A plan for Winnipeg

History

The name Winnipeg is a transcription of the western Cree word wi-nipe-k meaning "muddy waters"; the general area was populated for thousands of years by First Nations. The confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, nowadays known as The Forks, was a crossroads of canoe routes travelled by Indigenous peoples prior to European contact. Winnipeg started out at this spot in 1738 as Fort Rouge, a French outpost for the fur trade. After the Seven Years' War, under the Hudson's Bay Company it became Fort Gibraltar and later Fort Garry. Many trails converged on the fort and later became streets, which is evident when you see the city's somewhat haphazard road layout.

In 1869–70, Winnipeg was the site of the Red River Rebellion, a conflict between the local provisional government of Métis, led by Louis Riel, and newcomers from Eastern Canada. This rebellion led to Manitoba's entry into the Canadian Confederation as Canada's fifth province in 1870. On 8 November 1873, Winnipeg was incorporated as a city.

After the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway across Canada, Winnipeg became a major transportation hub and "Gateway to the West". The city experienced a boom during the early 20th century and for a while was Western Canada's major economic centre. Fortunately for the visitor, the economy slowed around the middle of the century, leaving intact a remarkable collection of period architecture, primarily in the city's downtown Exchange District.

People

Winnipeg is generally a very tolerant city and was the first large city in North America to elect an openly gay mayor. Winnipeg has several LGBT bars and a Pride festival every summer.

Galleries

1 Gallery Lacosse, 169 Lilac St (at Corydon Ave), ☏ +1 204-284-0726. Tue–Fri 11AM–6PM, Sat 11AM–5PM. Celebrating Manitoba art and its unique place in the Canadian creative landscape. Artists are showcased through their paintings, pottery, photos and jewellery.

2 Graffiti Gallery, 109 Higgins Ave (in the Exchange District), ☏ +1 204-667-9960. Part of Graffiti Art Programming Inc, a not-for-profit youth art organization that uses art as a tool for community development, social change and individual growth.

3 PLATFORM: Centre for Photographic and Digital Arts, 121–100 Arthur St (in the Artspace Building), ☏ +1 204-942-8183, info@platformgallery.org. Manitoba's only artist-run centre devoted exclusively to photographic and digital arts. The gallery exhibits local, national and international artists.

4 Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art, 460 Portage Ave (between the Winnipeg Art Gallery and Portage Ave), ☏ +1 204-942-1043, info@plugin.org. Wed–Sat noon–9PM, Sun noon–5PM. Manitoba's premier contemporary art gallery and the first Institute of Contemporary Art in Canada. Free.

5 Urban Shaman Contemporary Aboriginal Art, 203–290 McDermot Ave (in the Exchange District), ☏ +1 204-942-2674, info@urbanshaman.org. Features cutting-edge Aboriginal art in an ever-changing contemporary setting, while promoting the rich artistic legacy of Aboriginal communities.

6 Winnipeg Art Gallery, 300 Memorial Blvd (south of Portage Ave), ☏ +1 204-789-1760, inquiries@wag.ca. Tue-Sun 11AM–5PM except Fri 11AM–9PM. The Winnipeg Art Gallery is Western Canada's oldest gallery, and features Manitoban, Canadian, and international artists and a large collection of Inuit Art. With its striking architecture, it is an integral part of downtown Winnipeg. Adults $12, students/seniors $10, youth (ages 6–12) $6. (updated Apr 2018)

Activities

1 The Golf Dome, 1205 Wilkes Ave (off Sterling Lyon Pkwy via Lorimer Blvd), customerservice@golfdome.ca. Summer: 9AM–10PM, winter: 8AM–10PM. Three-tier driving range, 18-hole mini golf, three virtual golf simulators.

2 Grand Prix Amusements, Hwy 1 East (Fermor Ave) (4 km east of the Mint), ☏ +1 204-254-3644. Go-kart racing on three challenging tracks with over 75 go-karts for ages four to adult. 18-hole pirate theme mini golf, bumper boats, bumper cars, batting cages and arcades.

3 Speedworld Indoor Kart Track, 575 Berry St (in St. James), ☏ +1 204-774-5278, info@speedworld.ca. Noon to midnight. 40–50 km/h real European style racing karts on a ¼-km indoor track with AMB timing system.

4 Springhill Winter Sports Park (in Springhill), Hwy 59 N (just north of Winnipeg), ☏ +1 204-224-3051, cs@springhillwinterpark.com. Dec–Apr: Tue–Fri 6:30–9:30PM, Sat Sun 9AM–4PM. Includes 10 ski runs, a quad chairlift and a tow rope. The terrain park offers something for all levels. Certified instructors and rentals available.

