was organized on the city streets called “This should not happen again” and with calls to buy war bonds. The result exceeded all expectations: the Manitoba government exceeded its plan to attract money from the people through the sale of these bonds.
This is not the only fact about Winnipeg that deserves attention. Here are a few more:
- Winnipeg is located almost in the geographical center of North America, where the Red River and the Assiniboine River converge.
- Winnipeg is the coldest locality in the country, with 132 days of snow throughout the year.
- Winnipeg is the 2nd city in Canada in terms of the number of sunny hours throughout the year – there are 2,353 of them.
- Although Winnipeg is often referred to as the Windy City, this is not true. In fact, of all the cities in Canada, Hamilton is the most exposed to winds, and Winnipeg is only in 12th place.
- It is in Winnipeg, and not in Ottawa, as many believe, is the world’s largest ice rink, freezing in a natural way.
- It was in Winnipeg that the 911 emergency number was first introduced.
- Since the days when Winnipeg had a grain exchange, the city has been considered the Wheat Capital of Canada.
- The Winnipeg railway station was designed by the same architects who designed New York City’s Union Station.
- In the center there is a building that follows the shape of a classic American tower. There are offices of the corporation that produces electricity. The building has received awards for technologies in the field of architecture and environmental protection.
- The city’s Art Gallery has the most extensive selection of Inuit art.
- The longest ice rink on the planet has been built in The Forks urban area. This is officially recorded, the rink is even listed in the Guinness Book of Records.
- Only in the central part of the city there are multi-storey buildings, in the rest of the territory there are private properties.
- Winnipeg, Canada is a multiethnic and multicultural city that speaks more than 100 languages.
