Thought I would start off with The Legislature at night. Made all the more pleasant with the thought that the politicians are probably not in there! :-)
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Here is a closer picture showing the Golden Boy on top. He has just undergone a refurbishment , and has cost us tax payers a lot of money!
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The new Deer Lodge Centre. It's not often I prefer the new buildings to the old, but have to admit, this is a very nice looking structure on Portage Avenue.
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This is turning onto Main Street from Broadway
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Here is the new Norwood Bridge. In my opinion, this bridge is a vast improvement over the old one, and very pleasant to look at.
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The Pavilion in Assiniboine Park. You get to The Tavern in the Park through here.
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The famous Portage & Main intersection, otherwise known as Windy Corner. This section of street can no longer be crossed by pedestrians, due to a deal made with the owners of Winnipeg Square, a shopping complex underneath. You are now forced to walk through the mall to get to the other side of the street.
About once a year, it comes up for discussion about opening it up again. But in June 2006, it is still closed. (September 2008 - still not open, but still talking about it!)
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Winnipeg from the air - impressive eh?
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We certainly have our fair share of skyscrapers
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This is the tableau at the entrance of the Manitoba Museum, formerly known as the Museum of Man and Nature. A great place to visit!
I have had a few of my paintings on display in an exhibition there, so maybe I am biased!
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This is Manitoba Provincial Heritage Site No. 80. St. Boniface Cathedral, located at 190 avenue de la Cathedrale. It was originally a log church on this site, and since then there have been 5 cathedrals. This one burned down in 1968, leaving behind the sacristy, façade and walls of the old basilica, which were incorporated into the new one in 1972.
Louis Riel is buried here.
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Brrrr! A chilling sight! I think this might have been taken from St. Boniface, across the Red river towards downtown. At this time of year you can skate across!
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This is how I prefer to see a river! This time it is the Main St Bridge over the Assiniboine River on what looks to be a perfect summer day.
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While we are on the subject of summer, here is how our legislature looks on a summer's day.
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This is Memorial Park, just down the street from the Legislative buildings. They hold 'The Taste of Manitoba' here every year and I always make a point of having lunch there at least one of the days that it is on. Many of our city's diverse restaurants get together and sell you tiny portions of their best dishes. Makes me hungry just thinking about it!
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A bird's eye view of The Forks - the refurbished meeting place I was telling you about on the Winnipeg Then page.
Let's take a look around...
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This is where you can buy fruits & vegetables, cheeses and anything else you could possibly want from a market. Quite often you are entertained by a live musician or two while you shop too.
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On the second floor, you can find the most unusual boutiques and craft shops
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This view of The Forks from the air shows the Johnston Terminal, right opposite the Market. They have a great antique shop in the basement there - one of my biggest weaknesses!
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Winnipeg is far from perfectly laid out though. This sign shows you how to get around an area affectionateley known as confusion corner! Do you have it straight now?
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Winnipeg likes to think of itself as the Christmas capital of Canada - and more and more of the city's residents seem to get into the mood each year, and decorate their houses for the occasion.
Some are beautiful, and some are just....well....I will leave it to you to judge.
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So, with the temperature hovering around 25 degrees below freezing, and with the snowflakes gently falling, I will leave you for now. Check back from time to time, because I will keep adding to the pictures as I come across them.
If you haven't already checked out the page on my other home town, just click on the link below.
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Home
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February usually brings the ice scuptures to Winnipeg. We have the Festivale du Voyageur, and Provencher park is littered with these things - I love them!
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To show you that Winnipeg isn't all snow, we have our share of beautiful flower beds in summer too. Our summer is usually hot and dry, with only two things to mar it. The mosquitos and the length of it! The weather is questionable either side of June & September, and December to April are guaranteed to be white!
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This is how our City Hall and Civic Centre looks today. Personally, I prefer the old gingerbread house.
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Memorial Park, with the Legislative building in the background. This is a nice peaceful place to go, right in the heart of Downtown Winnipeg.
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This is where the money is made! Literally!
It is the Winnipeg Mint, where coins are made for the whole country.
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Spectacular isn't it? It is the new Norwood Bridge, or as it was renamed for the Queen's Jubilee visit, Queen Elizabeth Way.
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Portage Avenue looking East, as it is today, although I think the McDonalds on the right has moved since this picture was taken.
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A statue of Louis Riel stands outside the Legislature.
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This is out at my end of town. It is Sturgeon Creek. I am not sure where it starts, but it goes past Grant's Mill, then under Portage Avenue, and ends up in the Assiniboine River
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Ah yes, summer in Winnipeg means the Ex is coming! The Red River Exhibition now houses itself out near the Assiniboia Downs Racetrack. Over the years there has been talk of having it there permanently, as there has also been talk of having a Disney World there, but as of 2006, it is still all talk!
This picture shows one of the rides at sunset.
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This statue in Assiniboine Park Zoo is in memory of Lieutenant Harry Colebourn, who bought a bear for $20 after its mother had been killed, and named it Winnie, after Winnipeg, his home town. This bear ended up in the London Zoo, in England, where it was spotted by A.A. Milne, and Winnie the Pooh was created. If you would like to read more about Winnie, here is an excellent site:
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Page updated March 29, 2009
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The wonderful photo was sent to me by Steve Schneider. It was taken near the Provencher bridge in Sept. or Oct. 2003
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This view is from the river
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Downtown Portage Avenue on a nice sunny day. You can see the Centra Gas building, The Bay and Portage Place.
There is talk that The Bay might be taken over by the US firm of Target. I do hope it doesn't happen. I always think of quality when I think of the Bay, not something that springs to mind when I think of Target.
Besides, the Bay is the oldest company in Canada, are they just going to let all that Canadian history become yet another US chain?
The things you can see straddling the street are skywalks to and from Portage Place.
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The St. Boniface Canoe Race, taking place on the Red River opposite the Forks.
In the background you can see the Hotel Fort Garry, and the tallest green structure is the revolving restaurant The Royal Crown. You can have a delicious meal here, with your panoramic view constantly changing.
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Now this is a fun thing to do in Winnipeg. You can go for a ride on the paddlesteamer Paddlewheel Queen.
It makes regular trips on both the Red and Assiniboine rivers in the summer months, with on-board entertainment in the evenings.
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Here is the Paddlewheel Queen again along with the smaller Showboat cruising along the Red River.
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Correction: It has only been renamed Queen Elizabeth Way for two or three blocks between and including the bridgeways. The names of the bridges have not been changed. The Norwood Bridge crosses the Red River and the Main Street Bridge crosses the Assiniboine River.
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Here is the brand spanking new arena, which goes under the name of the MTS Centre.
I haven't been inside it yet, but all reports so far have been favourable. It is certainly a nice looking building isn't it?
Through the windows, I can see they have installed the old Timothy Eaton statue - a nice tribute to the building that used to be on that site.
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If you have any Winnipeg memories of your own, please share them with us by jotting them down in the book.
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Here is a true Then & Now. On the left is the old Provencher Bridge, with Le Creperie restaurant, and on the right is the new structure, featuring a Salisbury House restaurant in the middle. Nobody was very surprised when they decided they could no longer stay open during the winter in 2008/2009. Pedestrian traffic is a little thin on that bridge when the temperatures are down around -30º.
A modern photograph of a very old school. It is Principal Sparling School, located at 1150 Sherburn Street. Built in 1912/13, it was named after Rev. Dr. Joseph Sparling, who first founded Wesley College, which later became the University of Winnipeg.