5 Thunder Rapids Fun Park, 5058 Portage Ave (4 km west of Assiniboia Downs), ☏ +1 204-885-7223, thunderrapidsfunpark@mts.net. Summer: Mon–Sat 10AM–10PM; spring and fall: 10AM–dusk; Sun open at noon. Five different types of go-karts, bumper boats, batting cages, video games, jungle gym, picnic/BBQ areas, 18-hole mini golf.

6 Tinkertown Family Fun Park, Hwy 1 East at Murdock Rd, ☏ +1 204-257-8095. May–Sep. Outdoor amusement park with over 20 rides and attractions for kids.

7 U-Puttz Black Light Miniature Golf, 423 McPhillips St (in the North End), ☏ +1 204-582-2166, u-puttz@mts.net. Uniquely themed 18-hole miniature golf course.

Public 18-hole golf courses

8 John Blumberg Golf Course, 4540 Portage Ave.

9 Kildonan Park Golf Course, 2021 Main St.

10 River Oaks Golf Course (south on Waverley St).

11 Shooters Family Golf Centre, 2731 Main St.

12 Tuxedo Golf Club, 400 Shaftesbury Blvd.

13 Windsor Park Golf Course, 10 Des Meurons St.

Sports

14 Assiniboia Downs Racetrack, 3975 Portage Ave (just west of the Perimeter Hwy), ☏ +1 204-885-3330, info@assiniboiadowns.com. May–Sep. Featuring live thoroughbred racing. Year-round simulcast wagering on races from around the globe.

Winnipeg residents love food. There is an amazing array of restaurants catering to every taste and budget. Tipping is customary in Winnipeg and is not included in the price of the food. Some restaurants may automatically add a gratuity charge for large groups. Tips typically range from 10–20%

Local cuisine includes:

Winnipeg goldeye, a smoked fish available at most grocery stores and fish markets.

Winnipeg-style rye bread, best bought unsliced directly from the bakery.

Winnipeg-style cream cheese is a good accompaniment for Gunn's bagels.

Fresh pickerel filets and cheeks.

Russian mints

Manitoba maple syrup

Kubasa or kielbasa, a ready-to-eat Eastern European pork garlic sausage smoked daily.

Mennonite farmer's sausage (for frying or barbecuing).

Chili Burgers

Tourtière, a Québécois meat pie.

Québécois desserts like sucre à la crême (similar to fudge) and tarte à sucre (like pecan pie, minus pecans).

Indigenous foods like elk, bison, and bannock.

Honey dill dipping sauce for things like chicken fingers and fries. Can be ordered at almost any restaurant in Winnipeg or bought in some stores.

Budget

1 Affinity Vegetarian Garden, 100–208 Edmonton St (downtown), ☏ +1 204-943-0251. Mon–Fri 11:30AM–2PM, 5–9:30PM, Sat 5–9:30PM, Sun closed. Chinese and vegetarian, including vegetarian imitations of shrimp and fish. entrees $8.75-11.50.

2 Burrito Del Rio Taqueria, 433 River Ave (in Osborne Village), ☏ +1 204-415-5600. Mexican.

3 Falafel Place, 1101 Corydon Ave (in River Heights), ☏ +1 204-489-5811. Lebanese/brunch. Perfect for hangovers.

4 KG Saigon, 840 Sargent Ave (in the West End), ☏ +1 204-783-3482. Amazing Vietnamese food.

5 The North Star Drive-In, 531 McGregor St (in the North End), ☏ +1 204-589-4003. Across the street from Alycia's, and has excellent burgers in town. If you try this family-run drive in, expect very friendly staff and delicious burgers, hot dogs, and fries. North Star also always has a fresh dogbowl of water if you happen to bring your pet along.

The sale of alcohol is regulated by the Government of Manitoba through the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission (MLCC, or the "LC"). All alcohol is sold through the MLCC's Liquor Marts. Beer and wine can be sold through beer vendors or wine markets. Any establishment selling alcohol must be licensed and follow MLCC rules, such as minimum drink prices and last call at 2AM.

The legal drinking age in Manitoba is 18. Alcohol can only be consumed in residences or licensed establishments, not in public. The legal blood alcohol contact (BAC) limit for driving is 0.05. Taxis are common at popular night spots. Buses run infrequently at night and stop running before 2AM.

