MAY 25 & 26 Now in its 10th year, Heritage Winnipeg’s Doors Open Winnipeg is a free event that celebrates this city’s unique spaces, architecture and history. More than 80 buildings and sites in neighbourhoods all over the city will be featured, including the breathtaking St. Boniface Cathedral and Westminster Church (pictured). Admission is free; note each building’s hours. Some buildings have timed tours.
MAY 26 Every bear that ever there was will gather in Assiniboine Park on May 26 for the 27th annual Teddy Bears’ Picnic. There will be lots of marvelous things to eat and wonderful games to play at this annual all-day fundraiser put on by the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba. Of course, Dr. Goodbear will be there, operating an on-site clinic to patch up sick teddies. Since its inception in 1986, Winnipeg’s favourite picnic has raised $2.2 million for child health research. Event starts at 9 am, admission is free. Call 204-787-4000 or click, Assiniboine Park.
Public Winnipeg Art: Michel de Broin’s Monument
PUBLIC WINNIPEG ART: STOP #1
Monument @ La Maison des artistes visuels francophones
Underneath their granite veils, two anonymous figures stand hauntingly in the Jardins des sculptures on the lawn of La Maison des artistes visuels francophones. Eschewing classical sculpture rules, Monument artist Michel de Broin shrouds the identity of these figures. This artistic rule-breaking plays on the old-versus-new theme inherent in Winnipeg’s French Quarter. Visitors can find other works about a block and a half east of the Provencher Bridge. The newly developed sculpture garden at this artist’s centre houses permanent and temporary pieces for contemporary tastes.
• La Maison des artistes visuels francophones, 219 Provencher Blvd., 204-237-5964, maisondesartistes.mb.ca
• Map and reviews
This building is one of our Winnipeg architecture marvels. Click it to find out what it is! (Photo: AJ Batac)
At the turn of the 20th century, Winnipeg architecture earned the city the title “Chicago of the North.” The Peg’s reputation as an architectural mecca didn’t begin and end with the boom of the 1900s, of course. Many structures from before and after that period are marvels and offer many stunning photo ops. With Where.ca as your guide, delve into the legends and lore of five Winnipeg architecture jewels—and gawk at these breathtaking pictures, too.
Start the slideshow of storied Winnipeg architecture »
For Rick Shone, owner of Winnipeg’s Wilderness Supply Company, getting out into the great outdoors isn’t a hobby, it’s a lifestyle. An avid outdoorsman who spends his spare time kayaking, climbing, trail running, mountaineering and cycling, Shone, 36, has been at the helm of the independent business since 2001, when he took it over for his in-laws, Frank and Jan Sjoberg. Although Wilderness Supply Company boasts the largest selection of canoes and kayaks in the province, he’s maintained that intimate, mom-and-pop feel. He loves swapping stories with fellow adventurers. “I feel like I’m part of their expeditions.” His job isn’t just to outfit people with top-of-the-line gear; it’s also to provide encouragement and support. “We think of ourselves as educators, not just salespeople.” Wilderness Supply Company, 623 Ferry Rd, 204-783-9555.
By night, downtown Winnipeg is alive with concert-goers and diners; by day, it’s bustling with 9-to-5ers and business travellers. Busy people require specialty shops and services, and downtown is rich with options. Start your day with a quick blowout or polish change at the urban Salon One Eleven on Fort Street. Stroll a couple blocks north on Fort to Portage Avenue and turn left, followed by a right on Smith Street, where you’ll find Four Directions Trading Company. Pick up unique Aboriginal treasures like hand-carved antler earrings and traditional quilted star blankets (pictured). The Best of Friends Gift Shop, located in the Millennium Library on Donald Street, boasts stylish writerly gifts, including lovely journals and pens. Head down Graham Avenue to The Bay Downtown for a luxe department store experience. Stripe-spotters will love beautifully displayed Hudson’s Bay Company bedding and apparel. More than wedding dresses, Stella’s Bridal, located across from the University of Winnipeg, is a tony boutique for ravishing evening wear by Sophia Tolli and more.
Second generation restaurateur Beth Grubert is a Paris-trained baker with a hands-on management approach and exquisite attention to detail. Her Osborne Village eatery Baked Expectations been drawing locals to a fabulous display case of mile-high cakes, tortes and pies for three decades. Choices can be tough here, where decadent strawberry pecan torte covered in glistening chocolate ganache competes with rich peanut butter chocolate chip cheesecake for a coveted place on your plate. A menu of short-order favourites that stars a triple decker grilled cheese with bacon is equally grand. Let them eat cake!
161 Osborne St, 204-452-5176.
MAY 11-AUGUST 18 In celebration of its centennial, Winnipeg Art Gallery has assembled 100 Masters: Only in Canada, a group of influential paintings, sculptures and decorative art works that spans six centuries and numerous schools. Half of this momentous exhibit is from WAG’s own collection, the balance is on loan from 30 North American museums. See major Canadian and International works by stars including Emily Carr, Andy Warhol and Henri Matisse (pictured). 300 Memorial Blvd, 204-789-1760.
The name of Winnipeg’s hottest new dining destination is Jane’s (pictured), but it’s certainly not plain. Innovative and grand are more accurate descriptors of the 90-seat student-operated restaurant housed in a renovated heritage space. Today, the long-vacant Union Bank building is home to Red River College’s new Paterson GlobalFoods Institute, a cutting-edge training ground that is redefining culinary school in Canada. Here, students gain hands-on experience with real diners in two restaurant classrooms. The Culinary Exchange is a grab-and-go with short order favourites, while Jane’s offers upscale dining from a menu that changes monthly. At the latter, enjoy fine fare, like braised short ribs with tamarind sauce with truffle-scented grits, prepared by students in a sleek, open kitchen. 504 Main St, 204-632-2594.
MAY 3-28 Late last year a group of artist mothers, affiliated through Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art (MAWA), assigned themselves a month-long daily artwork challenge. Mothers Dailiness is a glimpse of the result, a multi-disciplinary collection of sketches, poems, sculptures, photographs and paintings. Concepts explored include how ideas and images develop over time; and the manifestation of motherhood as expressed in stuffed toys embedded with personality; and medals crafted to commemorate mothering achievements. MAWA, 611 Main St, 204-949-9490.
Métis leader Louis Riel is one of Manitoba’s most notorious historical figures, and many of the defining moments in his life—and in the history of Manitoba—happened right here in Winnipeg. Learn more about his life and influence with our self-guided walking tour that criss-crosses fast flowing rivers, from the Manitoba Legislative Building to old St. Boniface via the Esplanade Riel.
• Start the Louis Riel Walking Tour »
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The best Winnipeg sausage: an international sampling of recipes can be found throughout the city
Winnipeg is populated by people from many places, and that diversity is ours to taste at the city’s many old-school deli shops. Each butcher has cherished recipes for traditional homemade sausage. Winnipeg is proud to be home all of them, and our local experts have hunted down the some of the finest. From quintessential kielbasa to the best wurst, here are five banging bangers that are worth stinking up your suitcase for.
