The Forks - All Rivers lead to Winnipeg in the Centre of Canada

Today saw us travel to the ninth largest City in Canada - Winnipeg. The actor Liev Schreiber said of the City: 

I actually loved Winnipeg. Everyone told me I was going to hate it, but it was great.

And this seems a good way to start a report of our visit to a City that we really enjoyed too.

Our route was as follows:

From Thunder Bay to Winnipeg

I found it interesting to note that the two alternative routes Google gave us, as you can see in the map, are both via the USA state of Minnesota! We however stayed on the Canadian Route.

Breakfast

I got up at 4.10 am and wrote the blog post about the Trans-Canada Highway as we would be spending all day on it. It was going to be a long travel day as today is the longest drive of our whole holiday. Going from Thunder Bay, Ontario to Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Google estimate is 435 miles.

We went down to breakfast at 6.45am ready for an early start. The breakfast was really lovely with crispy bacon, sauteed potatoes and fried eggs, an interesting change from the regular scrambled variety. 

Breakfast at the Comfort Inn, Thunder Bay

Drew washed his cooked breakfast down with a plain donut drenched in Maple Syrup (it would be rude not to use it - he explained) and then another on to one of his favourites - a  Jammy Donut. This seems to be one of this holiday's treats as we have not seen them when travelling in the country down south. 

Donut with Maple Syrup and Jammy Donut - Thunder Bay

The Journey

We were on the road by 7.30am and it was only 54℉ as we left. We stopped at an Esso garage to fill up for the journey. At $1.44 per litre this was the most expensive petrol of the holiday to date. But we are a long way from any big town, so that might be expected.

We travelled out of Thunder Bay on the ON17, that is the Trans-Canada highway. As the map says of today's journey turn right and travel 425 miles. The Rough Guide isn't very encouraging either:

Kenora becomes the next town sign posted out of Thunder Bay, this is only 446km (277 Miles) away. 

Distances for the Road Ahead - in Km

Changing Time Zones

60 miles north of Thunder Bay the Time Zone change takes place at the 90° of Longitude so we pass from Eastern Time to Central Time. There is a large sign marking the change in time zone and this point also marks the first Trans-Canada routes which used the river passage here in the early days of continental travel. 

Entering the Central Standard Time Zone

The time zone change means that for us 8.45am has become 7.45 am, and we gain a useful extra hour in our long day of travel. (And are now 6 hours before the UK). When planning our journey we toyed with the idea of stopping between Thunder Bay and Winnipeg, but we couldn't find anywhere obvious to make the stop. When we saw that we would have an extra hour in our day we agreed we would go for the longer route and get to Winnipeg.

At 8.30am we stopped at the little township of English River for a toilet break and a driver change. There were no facilities here (other than a restaurant/inn that opened at Midday) so we were grateful for a wooded glade near the lake. 

English River

Still in Ontario

Though the time zone has changed we remain in Ontario and the road is interspersed with trees and lakes. We continued to take photos of some of the lakes including the very pretty Jackfish Lake. As we continue the temperature rises to 87F

Jackfish Lake

Haydn, having taken up the driving at English River now had to negotiate some major road works for about 20 miles of the route. While they slowed us they didn't stop us for very long periods. However others had greater challenges. At one stop sign two people with a tape measure walk past us to to check if their Wide Load would fit between the concrete barriers alongside the road. They got out of a 'wide load escort vehicle; and walked up to the point where they could measure. Let's hope they made it, but by that time we had moved on.

Will it fit or not - tape measure in hand they are going to try

We made our next stop, and driver change at Dryden. We went to Tim Hortons arriving at 10.30am (11.30am based on the time we got up - i.e. four hours into our journey). Drew had a Frosted Cinnamon Roll and I had a very tasty Jalapeno Asiago Mozzarella Bagel with cream cheese. We complemented these with a dark roast coffee each.

Jalapeno Asiago Mozzarella Bagel with cream cheese

Frosted Cinnamon Roll

The Lake of the Woods

The route continues to be full of tall trees and lovely lakes. Though Kenora had been the signposted town we had been heading for all day it was not a big place and the Trans-Canada Highway skirts on a bypass around the town. It is here we see our first sign for Winnipeg, it is only 229km (142 miles ahead). 

Winnipeg only 229Km to go

We cross the Winnipeg River which flows for 146 miles from Kenora to Lake Winnipeg. 

This are is not rich in stopping places so we pull into the Petrol Station and Store at Clearwater Bay in the region called the Lake of the Woods. 

