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Winnipeg

Coordinates: 49°53′N 97°10′W / 49.88°N 97.17°W / 49.88; -97.17
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For other uses, see Winnipeg (disambiguation).
City of Winnipeg
Winnipeg as seen looking north
Winnipeg as seen looking north
Flag of City of Winnipeg
Flag
Coat of arms of City of Winnipeg
Coat of arms
Nickname(s): 
Heart of the Continent, Gateway to the West, One Great City, Peg City, The Peg, Winterpeg, The 204
Motto(s): 
Unum Cum Virtute Multorum
(One with the Strength of Many)
Location of Winnipeg in Manitoba
Location of Winnipeg in Manitoba
CountryCanada
ProvinceManitoba
RegionWinnipeg Capital Region
Established,1738 (Fort Rouge)
Renamed1822 (Fort Garry)
Incorporated1873 (City of Winnipeg)
Government
 • City MayorSam Katz
 • Governing BodyWinnipeg City Council
 • MPs
List of MPs
 • MLAs
List of MLAs
Area
 • Land464.01 km2 (179.16 sq mi)
 • Urban
448.92 km2 (173.33 sq mi)
 • Metro
5,302.98 km2 (2,047.49 sq mi)
Elevation
238 m (781 ft)
Population
 (2006 Census[1][2])
 • City633,451 (Ranked 7th)
 • Density1,365/km2 (3,540/sq mi)
 • Urban
641,483 (Ranked 9th)
 • Urban density1,429/km2 (3,700/sq mi)
 • Metro
694,668 (Ranked 8th)
 • Metro density131/km2 (340/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Postal code span
R2C–R3Y
Area code204
DemonymWinnipegger
NTS Map062H14
GNBC CodeGBEIN
WebsiteCity of Winnipeg

Winnipeg (Template:PronEng) is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America,[3] at the confluence of the historic Red and Assiniboine Rivers, a point now commonly known as The Forks.[4] Winnipeg is the core cultural and economic centre for the Winnipeg Capital Region, which has a combined population of 730,305. Winnipeg is the 7th largest municipality in Canada with a total population of 633,451.[5]

The city is located in the prairies of Western Canada, in a native tallgrass prairie ecosystem, and boasts such cultural attractions as the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.[6] It is home to historic architecture; distinctive neighbourhoods, (like Saint Boniface and the Exchange District); scenic waterways; a Canadian heritage river; and numerous parks, including Assiniboine Park and Kildonan Park.

Winnipeg also lies relatively close to many beautiful Canadian Shield rivers and hundreds of lakes and parks, including Lake Winnipeg (the earth's 11th largest freshwater lake).[7]

Winnipeg has laid claim to the title of World's Longest Skating Rink, along the Red and Assiniboine rivers.[8]

History

Main article: History of Winnipeg
Upper Fort Garry in the early 1870s.

The first French officer arrived in the area in 1738. Sieur de la Vérendrye built the first fur trading post on the site (Fort Rouge) for the North West Company, who continued to trade there for several decades before the arrival of the Hudson's Bay Company.[9] Fort Gibraltar was built by the North West Company in 1809, and Fort Douglas was built by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1812. The two companies fought fiercely over trade in the area, and each destroyed some of the other's forts over the course of several battles. In 1821, the Hudson's Bay and North West Companies ended their long rivalry with a merger. Fort Gibraltar, within the site of present-day Winnipeg, was renamed Fort Garry in 1822 and became the leading post in the region for the Hudson’s Bay Company. Fort Garry was destroyed in an 1826 flood and rebuilt in 1835. It remained the residence of the Governor of the company for many years and became a part of the major first colony and settlement in western Canada.

In 1869–70, Winnipeg was the site of the Red River Rebellion, a conflict between the local provisional government of Métis, led by Louis Riel, and the newcomers from eastern Canada; General Garnet Wolseley was sent to put down the rebellion. This rebellion led directly to Manitoba's entry into Canadian Confederation as Canada's fifth province in 1870, and on November 8, 1873, Winnipeg was incorporated as a city. In 1876, the post office officially adopted the name "Winnipeg."

Winnipeg's boom during the 1890s and early 20th century allowed it to take on its distinctive multicultural character. The Manitoba Legislative Building reflects the optimism of the boom years. Built mainly of Tyndall Stone and opened in 1920, its dome supports a bronze statue finished in gold leaf titled, "Eternal Youth and the Spirit of Enterprise" (commonly known as the "Golden Boy").

Winnipeg faced financial difficulty when the Panama Canal opened in 1914. The canal reduced reliance on Canada's rail system for international trade, and the increase in ship traffic helped Vancouver surpass Winnipeg to become Canada's third-largest city in the 1960s.[10]

Main article: Winnipeg General Strike

Following World War I, owing to a postwar recession, appalling labour conditions, and the presence of radical union organizers and a large influx of returning soldiers, 35,000 Winnipeggers walked off the job in May 1919 in what came to be known as the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919. After many arrests, deportations, and incidents of violence, the strike ended on June 21, 1919, when the Riot Act was read and a group of RCMP officers charged a group of strikers. Two strikers were killed and at least thirty others were injured, resulting in the day being known as Bloody Saturday; the lasting effect was a polarized population. One of the leaders of the strike, J. S. Woodsworth, went on to found Canada's first major socialist party, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), which would later become the NDP.

