Winnipeg info

Winnipeg is a top contender in the race to select a great Prairies neighborhood. Read on to discover why you and your family should move to Winnipeg and buy your new home here!

Countless art galleries, a bustling music scene and innumerable attractions for the whole family is what awaits you in Winnipeg. There are way too many cultural activities to mention, so we've gone ahead and listed a handful for your perusal.

For great art, be sure to check out the Exchange District.  If you're looking for some great places to start your search, here are some spots to consider:

Winnipeg Art Gallery
Mayberry Fine Art
Graffiti Gallery
Gurevich Fine Art
Urban Shaman Contemporary Aboriginal Art Gallery

If music is more your thing; don't worry, Winnipeg has you covered on that front, as well. There are tons of spaces for all types of genres and styles. If you prefer low-key, local bands then you should definitely check out the Park Theatre Cafe, Le Garage Cafe, West End Cultural Centre, or the Pyramid Caberet.

If you prefer theatre, the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre and the Pantages Playhouse Theatre are good places to start! Winnipeg is also home to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, which is Canada's oldest ballet company and is noted to have performed in several hundred cities worldwide. Not even a year old, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights is a great way to learn about the struggles in the history of human rights both in Canada and abroad. It's also a great way to encourage acceptance and respect.

The best way to describe Winnipeg?  It is a walker's paradise.

Assiniboine Park is probably the most well known green space in the city. It is home to a 700-acre forest, a zoo, a handful of gardens, an outdoor theatre and countless other attractions. (If that isn't one of the best parks you've ever heard of... I want to know where you've been hanging out!) If trails are your thing then you are sure to love the Red River Mutual Trail (which transforms into a great spot for skating in the wintertime) and The Loop, the city's main walking trail. There are also tons of bike paths in and around the city for all you bike enthusiasts out there!

If you live for winter fun and all the sports and activities that come along with it, you will surely enjoy the skiing (both downhill and cross-country) that Winnipeg offers. There's Kildonan, St. Vital, La Barriere Parks, Windsor Park and Springhill Winter Park that are all great spots to head out to when the winter season rolls back around (not too soon, hopefully).

What's the best thing about a multicultural city of nearly 700,000 habitants? Great ethnic cuisine, of course. The Exchange District, Corydon Avenue and the Osborne Village are some great areas to fulfill all your foodie fantasies. There are over 1000 restaurants in the city so you can bet that there is a spot for every palate. Interested in organic dishes with a truly Canadian twist? Give Fusion Grill a try. Looking for tapas? Cordova Tapas & Wine is a fan-favorite and tends to top most lists.  Craving South American? There's no better spot than Hermanos Restaurant & Wine Bar to fulfill all those guilty cravings. Of course, these are only a fraction of the countless culinary catches Winnipeg has to offer. Explore the city, wander around and discover the wonderful finds for yourself.

Not only is Winnipeg a super family-friendly neighbourhood, but also because the people, in and of themselves, are unnervingly friendly (I say unnervingly because friendly people are a rare commodity these days, especially in a big city). Good public schools, parks, playgrounds and and tons of family-oriented, recreational activities make Winnipeg an awesome choice for a growing family with youngsters.

Regardless of age or gender, toddlers and teens alike will find endless hours of entertainment in the city. Here are just a handful of the fun options out there (and yes, it's totally acceptable to wish you were a kid again after checking out these spots):

Magnus Eliason Rec Centre: A great spot for teens looking for fun after school activities.

Children's Museum: A non-profit, charitable museum with 12 permanent galleries, who said fun couldn't be educational?

Kid City: How to sum up the establishment in three words? A child's dream! Kid City is an indoor play area equipped with a new laser maze, a sports court, an inflatable bouncer, tabletop games and much, much more.

Freeze Frame International Film Festival for Kids of all Ages: An annual March event with quality films for kids

If there is one takeaway message from this post, please let it be that  Winnipeg is pretty much synonymous with recreation. They have close to 1,000 park sites, close to 30 golf courses, 30 indoor arenas, over 10 swimming pools, close to 10 recreation centres, 20 libraries and for all those ardent Canadian-sports enthusiasts, 20 curling arenas, eh! These fun facts are brought to you courtesy of Immigrate Manitoba and coming from a metropolis myself, I happen to think that's pretty darn impressive.

Aside from all this year-round fun, Winnipeg is home to an arsenal of festivals that are sure to have you anxiously awaiting every season (yes, even winter!).

Spring and Summer:

Winnipeg Comedy Festival (April)
Fringe Festival (July)
Winnipeg Folk Festival (July)

Fall and Winter:

Manyfest (September)
Culture Days (September)
Festival of Trees and Lights (November)
Canad Inns Winter Wonderland (December is Manitoba's largest winter drive-through light show!)
New Music Festival (January)

There are tons of festivals going on in Winnipeg year-round and we probably could have dedicated this whole piece to just that alone; rather, hop on over to Winnipeg's Office Tourism Website to check out all the festivals going on year-round.