Lake of the Woods - We are here

The Lake of the Woods is a region of many, many lakes that covers the northern part of Ontario and parts of Northern Minnesota. In particular the region contains the North West Angle, the most Northerly point in the contiguous USA (that is  the 48 states, excluding Alaska which is all North of here). An error in the calculation of the 49th Parallel in the Treaty negotiations between the UK and the USA saw the agreed borderline here (there are lots of small errors but this is a major one) put 123 square miles of territory which looks as if it should be Canada's in the USA. This includes some land which is only accessible from Canada, apart from by boat. 

North West Angle

Given we have travelled to the Eastern, Western and Southern points, as well as to the central point of the contiguous USA we did look at making a visit to Angle (there is only a US Post Office and some cottages there. But reading about the unpaved roads and the need for four wheeled drives we decided we could survive without it. So this stop is our nearest to that point.   

Entering Manitoba

Welcome to Manitoba

We crossed the Manitoba province line at 1.48 pm (2.48pm by our origin time) and had the pleasure of a dual carriageway all the way from the provincial border to Winnipeg. While the traffic was not much busier than on the Ontario roads, it seemed strange to overtake at will, not having to wait for passing places having had days of doing just that. 

Winnipeg

This city had memories for me from the distant past. My Grandmother (Gramma as we called her) was called Winnie Blackey. In fact she spent most of her life claiming to be called the much more dignified Winifred, she used this in all her formal documents and when speaking of herself, but she was known as Winnie to her friends and, we discovered when sorting her papers after her death, was actually registered as Winnie on her birth certificate (She was born in 1905, so there is no Pooh or Churchill connection with the name Winnie). On occasion when someone, normally a naughty child called Haydn, would get on her nerves, she would say: "Well I'm Winnie Blackey and I might as well go to Winnipeg for the notice you are paying me." So Winnipeg always held an interest for me as I was growing up, and now 60 years into my life I am here.

We arrived in Winnipeg and went straight to our hotel. Tonight we are in a Quality Inn and Suites in the Osbourne district of the city, just south of downtown. 

Welcome to Winnipeg

We checked in and at 4pm and left our bags and got out into Winnipeg we walked towards the City Centre which was about 2 miles away. After three days when we have been in the car for the whole day it was nice to get out on our feet and make sure they weren't atrophying. 😉

Walking into Winnipeg, over the River Assiniboine

Winnipeg is the Capital of Manitoba, so as with Quebec, a few days ago, we headed towards the Provincial Legislative Assembly. The route took us over the River Assiniboine and to the statue of Louis Riel, the leader of the Métis rebellions in this part of Canada. Riel led two rebellions against the government of Canada and its first post-Confederation prime minister, John A. Macdonald. Riel sought to preserve Métis rights and culture as their homelands in the Northwest came progressively under the Canadian sphere of influence, but is also credited as the founder of Manitoba. The Métis, had become almost a seperate nation within a nation. Emerging from the relationships with European travellers (hunting for fur) and First Nation women the Métis, belonging neither to the European nor the First Nation culture developed a tradition of their own, one recognized with the First Nations and the Inuits as a distinct people in the Canada Constitution Act. 

Louis Riel

Riel was defeated politically and militarily, yet it is his statue that dominates the Manitoba Legislative Assembly today. We Walked up beyond his statue to the Manitoba Legislative Assembly itself. It is an immense, impressive structure, with the 'Golden Boy' on its dome. Queen Victoria sits proudly in front and other statues remember the Ukrainian diaspora and Wolfe and Dufferin along with Nellie McClung and her companions who made such a difference to women's suffrage in Manitoba. All the photos are on Flickr

Manitoba Legislative Assembly

From the Legislative Assembly we went towards Union Station - this big traditional style railway building divides Winnipeg from what was (until 1971 when they amalgamated) its sister City of St Boniface, across the Red River.   

Union Station

The Forks

The route from Union Station to St Boniface takes you through the oldest part of Winnipeg. This area, called the Forks, was where the Plains Indian tribes would regularly meet to negotiate and share peace, long before the arrival of the Europeans. It is this central place where the Red and the Assiniboine rivers meet which became a central position for the tribes who lived further along each river.

The Meeting Place at the Forks

Alongside the Forks is the modern building which forms the Canadian Centre for Human Rights and a statue of Mahatma Gandhi as a symbol of human rights. 

Canadian Centre for Human Rights

A walk over the pedestrianised bridge named after Riel brings you to St Boniface.

