WINNIPEG, MANITOBA

Our home for many years! Winnipeg is a beautiful prairie city, which has all the amenities that a large city offers - Symphony, Concerts, Ballet, Sports, Parks, Zoo etc.

The one thing it does not have is long time consuming drives to any destination. It still is easy to commute from one side of the city to another in about ½ hour and a little longer during the evening rush hour. Since we are retired the rush hour does not bother us anymore.

Chris used to walk to work and we still
walk downtown to the Library and anywhere else we wish. We live within blocks of many restaurants, banks, grocery and drug stores.

The city is vibrant with so many activities - the new MTS Centre hosts visiting Celebrity Concerts, Hockey and Horse Shows. The Symphony, Ballet and Chamber Orchestras have a full schedule which includes visiting some of the other cities in Manitoba.

We have two Universities and one College – The University of Winnipeg was just named one of the top 3 schools in Canada. The University of Manitoba has a large campus on the south side of the city. Red River Community College has greatly expanded its campus to many downtown

locations in redeveloped historic buildings.

The Forks location is at the forks of the Assiniboine and Red Rivers. This is one of the smallest National Parks in Canada and is a historical meeting place.

The CN yards have moved and it is now
developed into a gathering spot for outdoor concerts, world class skate-board park, hotel, pubs and market. In winter a skating rink is under the huge umbrella.

Inside the city Assiniboine Park and Forest encompasses about ¾ section. Many deer live in the forest, and the pond
is home to ducks and many bird species. Winnipeg is lucky to be on the Mississippi and the Central flyway and we are treated to a bird list of about 370 species.

We have travelled to many cities in the world and Winnipeg is still our home of choice.

ORILLIA, ORANGEVILLE AND LONDON

Summer 2007

It is a long drive from Winnipeg to Orillia – 24 hours. The north route goes on the north side of the Great Lakes. It is very scenic but one is always on the lookout for moose on the road and the speed limit is about 80 kph. We never even saw a moose but then we did not drive early morning or late at night when they are most active.

It was great to visit with my son, Grant and his family, Angel and the 3 boys, Tyler, Mitchell & Jarrett.

They have recently moved into their new home

and enjoying all the remodelling and decorating. The boys are very tall, thin and active.

It was a surprise to also visit with Chris' mother and sister from Vancouver in Orangeville. They were visiting Holly (Chris' niece) who is an equestrian trainer. This is picturesque farm and horse country.

We had one more stop - to visit with former Winnipeg friends in London, Maris and Derek
Smith. We always enjoy their hospitality. We took one drive to an artsy town and to the Winter Wheat Gallery. It was most unusual lawn and decorating shop.

Our return to Winnipeg was via the south route (through the USA). The weather was very good and since this is a flat route it takes less time. Entry into the US was smooth with only ½ hr wait, but then the Customs Officer wanted to know what we were doing in Ontario, which was weird as we are Canadians maybe he got mixed

up.

We had hoped to visit friends in Wisconsin but they had gone fishing (literally).

Our two week trip went by very fast.