Around the World in 8000 days: Housesitting in Winnipeg (Throwback post)

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Housesitting in Winnipeg (Throwback post)

Housesit Winnipeg

Winnipeg, in Manitoba, probably isn't top of most people's travel lists. It wasn't particularly on ours, but we got a housesit here, and it fitted in with our aim to see some less touristy areas and 'normal' towns.

Housesit Winnipeg

Our housesit had us looking after a lovely old Rottweiler called Jess. She was the most gentle dog you can imagine, if a little reluctant to walk at times. When she didn't want to go, she would simply lie down and refuse. Sometimes we could tempt her in to going further by playing with a stick, but occasionally there was nothing for it but to turn around and go back.

Museum of Human Rights, Winnipeg

It rather amused us that so many of the people that we met and spoke to, from neighbours at the housesit, to staff in restaurants, asked us why we had come to Winnipeg. Most seemed to find it incredibly strange that we had done so.

Museum of Human Rights, Winnipeg

And no, it still wouldn't be somewhere that we would put at the top of our list, but nonetheless, we thought Winnipeg was quite a pleasant city. One thing that we though particularly interesting, which will now be open, but was still being built during our visit, was the Canadian Museum of Human Rights.

Museum of Human Rights, Winnipeg

We did a tour of the outside while we were there, and the architecture of the building is quite interesting. The architect, Antoine Predock, has tried to represent a journey through life and to incorporate the idea of rock in the base, water in the 'cloud' that wraps around the base, and a tower that represents a beacon of hope. The metal and glass 'cloud' has also been likened to the wings of a dove or a canopy of a tree. We figured that we would have to return someday, to have a look inside too.

Winnipeg

The rest of the main city area has quite a nice feel to it overall. There is quite a lot of older architecture here, and a number of buildings still have old advertising painted on the side.

Red River College, Winnipeg

But it also blends the new in with the old; Red River College is a very modern structure, but it has been very effectively blended in with the façade of old buildings along the street.

Selkirk Settlers, Winnipeg

Red River was the area where the Selkirk Settlers, a band of Scottish Immigrants, settled, after arriving on the Prince of Wales ship on 13 August 1813. They were helped by Thomas Douglas, the 5th Earl of Selkirk, hence the name. There is a memorial to these early settlers.

Closer to where we were staying, was Corydon Avenue, which had a few decent places to go out. Back downtown, there was the slightly disappointing Forks area, and the somewhat nicer Exchange District.

The Cube, Winnipeg

There is also a great little outdoor music stage in Old Market Square. We spent a while watching a couple of bands playing here at The Cube; we enjoyed it, but weren't quite as enthusiastic as one lady who was enjoying a good old boogie.