Friday, June 2, 2023: Right in the middle of the continent!
Info:
The capital of Manitoba is also the largest city in the province with 750,000 people. The special thing about it is probably its location, because it is equidistant from the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
As early as 11,500 years ago, the area at the confluence of the Red River and the Assiniboine River, now called “The Forks,” was settled and used as a trading post and meeting place between east – west and north – south. This is also where the Métis originated, when European trappers married First Nation women. The Métis, along with First Nation peoples and the Inuit, are among the three indigenous groups in Canada. The name Winnipeg comes from the Cree and Ojibwe languages and means “dirty water.” Both rivers carry the red soil of the land.
In 2010, Winnipeg was the cultural capital of Canada. It offers many attractions. Really. They should be looked at.
My opinion:
Winnipeg is nice. A lot of traffic – and this is said by one who has survived Toronto -, housing developments sprouting up in the suburbs, where one gray or brown house looks like the next, and a lot of traffic in between. Nice city center.
And yet … I didn’t really feel comfortable.
Diary:
I’ve probably been etching about KOA campgrounds many times before, but the one outside of Winnipeg makes up for it. (So is the one at Thunder Bay, by the way). I dutifully drove into town, as I expect a proper tourist to do, and marveled at all the traffic. I mean, Winnipeg is not Toronto! But only one tenth of it! And the surrounding area is prairie – yes, we are already in the plains and grasslands, without bears, but with foxes and bison and rattlesnakes – there are also no big cities where people would then drive to work in Winnipeg … Where do all the cars come from? Remote controlled with dummies to make it look like more than it is?
After all, Annie Way cheerfully took us to a parking lot near the Museum of Human Rights and “The Forks.” This is the place where the Red River and the Assiniboine River join and where people of different nations have met for thousands of years. Ancient paths come together here. Today, this tradition is maintained, there are many events in the park, and the old trading houses and halls have become modern shopping markets – some of the friendly kind.
Fascinating also the pedestrian bridge “Esplanade Riel” across the Red River! This is how I imagine the equality of all road users! You only have to hop to the edge occasionally as a pedestrian to avoid being hit by the cyclists.
I also dutifully went to the Museum of Human Rights and walked up the countless ramps to the roof – yes, it is a long way to equality for all people. Great museum! But just again the history of patriarchy, which is described in the great hall as “the” history! The Greeks are celebrated because they are said to have invented democracy (which existed on the Greek islands long before, but which was destroyed by the invading tribes), but it was not mentioned that this construct, which they then called democracy, did not apply to the majority of the population (women and slaves), but only to men. Olympe de Gauche is mentioned as the first and only one in the great hall.
And then on another level there are a lot of bunks where individual topics are dealt with. Indigenous people, people with disabilities, Canadians from all parts of the world, children, LGBTIQ, and here even women are mentioned. This is how the history of patriarchy continues. Inglorious, it seems to me.
Other than that, a great museum, and the architecture is definitely worth checking out. Otherwise, unfortunately, from the previous century.
There would have been a lot more to see in Winnipeg, but I was tired of all the traffic. Apart from that, this time we “paralyzed” two lanes on the road. Of the four in our direction. In the middle of the city in rush hour traffic. We were simply standing across. At a 90 degree angle. And as always kindness, patience, consideration. Thank you, motorists in Winnipeg – if you are real and wherever you all come from!
The next day I made myself a comfortable day and slipped away to the animals. I had seen a zoo in Okanagan Falls in southern British Columbia many years ago that had impressed me very much, so I was interested in the Winnipeg Zoo. Okay, not different from us in Austria, except they breed polar bears. In view of the 32°C in the shade of the surprisingly many trees that exist in the prairie, I retreated for a while to the polar bears, because there it was pleasantly cool.
Otherwise, again a lot of nice people … That’s what makes traveling so exciting: The many different people you meet, the opinions you hear, the life stories … That’s at least as interesting as the experiences I have, the things I see and experience, and the insights I gain.
And I do feel a bit guilty that I was too lazy to take a closer look at Winnipeg. After all, Winnie the Pooh is named after the city! Actually after a bear that was named after the city, but still. My excuse is the 32°C in the shade. But in retrospect: What are 32° in the shade?