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WINNIPEG, THE GATEWAY TO THE WEST

Winnipeg, located at the junction of the Assiniboine and Red Rivers, is the capital and the largest city of Manitoba. It is also known as The Gateway to the West as it is situated near the longitudinal centre of North America. The name Winnipeg comes from the Cree word meaning “muddy waters”, and First Nations people generally populated the city for thousands of years.

Downtown Winnipeg is linked with the Winnipeg Walkway, an elevated skywalk linking the MTS Centre, Millenium Library, Cityplace, Winnipeg Square and Portage Place Mall. Winnipeg has a good public transportation system with rapid transit and bicycle paths, an international airport, and the U.S. border is ½ hour drive away from the city.

Ethnic diversity is an important part of Winnipeg’s culture with over 100 languages spoken. There is a broad selection of restaurants and specialty food shops, including the renowned Winnipeg goldeye. Winnipeg, having experienced a building and real estate boom in 2007, has the third fastest-growing economy among Canada’s major cities, being ranked as one of the lowest cost locations to do business in Canada.  Housing prices in Winnipeg are currently lower than in other parts of Canada, from $100,000 upwards although rising recently, with rentals likely to be between $800-$900 per month.

Winnipeg has a thriving film industry that has supported a number of Hollywood film productions, as well as several renowned TV production companies. The Winnipeg Art Gallery is Western Canada’s oldest public gallery and houses the world’s largest collection of contemporary Inuit art.  The Royal Canadian Mint in southeastern Winnipeg produces all the coinage circulating in Canada (in addition to coins for other countries in the world).  Winnipeg will also be the site of the future home of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the first Canadian museum outside of the national capital area, located at The Forks.

The Living Prairie Museum in Winnipeg, one of the few remaining preserves of this ecosystem, showcases a great variety of prairie wildlife. Winnipeg is home to several theater companies, the Jazz Winnipeg Festival, the International Children’s Festival, the International Writers Festival, and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. The Assiniboine Park and Zoo is a major recreational facility with a plant conservatory, sculpture display, picnic areas, walking and biking trails, and many winter activities including a toboggan slide. Winnipeg has claimed to have the “world’s longest skating rink” along the Red and Assiniboine Rivers.  The Exchange District (a national historic site), Osborne Village (which was voted The Best Place to Live in Uptown Magazine’s 2008 Best Of List), and The Forks with its river walkways and shops are some of Winnipeg’s major visitor attractions.

Winnipeg sits at the bottom of a low-lying flood plain in the Red River Valley on the eastern edge of the Canadian Prairies. Its location provides a humid climate with extremes of hot and cold, record-breaking wind-chill and humidex readings, and moderate rainfall.  Hardy Winnipeggers enjoy their diverse weather, even in “Winterpeg”.  Environment Canada has claimed that Winnipeg is the coldest city in the world with a population of over 600,000. The main intersection of Downtown Winnipeg is said to be the windiest and most famous in Canada, with all roads radiating outwards.

Winnipeg awaits you!