The Winnipeg General Strike, June 21, 1919

The stock market crash of 1929 only hastened an already steep decline in Winnipeg; the Great Depression resulted in massive unemployment, which was worsened by drought and depressed agricultural prices. The Depression ended when World War II started in 1939. In Winnipeg, the old established armouries of Minto, Tuxedo (Fort Osborne), and McGregor were so crowded that the military had to take over other buildings to increase capacity.

The end of World War II brought a new sense of optimism in Winnipeg. Pent-up demand brought a boom in housing development, but building activity came to a halt due to the 1950 Red River Flood, the largest flood to hit Winnipeg since 1861; the flood held waters above flood stage for 51 days. On May 8, 1950, eight dikes collapsed, four of the city's eleven bridges were destroyed, and nearly 100,000 people had to be evacuated, making it Canada's largest evacuation in history. The federal government estimated damages at over $26-million, although the province insisted it was at least double that.[11]

Amalgamation to Present

Prior to 1972, Winnipeg was the largest of thirteen cities and towns in a metropolitan area around the Red and Assiniboine rivers. Unicity was created on July 27, 1971 and took effect with the first elections in 1972. The City of Winnipeg Act incorporated the current city of Winnipeg: the municipalities of Transcona, St. Boniface, St. Vital, West Kildonan, East Kildonan, Tuxedo, Old Kildonan, North Kildonan, Fort Garry, Charleswood, and St. James, were amalgamated with the Old City of Winnipeg.

Immediately following the 1979 energy crisis, Winnipeg experienced a severe economic downturn in advance of the early 1980s recession. Throughout the recession, the city incurred closures of prominent businesses such as the Winnipeg Tribune and the Swift's and Canada Packers meat packing plants.[12] In 1981, Winnipeg was one of the first cities in Canada to sign a tripartite agreement to redevelop its downtown area.[13] The three levels of government—federal, provincial and municipal—have contributed over $271-million to the development needs of downtown Winnipeg over the past 20 years. The funding was instrumental in attracting Portage Place mall, which comprises the headquarters of Investors Group, the offices of Air Canada, and several apartment complexes. In 1989, the reclamation and redevelopment of the CNR rail yards at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine rivers turned The Forks into Winnipeg's most popular tourist attraction.[14]

In 1996 Winnipeg's National Hockey League team (the Winnipeg Jets) left for Phoenix, Arizona.

The 1997 Red River Flood, (Flood of the Century) devastated communities along the Red River, from Fargo, ND to Winnipeg. The floodway was pushed to its limits in 1997, which led to the Red River Floodway Expansion, set to be completed in late 2010 at a final cost of more than $665,000,000 CAD.

Winnipeg panorama

Geography

Main article: Geography and climate of Winnipeg
See also: List of Winnipeg neighbourhoods
Satellite view of Winnipeg

Winnipeg is situated on the plains of south-central Manitoba, in the Canadian Prairies of Western Canada; near the geographical centre of North America; approximately 100 km (62 mi) north of the border with the United States; and 70 km (43 mi) south of Lake Winnipeg. It is situated in the extremely flat, rich agricultural land of the Red River of the North. The highest point near the city would be north east in Birds Hill Provincial Park, which was a island in the ancient glacial lake bed of Lake Agassiz. The city is extremely isolated, the closest city with a metro over 1 million, (Minneapolis), is aproxamitly 700 km (430 miles) southeast, and the closest city with a metro around 200,000 (Fargo) is aproxamitly 358 km (222 miles) south. The city's four major rivers are the Red, the Assiniboine, the Seine, and La Salle Rivers. Downtown Winnipeg is roughly three square kilometres and comparable to the downtowns of much larger North American cities such as Philadelphia (metro pop. 6.2 million) and San Francisco (7.0 million). According to the Census geographic units of Canada, the city has a total area of 464.01 km² (179.2 sq mi), making it by far the largest city in the Red River Valley.

Climate

Winnipeg
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
20
 
 
−13
−23
 
 
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−9
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−11
 
 
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25
 
 
−1
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−10
−19
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm
Source: Environment Canada[15][15]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
0.8
 
 
9
−9
 
 
0.6
 
 
17
−2
 
 
0.9
 
 
34
12
 
 
1.3
 
 
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28
 
 
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3.5
 
 
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2.8
 
 
78
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3
 
 
77
53
 
 
2
 
 
65
43
 
 
1.4
 
 
51
31
 
 
1
 
 
30
15
 
 
0.7
 
 
15
−2
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches

Winnipeg has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb), USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 3a.[16] Summers are warm and often humid, Spring and autumn are highly variable seasons, and its winters are long and sometimes dangerously cold. Because of the extremely flat, open landscape; Winnipeg lies exposed to numerous weather systems throughout the year; including cold arctic high pressure systems from the northwest during the winter season; and hot, humid weather drawn northward from the Gulf of Mexico during the summer season. The city has acquired the nickname 'Winterpeg' because of the long cold snowy winters. Only once since record keeping has the city failed to witness a 'white Christmas'. From December through February the maximum daily temperature exceeds 0 °C (32 °F), on average, for only 10 days and the minimum daily temperature falls below -20 °C (-4 °F) on 49 days. Its summers can be hot, temperatures usually reach 30 °C (86.0 °F) or higher on 14 days a year, and with the humidex, usually at or above 30 °C (86.0 °F) 45 days a year.[17] The Red River Valley has a fairly long frost-free season, consisting of between 120 and 140 days[18]. The city often receives an Indian Summer, usually after the first frost in mid to late October. Winnipeg usually has 27 days with thunderstorms per year.[19] A typical year will see an extreme range of temperatures from -35°C (-31°F) to 35°C (95°F), though both colder and warmer temperatures have been recorded.

The lowest temperature ever recorded in Winnipeg was −47.8 °C (−54.0 °F), on December 24, 1879.[20] The coldest wind chill reading ever recorded was −57.1 °C (−70.8 °F), on February 1, 1996.[15] The highest temperature recorded in Winnipeg was 42.2 °C (108 °F) on July 11, 1936. The highest humidex reading recorded in Winnipeg was 48 °C (118 °F) on July 25, 2007, although just 64 km (40 mi) southwest of the city, in the town of Carman, Manitoba broke Canada's all time humidex record, with a high of 53 °C (127 °F), July 25, 2007.[21]

Winnipeg is a very sunny city with an average of 317 sunny days per year;.[22] and all seasons are characterized by an abundance of sunshine. Winnipeg has Canada's second-clearest skies year-round and is the second sunniest city in Canada in the spring and winter.[23]

Winnipeg is known as a windy city. The average annual wind speed is 16.9 km/h (10.5 mph), predominantly from the south.[24] The city has experienced wind gusts of up to 129 km/h (80 mph). Tornadoes are not uncommon in the area, particularly in the spring and summer months; a rare EF5 tornado (strongest ever recorded in Canada) hit Elie, just 40 km (25 miles) west of Winnipeg.

Economy

Royal Canadian Mint in Winnipeg
See also: List of corporations based in Winnipeg and List of hospitals in Manitoba

Winnipeg is an important regional centre of commerce, industry, culture, finance, and government. According to the Conference Board of Canada, Winnipeg had the third-fastest growing economy among Canada's major cities in 2007, with a real GDP growth at 3.7%.[25]

Approximately 375,000 people are employed in Winnipeg and the surrounding area. Some of Winnipeg's largest employers are either government or government-funded institutions, including: the Province of Manitoba, the City of Winnipeg, the University of Manitoba, the Health Sciences Centre, the Casinos of Winnipeg, and Manitoba Hydro. Approximately 54,000 people (14% of the work force) are employed in the public sector. Large private sector employers include: Manitoba Telecom Services, Canwest, Palliser Furniture, Great-West Life Assurance, Motor Coach Industries, Convergys Corporation, New Flyer Industries, Boeing Canada Technology, Bristol Aerospace, Nygård International, Canad Inns and Investors Group.

A number of large privately held family-owned companies operate out of Winnipeg. The most famous of these is James Richardson & Sons. The Richardson Building at Portage and Main was the first skyscraper to grace that corner. Other private companies include Ben Moss Jewellers, Frantic Films and Paterson Grain.

The Royal Canadian Mint located in eastern Winnipeg (on Route 20 (Lagimodière Blvd)) is where all circulating coinage in Canada is produced. The plant, established in 1975, also produces coins for many other countries in the world.

Winnipeg is home to several government research labs. The National Microbiology Laboratory is Canada's front line in its response to infectious diseases and one of only a handful of Biosafety level 4 microbiology laboratories in the world. The National Research Council also has the Institute for Biodiagnostics laboratory located in the downtown area.

In 2003 and 2004, Canadian Business magazine ranked Winnipeg in the top 10 cities for business. In 2006, Winnipeg was ranked by KPMG as one of the lowest cost locations to do business in Canada.[26] As with much of Western Canada, in 2007, Winnipeg experienced both a building and real estate boom. In May 2007, the Winnipeg Real Estate Board reported the best month in its 104-year history in terms of sales and volume.[27]

Demographics

Ethnic Origins[28]
Population Percentage
English 141,480 22.6
Scottish 114,960 18.4
German 106,260 17.0
Canadian 104,130 16.6
Ukrainian 96,255 15.4
Irish 86,580 13.9
Polish 50,555 8.1
French 47,165 6.6
Scandinavian 45,215 7.2
Visible minorities[29]
Population Percentage
Total 101,910 16.3
Filipino 36,820 5.9
South Asian 15,080 2.4
Black 14,200 2.3
Chinese 12,660 2.0
Latin American 5,390 0.9
Southeast Asian 5,325 0.9
Multiple 3,060 0.5
Arab 2,115 0.3
Korean 2,065 0.3
West Asian 1,885 0.3
Japanese 1,725 0.3
Other 1,585 0.3
Total with Aboriginal identity[30] 76,155 10.19
  North American Indian 36,510 3.99
  Métis 42,180 5.97
  Inuit 755 0.04

According to the 2006 Census, there were 633,451 people residing in Winnipeg itself and a total of 694,668 inhabitants in the Winnipeg Census Metropolitan Area on 16 May 2006, and 711,455 in the Winnipeg Capital Region making it Manitoba’s largest city and the eighth largest CMA in Canada.[2] [31] Of the city population, 48.3% were male and 51.7% were female. 24.3% were 19 years old or younger, people aged by 20 and 39 years accounted for 27.4%, and those between 40 and 64 made up 34.0% of the population. The average age of a Winnipegger in May 2006 was 38.7, compared to an average of 39.5 for Canada as a whole.[32]

Between the censuses of 2001 and 2006, Winnipeg's population increased by 2.2%, compared to the average of 2.6% for Manitoba and 5.4% for Canada. The population density of the city of Winnipeg averaged 1,365.2 people per square kilometre, compared with an average of 3.5 for Manitoba.

Of Winnipeg’s total population, 61,217 citizens live in the city’s Census Metropolitan Area,[33] which apart from Winnipeg includes the Rural municipalities of East St. Paul, Headingley, Ritchot, Rosser, Springfield, St. Clements, St. François Xavier, Taché and West St. Paul, and the Aboriginal community of Brokenhead.

Ethnicity

Ethnic diversity is an important part of Winnipeg's culture. Most Winnipeggers are of European or Canadian descent. Visible minorities make up 16.3% of Winnipeg's population. Winnipeg is home to 38,155 people of Filipino descent, or roughly 6% of the total population, the highest concentration of persons of Filipino origin in Canada, and the second largest Filipino population in Canada after Toronto.[28][34]

Language

More than 20 languages are spoken in Winnipeg; the most common is English, in which 99.0% of Winnipeggers are fluent. In terms of Canada's official languages, 88.0% of Winnipeggers speak only English, and 0.1% speak only French. 11% speak both English and French, while 0.9% speak neither English nor French. Other languages spoken in Winnipeg include German (spoken by 4.1% of the population), Tagalog (3.4%), Ukrainian (3.1%), Spanish, Chinese and Polish (all three spoken by 1.7% of the population), as well as Aboriginal languages including Ojibway (0.6%), Cree (0.5%), Inuktitut and Mi'kmaq (both less than 0.1%). Other languages spoken in Winnipeg include Portuguese, Italian, Icelandic, Punjabi, Vietnamese, Urdu, Hindi, Russian, Dutch, Non-verbal languages, Arabic, Serbian, Greek, Hungarian, Japanese, Creole, Danish, and Gaelic languages (all of which are spoken by roughly 1% or less of the population).[35]

Religion

The 2001 census states that 72.9% of Winnipeg residents belong to a Christian denomination, 35.1% of which are Protestant, 32.6% are Roman Catholic, and 5.2% are other Christian denominations. 5.6% of the population follows a religion other than Christianity—followers of Judaism make up 2.1% of the population, followers of Buddhism and Sikhism make up 0.9% of the population each, and Muslims make up 0.8% of the population. Hindus account for 0.6% of the population, while followers of other religions make up less than 0.5% of the population. 21.7% of Winnipeggers do not follow a religion.[36]

Attractions

File:1315788324 77a9dded2b.jpg
The Exchange District
  • FortWhyte Alive nature centre, located in the south west section of the city is a very popular attraction.
  • Pan Am Pool was home to the Pan American Games and is located in the southern section of the city.
  • The Manitoba Museum is the largest museum in the province. It has nine galleries and includes a planetarium as well as a replica of the Nonsuch. It is one of the only attractions to receive the Michelin Guide's highest rating as an attraction in Winnipeg.[38]
  • The Costume Museum of Canada now resides in Winnipeg's Exchange District. After 23 years in outlying Dugald, the museum has recently relocated to the capital city with hopes to attract even more visitors. It is home to approximately 35,000 articles of clothing and represents about 400 years of fashion history in Canada.
  • Winnipeg has laid claim to the title of World's Longest Skating Rink, along the Red and Assiniboine rivers[39] beating out the nation's capital Ottawa with its Rideau Canal.
  • The MTS Centre is now the 19th busiest arena in the world. Also the arena now sits 11th among facilities in North America, its highest ranking ever, and it remains in the 3rd spot in Canada, after the Bell Centre in Montreal (fourth overall) and the Air Canada Centre in Toronto (third overall).

Parks

Winnipeg's large parks including Assiniboine Park, Kildonan Park and St. Vital Park, as well as the Assiniboine Forest, are major attractions. The Assiniboine Forest is home to a sizable urban deer herd. Located in Assiniboine Park is the minimum gauge railway, Assiniboine Valley Railway. Assiniboine Park also has a zoo, conservatory, and the Leo Mol sculpture garden.

Winnipeg is located only an hour or two of driving, from many large forests, lakes, parks, and beaches; in all directions; such as Spruce Woods Provincial Park, Whiteshell Provincial Park, Pembina Valley Provincial Park, or Grand Beach Provincial Park.

The Forks

The Forks is home to the Manitoba Theatre for Young People, Winnipeg International Children's Festival, a 30 000 square foot skate plaza, and an 8,500-square-foot (790 m2) 'bowl complex', and the Esplanade Riel bridge. It is the future home of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. In January 2008, the Guinness Book of World Records recognized The Forks as the home of the longest skating rink in the world.

Transportation

Main article: Transport in Winnipeg
See also: List of airports in the Winnipeg area
Main Street Bridge

The city is directly connected to the United States via Provincial Trunk Highway 75 (PTH 75) (a northern continuation of I-29 and US 75). The highway runs 107 km (66 mi) to Emerson, Manitoba, and is the busiest Canada – United States border crossing between Vancouver and the Great Lakes.[44] Much of the commercial traffic that crosses through Emerson, either originates from or is destined for Winnipeg. Inside the city, the highway is locally known as Pembina Highway (Route 42).

Winnipeg's airport, renamed Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport in December 2006, is currently under redevelopment. A new terminal building is scheduled for completion by 2009, along with an office tower and a second hotel. The field was Canada's first international airport when it opened in 1928 as Stevenson Aerodrome.[45] The airport is the 7th busiest in Canada in terms of passenger traffic and, along with Winnipeg/St. Andrews Airport, is among the top 20 in terms of aircraft movements.

Winnipeg is the only major urban area in the developed world without freeways [citation needed]. Beginning in 1958, the primarily suburban Metropolitan council proposed a system of freeways, including one that would have bisected the downtown area. However, a one mile stretch of freeway was built in the late 1950s, called the Disraeli Freeway (part of the Disraeli Bridge project), which is part of Route 42. A four-lane highway, called the Perimeter Highway, was built in 1969, serving as a by-pass, with at-grade intersections, and a few interchanges. It allows travellers on the Trans-Canada Highway to completely avoid the city. Some studies on the highway have given it the name "Disaster By Design".[46] Some of the city's 'major arterial roads'; are Route 165 (Bishop Grandin Blvd.), Route 17 (Chief Peguis Trail), and Route 90 (Brookside Blvd., Oak Point Hwy., King Edward St., Century St., Kenaston Blvd.).

Winnipeg Bus Terminal, located in downtown Winnipeg, offers domestic and international service by Greyhound Canada, Jefferson Lines, Grey Goose Bus Lines, Beaver Bus Lines, and Brandon Air Shuttle. This terminal will move to a new location near the airport next year.

Winnipeg has also embarked on an ambitious wayfinding program, erecting new signage at strategic downtown locations;[47] the intention is to make it easier for travellers, specifically tourists, to locate services and attractions.

Winnipeg has had public transit since 1882, starting with horse-drawn streetcars. They were replaced by electric trolley cars which ran from 1891 to 1955, supplemented by motor buses since 1918, and electric trolleybuses from 1938 to 1970. Winnipeg Transit now operates entirely with diesel buses. For decades, the city has explored the idea of a rapid transit link, either bus or rail, from downtown to the University of Manitoba's suburban campus.

Winnipeg is a railway hub and is served by VIA Rail, Canadian National Railway (CN), Canadian Pacific Railway (CP), Burlington Northern Santa Fe Manitoba, and the Central Manitoba Railway (CEMR). It is the only city between Vancouver and Thunder Bay with direct U.S. connections.

Sports

Main article: Sport in Winnipeg

Winnipeg has a long and storied sports history. It has been home to several professional hockey, football, baseball franchises, and dirt track stock car racing. There have also been many university and amateur athletes over the years that have left their mark.

File:MTSCentreWS.jpg
The MTS Centre
Current professional franchises
Club League Venue Established Championships
Winnipeg Blue Bombers Canadian Football League Canad Inns Stadium 1930 10
Winnipeg Goldeyes Northern League Canwest Park 1994 1
Manitoba Moose American Hockey League MTS Centre 1996 0
Current amateur franchises
Club League Venue Established Championships
Winnipeg Saints Manitoba Junior Hockey League Dakota Community Centre 4
Winnipeg South Blues Manitoba Junior Hockey League Century Arena 9
Winnipeg Rifles Canadian Junior Football League Canad Inns Stadium 2002 0
Winnipeg Alliance FC Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League MTS Centre 2007 0

Winnipeg is the only Canadian city to ever host the Pan American Games, and the second city in the world to host the event twice, once in 1967 and once in 1999.[48]

Education

See also: List of schools of Winnipeg

Education is a responsibility of the provincial government in Canada.

In Manitoba, education is governed principally by The Public Schools Act and The Education Administration Act, as well as regulations made under both Acts. Rights and responsibilities of the Minister of Education, Citizenship and Youth and the rights and responsibilities of school boards, principals, teachers, parents and students are set out in the legislation.

There are two major universities, a community college, a private Mennonite university and a French college in Saint Boniface

The University of Manitoba is the largest university in the province of Manitoba, the most comprehensive and the only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. In a typical year, the university has an enrolment of 24,542 undergraduate students and 3,021 graduate students.

The University of Winnipeg received its charter in 1967 but its roots date back more than 130 years. The founding colleges were Manitoba College 1871, and Wesley College 1888, which merged to form United College in 1938. Until 2007, it was an undergraduate institution with a faculty of arts and science that offered some joint graduate studies programs. It now offers graduate programs exclusive to the university. In 2008, the university plans on creating a new faculty of business consisting of economics and business programs hived off from the faculty of arts.

Winnipeg is also home to numerous private schools, both religious and secular.

Culture

Main article: Winnipeg arts and culture
See also: List of Winnipeg musicians, List of TV and films shot in Winnipeg, List of tallest buildings in Winnipeg, and List of Winnipeggers
The Esplanade Riel; a side-spar bridge, is built exclusively for pedestrians. Winnipeg-based Salisbury House owns a restaurant in the spar's base.

Winnipeg is well known for its arts and culture.[49]

Since 1999, Winnipeg has achieved acclaim for being the "Slurpee Capital of the World".[50]

Winnipeg is the only Canadian city to ever host the Pan American Games, and the second city in the world to host the event twice, once in 1967 and once in 1999.[51]

Winnipeg is well known for its murals.[52] Many buildings in the downtown area and extending into some suburban areas have murals painted on the sides of buildings.[53] Although some are advertisements for shops and other businesses, many are historical paintings, school art projects, or downtown beautification projects. Murals can also be found on several of the downtown traffic light switch posts and fire hydrants.

Winnipeg also has a thriving film community, beginning as early as 1897 with the films of James Freer to the production of local independent films of today, such as those by Guy Maddin. It has also supported a number of Hollywood productions, including Shall We Dance? (2004), the Oscar nominated film Capote (2005), The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2006), The Horsemen (2008) and X2 (2003) had parts filmed in the province. Several locally-produced and national television dramas have also been shot in Winnipeg. The National Film Board of Canada and the Winnipeg Film Group have produced numerous award-winning films.

Guy Maddin's My Winnipeg, an independent film released in 2008, is a poetic and comedic rumination on the city's history. It features archival footage and contemporary imagery blended seamlessly into an extended autobiographical goodbye letter.

There are several TV and film production companies in Winnipeg. Some of the prominent ones are Frantic Films, Buffalo Gal Pictures, Les Productions Rivard and Eagle Vision.

Winnipeg is also associated with various music acts. Among the most notable are Neil Young, The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Streetheart, Harlequin, Chantal Kreviazuk, Bif Naked, Comeback Kid, The Waking Eyes, Econoline Crush, Brent Fitz, Jet Set Satellite, the New Meanies, Propagandhi, The Weakerthans, The Perpetrators, Crash Test Dummies, Christine Fellows, The Wailin' Jennys and The Duhks.

Winnipeg is the subject of the song "One Great City!" by The Weakerthans. The song makes allusion to the slow growth and lost industry in the town.[54] The title of the song is the slogan on signs welcoming visitors to Winnipeg. The city is also mentioned in Neil Young's "Don't Be Denied". Aaron Funk, a Winnipeg-based Breakcore artist better known as Venetian Snares, released a concept album in 2005 based on his hatred of Winnipeg.

Winnipeg is mentioned in the song "Anywhere Under the Moon" by Canadian folk duo Dala, on their 2007 album Who Do You Think You Are, as well as in Danny Michel's song "Into the Flame".

The Winnipeg Public Library is a public library network with 20 branches throughout the city, including the Millennium Library, located downtown.

Cuisine

Winnipeg has a broad selection of restaurants and specialty food stores. Many ethnic cuisines are well represented, including those of the local Ukrainian, Jewish, Mennonite, Chinese, Italian, Korean, Greek, Thai, French, Vietnamese, and Filipino populations.

Regional dishes include Winnipeg goldeye, a kind of smoked fish, fresh pickerel fillets and pickerel cheeks, and an East European style of light rye bread called Winnipeg rye. Also associated with Winnipeg are nips (hamburgers) from Salisbury House restaurant, Jeanne's cake, Russian mints from Morden's Chocolate, Old Dutch potato chips, and beer from Half Pints and Fort Garry breweries.

Festivals

The city is home to several large festivals. The Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival is North America's second largest Fringe Festival, held every July. The Winnipeg International Writers Festival (THIN AIR) rivals similar festivals in Calgary and Vancouver. Other festivals include Folklorama, the Jazz Winnipeg Festival, the Winnipeg Folk Festival, the Winnipeg Music Festival, the Red River Exhibition, and Festival du Voyageur.

Winnie-the-Pooh

Main article: Winnie-the-Pooh

Winnipeg Bear, the inspiration for Winnie-the-Pooh, was not actually born in Winnipeg. Instead, Winnipeg Bear was purchased in White River, Ontario, by Lieutenant Harry Colebourn of The Fort Garry Horse cavalry regiment en route to his embarkation point for the front lines of World War I. He named the bear after the regiment's home town of Winnipeg. In 1924, on an excursion to the London Zoo with neighbour children, Christopher Robin Milne, son of author A. A. Milne, was introduced to Winnie for the first time. [55]

An E. H. Shepard painting of "Winnie the Pooh" is the only known oil painting of Winnipeg’s famous bear cub. It was purchased at an auction for $285,000 in London, England, late in 2000. The painting is displayed in the Pavilion Gallery in Assiniboine Park.

Local media

Main article: Media in Winnipeg

Winnipeg has two daily newspapers, six English television stations, one French television station, 24 AM and FM radio stations and a variety of regional and nationally based magazines that call the city home.

Military

See also: CFB Winnipeg

Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg, co-located at the airport, is home to many flight operations support divisions, as well as several training schools. It is also the headquarters of 1 Canadian Air Division and the Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Region Headquarters. The base is supported by over 3,000 military personnel and civilian employees.

17 Wing of the Canadian Forces is based at CFB Winnipeg. The Wing comprises three squadrons and six schools. It also provides support to the Central Flying School. Excluding the three levels of government, 17 Wing is the fourth largest employer in the city. The Wing supports 113 units stretching from Thunder Bay, to the Saskatchewan/Alberta border and from the 49th parallel to the high Arctic. 17 Wing also acts as a deployed operating base for CF-18 Hornet fighter-bombers assigned to the Canadian NORAD Region.

Two squadrons based in the city are:

Winnipeg is home to a number of reserve units:

For many years, Winnipeg was the home of The Second Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, or 2 PPCLI. Initially, the battalion was based at the Fort Osborne Barracks near present day Osborne Village. They eventually moved to the Kapyong Barracks located in the River Heights/Tuxedo part of Winnipeg. Since 2004, the 550 men and women of the battalion have operated out of CFB Shilo near Brandon.

Law and government

Main article: Government of Winnipeg
See also: List of mayors of Winnipeg

In 1869–70, Winnipeg was the site of the Red River Rebellion, a conflict between the local provisional government of Métis, led by Louis Riel, and the newcomers from eastern Canada. This rebellion led to Manitoba's entry into Confederation as Canada's fifth province in 1870, and on November 8, 1873, Winnipeg was incorporated as a city.

Municipal politics

Winnipeg City Hall square

Since 1992, the city of Winnipeg is represented by 15 city councillors and a mayor elected every three years. The present mayor, Sam Katz, was elected to office in 2004 and re-elected in 2006. Katz is Winnipeg's first Jewish mayor.

The city is a single-tier municipality, governed by a mayor-council system. The structure of the municipal government is set out by the province of Manitoba in the City of Winnipeg Act. The mayor is elected by direct popular vote to serve as the chief executive of the city. At Council meetings, the mayor has one of 16 votes. The City Council is a unicameral legislative body, representing geographical wards throughout the city.

Provincial politics

Winnipeg is represented by 31 provincial Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs)—25 of whom are members of the New Democratic Party, four are members of the Progressive Conservative Party, and two are members of the Liberal Party. In the provincial election in 2007, the NDP won two ridings from the Conservatives, rising from 23 to its present 25 seats in the city. All three leaders of the provincial parties represent Winnipeg in the legislature. Most Premiers of Manitoba are residents of Winnipeg.

Federal politics

Winnipeg is represented by eight Members of Parliament: four Conservatives, three New Democrats, and one Liberal. There are six Senators representing Manitoba in Ottawa. Only two list Winnipeg as the division they represent, although all of them were residents of Winnipeg when appointed to the Senate. The political affiliation in the Senate is three Liberals, two Conservatives, and one Independent.

Crime

In 2004, Winnipeg had the fourth-highest overall crime rate among Canadian Census Metropolitan Area cities listed, with 12,167 Criminal Code of Canada offences per 100,000 population; only Regina, Saskatoon, and Abbotsford had higher crime rates. Winnipeg had the highest rate among centres with populations greater than 500,000.[56] The crime rate was 50% higher than that of Calgary, and more than double the rate for Toronto.

Statistics Canada shows that in 2005, Manitoba had the highest decline of overall crime in Canada, at nearly 8%. Winnipeg dropped from having the highest rate of murder per capita in the country; that distinction went to Edmonton but ultimately returned to Winnipeg as of 2007. However, given the relatively small number of annual murders, even a small increase or decrease in the absolute numbers can translate into a large increase or decrease in the percentage rate. Manitoba did continue to lead all other provinces in auto thefts, almost all of it centred in Winnipeg.[57]

To combat auto theft, Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) established financial incentives for motor vehicle owners to install ignition immobilisers in their vehicles, and now requires owners of high-risk vehicles to install them.[58]

Winnipeg is protected by the Winnipeg Police Service, which has over 1350 members.

Sister cities

This is a list of Winnipeg's sister cities and the date the agreement with each location was signed.

Country City County/District/Region/State Date
 Japan Setagaya Tokyo October 5, 1970
 Iceland Reykjavík Iceland September 7, 1971
 United States Minneapolis US January 31, 1973
 Ukraine Lviv Ukraine November 26, 1973
 Philippines Manila Philippines December 31, 1979
 Republic of China Taichung Taiwan April 2, 1982
 Finland Kuopio Finland June 11, 1982
 Israel Beersheba Israel May 15, 1984
 People's Republic of China Chengdu China February 24, 1988
 South Korea Jinju South Korea April 1, 1992
 Mexico San Nicolás de los Garza Mexico July 23, 1999

