Hi, I hope you had a great weekend and you’re ready for this new week and all it brings. Like I mentioned in my last travel post, I visited Winnipeg recently. I had so much fun doing the fun or not facts post when I visited Kenya so I had to do one for Winnipeg. Let’s get down to it then.
1.It’s Really Cold
I visited Winnipeg in the fall season and on my first day there, the weather was -4ºC it went as far as -8ºC later in the day. On the second day, I woke up to snow showers. Surprisingly though on the 4th day, it was 17ºC. I was so happy to feel the sun on my skin and we had fun day. It’s generally really really cold in Winnipeg and you have to be prepared for the weather everyday because Winnipeg is covered in snow about 132 days of the year. It gets as bad as -40ºC during winter.
2.Taxi is Only By The Meter!
There is no uber/lyft in Winnipeg! taxi is by the meter and nothing by the meter is ever cheap. There’s a bus service which gets you around everywhere but it stops every 20 seconds and can be really annoying. If you have plans to visit soon, make sure you get an international driver’s license to enable you rent a car so you can spend less on transportation. I wish I knew this before my trip because I spent a lot of money on cab fares even though my journeys were not longer than 30 minutes each time.
3.Winnipeg is Host To The Largest University in Manitoba
University of Manitoba is the largest university in Manitoba. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. I visited the university during my brief holiday for my sister’s graduation and it’s really huge.
4.It’s Always Quiet – Like A Ghostown in Uptown
There are a lot of lakes in Uptown Winnipeg and every other street is named after a lake. The buildings aren’t clustered and I couldn’t help but think about how they will never have to worry about congestion. It’s mostly quiet all the time there and everyone minds their business. The malls also aren’t as busy as one would expect for malls. Downtown is supposedly busier and I managed to visit twice but at night; for the ice hockey game I blogged about here, and my sister’s graduation dinner so I didn’t get to experience it.
5.Winnipeg is The Capital of Manitoba
Winnipeg is the largest community and capital of Canadian province Manitoba. Manitoba has ten cities in total which are; Winnipeg, Brandon, Winkler, Steinbach, Modern, Thompson, Portage La Prairie, Selkirk and Dauphin. It’s okay if you’ve never heard of them, I hadn’t too until I was told.
6.Winnipeg is The Christmas Capital of Canada
Because Winnipeg is almost always guaranteed to have snow on the ground at Christmas — which makes the most beautiful backdrop for Christmaslights — it’s been referred to as the “Christmas capital of Canada
7.Winnie The Pooh is Named After Winnipeg
I bet you didn’t know this!!! According to the Manitoba Historical Society, Winnie-the-Pooh was a real black bear cub. The bear was rescued by cavalry veterinarian Lt. Harry Colebourn and he named the cub after his home of Winnipeg. Winnie travelled with Colebourn to Europe, ending up in the London Zoo. It was there that the real Winnie provided author A.A. Milne with the inspiration for fictional Winnie-the-Pooh. A statue honoring the bear and Colebourn can be found at Winnipeg’s Assiniboine Park which I visited and will blog about soon.
8.Winnipeggers Are Friendly People
Winnipeggers are generally very friendly people. They are eager to help, share and relate. You’re in a line and someone starts a conversation with you or gives you their space if you’re in a hurry. You’re at the mall and someone genuinely wants your opinion on what to choose. They are very quick to apologize too. I experienced all this in seven days and I heard it’s a Canadian thing.
9.There is Only One African Restaurant in Winnipeg
When you’re on holiday you normally want to try the local food of where you’re visiting but sometimes, you crave your own local food too. There are African shops in Winnipeg but there is really no African restaurant in Winnipeg. You will have to cook your African food yourself or go all the way to Downtown to the only restaurant which does not operate every time. There are however so many restaurants and I went to a few as a bonafide foodie.
10.It’s A Multicultural Place
Winnipeg is a highly diverse city. I saw all kinds of people from different races and places everywhere. You never feel out of place when you’re by yourself, you blend just right in. I hear the whole of Canada is this way. Isn’t that lovely?
I can’t wait to visit again and spend a longer time. I’ll also like to visit Toronto too because I hear it’s busier.
Thanks for reading.
Have you ever been to Canada?
Mariam Shittu
MARIAM SHITTU 
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