Winnipeg

This weekend, I had the opportunity to travel to the Canadian city of Winnipeg with one of my friends. As it was my third time out of the country, it was an exciting experience. I had been to Winnipeg before during my first venture over the border and I adored the architecture, so I was excited to return. The purpose of the trip was to go see Sir Elton John in concert for his Farewell Yellow Brick-Road Tour, but we also got some sight-seeing in.

Me standing amongst the “WINNIPEG” sign located in The Forks

Being as curious as I am, I decided to do some research on this beautiful city. For some context, Winnipeg is located around 70 miles north of the US-Canada border and is the capital of the province, Manitoba. Situated at the convergence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, Winnipeg is just down the river from Fargo. The city, as the location of popular canoeing route for ages, was first established in 1738 by a trading post called Fort Rouge. From there, the fort evolved into the Red River Colony which resulted in the construction of two more forts by 1812. In 1870, Manitoba became an official province of the Canadian Confederation. Three years later in 1873, amidst much conflict between the different cultural groups, Winnipeg was named and established as a city.

As the world entered the 20th century, Winnipeg was Canada’s third largest city. However, with the completion of the Panama Canal, industries were relying less on the rail network, of which the city was heavily invested in. Throughout the rest of the century, the city had faced many hardships with the ending of World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II. On top of all that, they have also had to face the notorious flooding of the Red River. With all the struggles Winnipeg has had to endure, it is making its way back into the spotlight. Since 1999, the city has invested over 1.2 Canadian Dollars ($900 million in USD) into revitalizing its downtown and the infrastructure of the city.

A view of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (left) alongside downtown Winnipeg (right) from the Esplanade Riel Footbridge

With this heavy investment, Winnipeg has been able to construct some incredible architecture to not only strengthen their footprint in Canada, but also lure in tourists. Back in 1989, the city reclaimed old railyard land and turned it into “The Forks,” which has become its most popular tourist attraction. From there, the city had further developed The Forks parks with an awe-inspiring pedestrian cable stayed bridge in 2003, named the Esplanade Riel Footbridge, in order to connect one side of the river to the other. In 2014, Winnipeg also opened the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the first national museum to be located outside of the National Capital Region. The museum, being a masterpiece of deconstructive architecture, also made its way onto the new Canadian ten-dollar bill.

Even though I only traveled to Winnipeg for a concert, I was able to visit an ever-growing Canadian city. As it had achieved a special place in my heart during my life in college, I will forever remember it for its friendly atmosphere, breathtaking architecture, and where I got to see Sir Elton John. Being only around four hours from Fargo, I intend to visit it again before I graduate, and frankly, I can’t wait for when I return.

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