Two Weeks in Winnipeg

Posted by Ali | Tuesday September 4, 2007

Though I am originally from Winnipeg, every time I go back and visit my hometown I am newly surprised by the way they do things there. For example, driving. Winnipeggers have a much more relaxed philosophy on things like green lights, stop signs and advanced turn signals. Generally a left turn signal will let through approximately 2.5 cars. Not because the light is too short, but because the drivers aren’t in any particular hurry. They will wait at the blinking green light for a good 5 seconds before slowly meandering through the intersection like they don’t have a care in the world. I imagine they are looking out the window admiring the flatness of the prairies or that they temporarily forgot where the gas pedal was. You’d get shot in Toronto for taking that long to move through an intersection, or at least some serious horn honking and profanities directed your way.

Sadly, the shopping is lame and I was surprised to see that the prices were actually higher in chain stores like Jacob than they are in Toronto. A pair of capris on sale in Toronto for $9.99 were $29.99 in the 'Peg.

I observed a $5 vacuum cleaner yard sale on Hwy #9 (WTF??) where someone had unloaded about 50 used vacuum cleaners onto their front lawn with large tacky signs advertising the sale.

Though the pace of life there is much slower, there are still some surprising similarities with other major metropolitans. Winnipeggers love their gourmet food. There are so many fantastic upscale restaurants in Winnipeg, you never need to eat a bad meal. We’re partial to the sushi over at Wasabi. They also love a quality espresso. Cafes and espresso bars are abundant and usually have a plentiful selection of cakes and other mouth-watering confections, like Just Deserts Café on Provencher Blvd.

They’re equally cottage-obsessed as Ontarians and spend nearly every summer weekend in the Whiteshell, Grand Beach or the Lake of the Woods region, all within a 2 hour drive of downtown Winnipeg.

While Winnipeg isn’t exactly a vacation destination it certainly offers up the cleanest fresh air you could ask for. My lungs and allergies were happy to take a vacation from the wheezy Toronto air. Grass, flowers and bonfires scent the air and the sounds of crickets, birds and wind in the trees can be heard anywhere – even downtown, (which is more like a couple of blocks of tall-ish buildings).

Whether you live in Winnipeg or are just visiting, the city certainly has its good points and is worth exploring.

This visit I was honored to become an Auntie again...