Winnipeg is home to some local breweries:

1 Fort Garry Brewing, 130 Lowson Crescent, ☏ +1 204-487-3678, info@fortgarry.com. Mon–Fri 8:30AM–5PM, Sat 2–6PM, closed Sun. Manitoba's oldest microbrewery est. 1930. Tours available. (updated May 2021)

2 Half Pints Brewing, 550 Roseberry St (just off of St Matthews Ave), ☏ +1 204-832-7468, info@halfpintsbrewing.com. Daily 11AM–6PM. Free brewing tours on Saturdays. (updated May 2021)

3 Trans Canada Brewing Co., 1290 Kenaston Blvd, ☏ +1 204-666-2337, info@tcb.beer. Mon–Sat 9AM–10PM, Sun 9AM–7PM. A restaurant and brewery. (updated May 2021)

Nightspots

Parking will be difficult in the popular areas, especially Saturday nights.

Corydon Ave. Packed patios during the summer, the place for late night eats and drinks all year round.

Osborne Village. Home of the underground scene and late night food and drinks.

Exchange District. The main dance clubs in Winnipeg can be found in the Exchange District.

Bars

4 Bar Italia (Bar I), 737 Corydon Ave, ☏ +1 204-452-1929. Billiard tables, a packed patio and attracts a hip, twenty-something crowd. 18+.

5 High and Lonesome Club (Times Change(d)), 234 Main St (downtown), ☏ +1 204-957-0982, info@highandlonesomeclub.ca. Wed–Fri 11:30AM–2:30PM and 5:30–8:30PM, Sat 5:30–8:30PM. Folk, roots, country, blues. 18+.

6 Pembina Draught Bar (The Pemby), 1011 Pembina Hwy, ☏ +1 204-453-3724. Younger crowd, large selection of cheap beer by the pitcher, decent music, pool, foosball, and free darts. 18+.

7 The Windsor Hotel, 187 Garry St (downtown), ☏ +1 204-942-7528, windsorh@mts.net. The best live blues in town. 18+.

Winnipeg is a large, spread-out city and it can take a while to get around. Unlike most North American cities this size, there is no urban freeway network in the city. Traffic jams, particularly in the downtown area, are common during the rush hour periods which are generally from 7:30–9AM and 3:30–5:30PM Monday to Friday. Much of Winnipeg's downtown real estate is devoted to parking, with ubiquitous and cheap surface lots continuing for multi-block stretches. It is worth considering renting a car, especially if any excursions outside of the city are planned.

Highways: Winnipeg is one of the first Canadian cities of its size to have a ring road (the Perimeter Highway) which provides a by-pass for travellers on the Trans-Canada Highway. Within the city, the Trans-Canada Highway follows regular city streets.

Street names: All streets in Winnipeg have names. Major routes will have both names and route numbers, but will almost always be called by the name. A notable exception is Route 90, which is commonly called Kenaston in the southern half of the city and Route 90 in the northern half. Many streets change names as they wind through the city, which can be extremely confusing, even to locals. The most known example is Route 62, which starts as Salter in the north end of the city, but as it goes south becomes Isabel, Balmoral, Colony, Memorial, Osborne, Dunkirk, and finally Dakota in the south end, with no clear indication when it changes.

One-way streets: Many downtown streets are one-way, which can make navigating downtown quite confusing. One-way streets are rare outside of downtown, except around Polo Park.

No left turns: Many busy streets limit left-hand turns, particularly during rush hour. This is especially prevalent downtown, but is common in the rest of the city as well. In many cases, though, a left turn from a one-way to a one-way is allowed.

Winnipeg has a moderately high crime rate by Canadian standards, but low violent crime by American or global standards. Much crime is gang or alcohol related and rarely involves tourists who exercise the same degree of caution they would in any other urban centre. Areas where higher degree of caution is advised at night include areas north of City Hall on Main St and the area surrounding Central Park.

Panhandlers are less numerous in Winnipeg compared to cities like Vancouver and Victoria, BC and they are very seldom aggressive, however displays of obvious wealth such as jewellery and expensive digital cameras should be kept to a minimum. It is best to kindly refuse panhandlers and keep walking.

As in any city, common sense should prevail. Never leave a vehicle unlocked and under no circumstances should any object be left in the car interior where it can be seen, no matter what the value (includes gloves, clothing, tools, etc.) Keep all items in the trunk. Most importantly, never leave any coins, no matter what the amount in your ashtray or console. An individual with drugs or alcohol dependency will not hesitate to smash a car window even for less than $1.

If you rent a vehicle, ensure with your rental agency that it is equipped with an immobilizer. If you drive your own vehicle here, Manitoba Public Insurance offers a most-at-risk vehicle assessment. While this is aimed at those intending to register vehicles in Manitoba, tourists may use this to consider if their vehicle is at an elevated risk for theft. Out of province tourists may also consult with their automobile insurance agent.