Riel Bridge

Saint Boniface

St Boniface was the location where Lord Selkirk established mercenaries to to protect his fledgling Red River Colony. These became the first Europeans to settle in this part of Canada. In response to this development the Bishops of Eastern Canada founded a Catholic mission in 1818. St Boniface then began its role in Canadian religious, political and cultural history - as mother parish for many French settlements in Western Canada; as the birthplace of Louis Riel and fellow Métis who struggled to obtain favourable terms for Manitoba's entry into Confederation; and as a focus of resistance to controversial 1890 legislation to alter Manitoba's school system and abolish French as an official language in the province.


A French-speaking order, called the Sisters of Charity of Montreal, but better known as the Grey Nuns, arrived in 1844 and established education and healthcare in the area. The first set of nuns, commemorated in the St Boniface Garden here, travelled all the way from Montreal by canoe.

Memorial for the Grey Sisters

St Boniface's Cathedral became the centre for Francophone culture and life in the Western parts of Canada. In 1900 St Boniface was the fifth largest city in Western Canada and deserved a great Basilica as its Cathedral. This was completed in 1906, however it burnt down in 1968 leaving only some of the facade. In these changing times a new small modern building was built in the footprint of the 1906 Cathedral, giving a dramatic feel as you walk through the old West Doors into the site. As it was late in the evening the Cathedral was closed (there was a choir practice going on inside). So we were not able to take photos of the stained glass. 

Saint Boniface Cathedral Facade

Louis Riel is buried in the grounds of the Cathedral, as are many of the diocesan Bishops. 

Riel's Grave Marker

Downtown

We walked back over Riel Bridge to the English Cathedral of St. Mary's which is downtown. We then strolled around Winnipeg and it had the amazing feeling of somewhere I have been before. So many of the buildings look and feel familiar. On reflection I think it is because Winnipeg often stands in as other places in various films and TV programmes. IDMB list 926 separate films or TV series which have been recorded here. So I guess it is no surprise that, like my first visit to New York, I have a sense of feeling in a familer place.

Downtown Winnipeg

Those of you who know me know that I prefer Radio plays to TV productions, but I have a secret vice, now to be revealed to the world, of loving the sentimental rubbish made as Christmas TV. I binge watch these silly films over the holiday season and the, as Drew calls them, Christmas Crap movies  are often filmed here. Including ones I remember from recent years like: Snowmance, Snowed-Inn Christmas, A Dream for Christmas and Journey Back to Christmas. So I am walking in a film set.

Dinner

At 7.00pm we arrive at a lovely restaurant called Peasant Cooking for dinner. Thanks to the Google Trip app on my phone for leading me here. It had a nice inner city vibe with most of the people there being young professionals.

Starters

For starters I tried a more authentic Poutine than the one I had in Levis earlier in the holiday. It was rich and aromatic with hand-cut fries, bacon gravy and Bothwell cheese curds

Haydn's Poutine

Drew went with one of his favourites for this holiday - Onion Soup, the slowly caramelized onions, croutons and Swiss cheese topping were perfect for him.

Drew's Onion Soup

Between courses they served us with some lovely toasted focaccia, though on reflection I prefer my focaccia softer and less crunchy, i.e. not toasted, but we each have different preferences.

Mains

I chose Bison Meatloaf, which came with garlic brown butter mashed potatoes, braised red cabbage and a rich and smooth shiitake mushroom sauce. The meatloaf was as rich as you might imagine Bison meat to be. Having this meal allowed me to use the joke my brother-in-law taught me many years ago when we visited some Bison on Antelope Island near Salt Lake City:

How can you tell the difference between a buffalo and a bison - you can't wash you face in a bison. 

OK it works better spoken than written, when you can't see the bison/basin pun. 🤣

Haydn's Bison Meatloaf

Drew opted for the Lamb Pie for his main, this minced lamb shoulder, peas, carrots, curried mash potato was, as he explained, like a Shepherd's Pie with curry flavour. He really enjoyed it and eat every piece.

Drew's Lamb Pie

Dessert

We even stretched to dessert, which have not played a large part in this holiday. Drew had Cheesecake with sour cherry sorbet and pig shaped shortbread cookies which he loved.

Drew's Cheesecake

I was delighted to find a Cheeseboard on offer and had a rick and creamy brie, a porter cheddar and some crunchy, nutty manchego. Ideal.

Haydn's Cheese Board with toasted bread

Given the amount of walking we had done, 15,670 steps (6.3 miles), we decided to get a Taxi back to the hotel. The nice driver from Bangladesh. Told us a little about his life as an immigrant to Canada and how much better it was than at home. 

We got back to the hotel at 9.15pm and to bed at 10.00pm, which would have been 11.00pm if we had still been in the timezone we began. A long day, but a very enjoyable and fulfilling one.