May 15, Day 6, Last Day in Winnipeg, a Tour and then Waiting Around

randolf50
May 15, 2025
4 min read

***Louis Riel, leader and hero of the Metis. He negotiated Manitoba's entry into the Canadian confederation.***

Today is our last day in Winnipeg and we planned a trip to Forks Market for breakfast, since this is the same location that we are to meet our tour guide. We had breakfast at Danny’s. Doug had two slices of Avocado Toast, and I had a bagel BLT. We both had apple juices and enjoyed the meal. Patrise could not resist getting a fresh bakery made croissant. She said that it was delicious.

Our tour was with Winnipeg City Tours. Our tour was to be with a group, but the other members of the tour cancelled at the last minute, so we ended up with a private tour for just the two of us. Our guide was Carolyn, a Metis, who was the owner of the company. She was born in Winnipeg and grew up in the city. She was very familiar with the history of the city and the sights. Turns out that she is also a distant relative of one of the most powerful Metis founders of Winnipeg, Mr. Louis Riel. He was executed after he did all the hard work to create a consolidated Canada including Winnipeg and advocating for rights of Metis to be represented in the new government. He ran for office in the new legislature, was elected twice, but never allowed to take his seat. His story reminds me of the story of Julian Bond who wasn’t seated in the Georgia legislature until after a protracted lawsuit. Mr. Riel was only 41 years old when he was hung. It seems to me that around the world, folks that are different in one way or another are ostracized, discriminated against, and mistreated.

We were able to see all of the neighborhoods of Winnipeg including those with million-dollar homes near the river, the Wellington Crescent neighborhood, and the city’s largest park, Assiniboine Park: as well as places where regular people lived. It was an interesting 2.5-hour tour, and we learned quite a bit about the history of Manitoba and Winnipeg. Patrise was exhausted when the tour ended, so we were dropped off at our hotel. She rested a bit, while I caught up on emails. We were able to get the hotel receptionist to allow us to remain in our original room for only an extra $145, until we had to leave at 8pm. It was a blessing because Patrise really needed to lie down.

Around 4 o’clock we ran an errand to the local drugstore and discovered a hidden underground walkway to our hotel, which avoided all of the construction in the area. We ordered Indian food from the East Indian Company restaurant and shared one meal. We are to depart the hotel around 8:15 pm so we remained in our room until 8.

This evening, we departed on our Cross Canada Rail Journey on VIA Rail railroad. We have a cabin for two for our trip with bunk beds in it for us to rest when we want. The room is small and narrow, but we can make it. The bunkbeds are able to be collapsed, and two chairs can be placed in the room for us to look out of the window. It was late when we were finally able to access our room. The train was supposed to depart at 9:00 p.m. but it did not leave until 10:30 p.m. