Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Next door to the cathedral, the Musée
de Saint-Boniface
was built as a
convent in 1846 and tells a number
of fascinating stories about the city's
French heritage; it is the oldest build-
ing in Winnipeg and one of the largest
log structures in North America. The
museum's exhibits delve into the lives
of the region's French Canadians and
Metis, but the star attraction here is
the vast collection of items related to
Louis Riel. Also notable is the tale it
tells of the Grey Nuns (
Sœurs Grises
)
who founded their convent after having
travelled some 2,400km by canoe from
Montréal.
The park's most popular feature is the
Assiniboine Park Zoo
. More
than 4,000 animals live here, including
Russian lynx, a polar bear, kangaroos,
snowy and great horned owls—even
exotic residents like the South American
vicuña and Siberian tigers. A statue of
Winnie the Bear honours the famous
Pooh's origins as a bear cub purchased
by a Winnipeg soldier in Ontario and
carried to England, where author A.A.
Milne saw it and brought its story to a
worldwide audience of children.
The Riel House National Historic
Site
paints a vivid picture of what
life was like for the Metis in the Red
Fans of writer Gabrielle Roy can see
the house in which she grew up and
where several of her works, including
one of her most famous novels,
Street
of Riches
(
Rue Deschambault
), are set.
The Maison Gabrielle-Roy
offers
a unique glimpse into the life of this
famous French-Canadian author. The
house's ground fl oor has been magnifi -
cently restored with period furnishings,
while the upper fl oors provide an over-
view of the author's life. You can visit
the small attic where the young writer's
imagination fi rst took fl ight as she con-
templated the view from her window.
GREATER
WINNIPEG
Assiniboine Park
is a popular walk-
ing and cycling destination. The park's
English Gardens
are a wonder-
ful surprise when in bloom: colourful
carpets of daisies, marigolds, begonias,
and more, artfully arranged beneath
dark, shaggy columns of spruce trees.
4
The Assiniboine Park Pavilion, a graceful
historic building.
© iStockphoto.com / Leif Norman
Search WWH ::
Custom Search