See also

Notes

Footnotes

  1. ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data". Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Population. 2007-03-13. Retrieved 2007-03-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  2. ^ a b "Winnipeg Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) with census subdivision (municipal) population breakdowns". Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Population. 2007-03-13. Retrieved 2007-03-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ Elevations and Distances in the United States USGS Survey
  4. ^ City of Winnipeg website. "Winnipeg History". Retrieved 2008-10-07.
  5. ^ Statistics Canada. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada and census subdivisions (municipalities) 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data". Retrieved 2008-04-16.
  6. ^ Imperial Oil website. "Winnipeg History". Retrieved 2008-10-07.
  7. ^ World Lake Database. "Lake Winnipeg". Retrieved 2007-01-05.
  8. ^ CBC. "Winnipeg Skating". Retrieved 2008-02-03.
  9. ^ The Forks National Historic Site of Canada. "Parks Canada". Retrieved 2007-01-05.
  10. ^ Planetware. "Winnipeg, Manitoba". Retrieved 2007-10-03.
  11. ^ "Manitoba Royal Commission". American Review of Canadian Studies. Retrieved 2007-07-04.
  12. ^ "Hansard". Manitoba Legislature. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
  13. ^ "Urban Development Agreements". Western Economic Diversification Canada. Retrieved 2008-04-29.
  14. ^ "History". The Forks. Retrieved 2009-05-03.
  15. ^ a b c "Canadian Climate Normals 1971-2000". Retrieved 2008-09-01. Cite error: The named reference "CCN" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  16. ^ veseys. "Manitoba". Retrieved 2008-09-30.
  17. ^ Environment Canada. "Winnipeg MB". Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  18. ^ Microsoft ® Encarta ® Encyclopedia 2005 © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Retrieved on: October 18, 2008.
  19. ^ Environment Canada. "Winnipeg MB". Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  20. ^ The Weather Doctor. "Significant Weather Events Canada". Retrieved 2008-08-23.
  21. ^ Government of Manitoba. "Manitoba Weekly Vegetable Report". Retrieved 2008-09-02.
  22. ^ Environment Canada. "Winnipeg MB". Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  23. ^ Environment Canada. "Winnipeg MB". Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  24. ^ Environment Canada. "Canadian Climate Normals". Retrieved 2008-11-09.
  25. ^ "Winnipeg going Strong". Winnipeg Sun. Retrieved 2007-09-14.
  26. ^ "Winnipeg Advantages". Destination Winnipeg. Retrieved 2007-06-09.
  27. ^ "Bidders go Big". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
  28. ^ a b "Winnipeg City", in Ethnocultural Portrait of Canada Highlight Tables, 2006 Census
  29. ^ Winnipeg, Manitoba in 2006 Community Profiles
  30. ^ Winnipeg, Manitoba” in 2006 Aboriginal Population Profile
  31. ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for census metropolitan areas (ALL), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data". Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Population. 2007-03-13. Retrieved 2007-03-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  32. ^ "Community Profile of the City of Winnipeg". Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Population. 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-09-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  33. ^ "Community Profile of Winnipeg CMA". Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Population. 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-09-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  34. ^ Toronto
  35. ^ 2001 Census Data, Languages. The City of Winnipeg. Retrieved 30 September 2007.
  36. ^ "Community Profile of Winnipeg CMA". Statistics Canada, 2001 Census of Population. 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-09-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  37. ^ The Fairmont Winnipeg. "10 Best Sightseeing". Retrieved 2008-01-18.
  38. ^ Wcities. "Manitoba Museum". Retrieved 2008-01-18.
  39. ^ CBC. "Winnipeg Skating". Retrieved 2008-02-03.
  40. ^ Government of Canada. "Royal Winnipeg Ballet". Retrieved 2008-07-23.
  41. ^ Royal Winnipeg Ballet. "History". Retrieved 2008-07-23.
  42. ^ Canadian Encyclopedia. "Royal Winnipeg Ballet". Retrieved 2008-07-23.
  43. ^ Manitoba Theatre Centre. "About MTC". Retrieved 2008-01-18.
  44. ^ NAIPN. "North American Inland Ports". Retrieved 2007-02-24.
  45. ^ Found Locally. "Transportation". Retrieved 2007-07-17.
  46. ^ fcpp.org. "WINNIPEG'S PERIMETER HIGHWAY: "DISASTER BY DESIGN"" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-11-08.
  47. ^ Destination Winnipeg. "Wayfinding Signage System". Retrieved 2007-07-05.
  48. ^ iaff.org. "Pan-am Games". Retrieved 2007-10-03.
  49. ^ City of Winnipeg. "Cultural Report" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-01-18.
  50. ^ CTV. "Winnipeg Crowned Slurpee Capital". Retrieved 2007-07-05.
  51. ^ iaff.org. "Pan-am Games". Retrieved 2007-10-03.
  52. ^ Bob Buchanan. "The Murals of Winnipeg". Retrieved 2007-08-22.
  53. ^ CBC. "New Festival". Retrieved 2007-07-31.
  54. ^ Darryl Sterdan (2007). "jam! Showbiz, Album Review: Weakerthans". Retrieved 2007-03-14.
  55. ^ Milne, A. A. (19xx). The house at Pooh corner.
  56. ^ Winnipeg Crime rate - Statistics Canada
  57. ^ Neighbourhood Characteristics and the Distribution of Crime in Winnipeg - Statistics Canada, Extracted November 29, 2005
  58. ^ Immobilizers to be mandatory on high-risk used cars in Manitoba CBC News, accessed 2007-10-03

Notations

  • J. M. Bumsted, The Winnipeg General Strike of 1919: An Illustrated History 1994, 140 pp. heavily illus; ISBN 0-920486-40-1.
  • Ramsay Cook; The Politics of John W. Dafoe and the Free Press (1963), 305 pp. B&W illustrations; ISBN 0802051197
  • Grayson, J. P., and L. M. Grayson, "The Social Base of Interwar Political Unrest in Urban Alberta". Canadian Journal of Political Science, 7: 289–313 (1974)
  • Hanlon, Christine; Edie, Barbara; Pendgracs, Doreen. Manitoba Book of Everything (2008) (ISBN 978-0-9784784-5-2)
  • Kenneth McNaught; A Prophet in Politics: A Biography of J. S. Woodsworth (RICH: Reprints in Canadian History) (Paperback) Introduction Allen Mills. (2001), 304 pp.; ISBN 0802084273
  • Norman Penner, ed., Winnipeg 1919: The Strikers' Own History of the Winnipeg General Strike (Toronto: 1973)
  • K. W. Taylor; "Voting in Winnipeg During the Depression" Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology v 19 #2 1982. pp 222+
  • Taylor, K. W., and Nelson Wiseman, "Class and Ethnic Voting in Winnipeg: The Case of 1941". Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology 14: 174-87 1977
  • Wiseman, Nelson and K. W. Taylor, "Ethnic vs Class Voting: the Case of Winnipeg, 1945". Canadian Journal of Political Science 7: 314-28 1974
  • Wiseman, Nelson and K. W. Taylor, "Class and Ethnic Voting in Winnipeg During the Cold War". Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology 16: 60–76 1979

49°53′N 97°10′W / 49.88°N 97.17°W / 49.88; -97.17

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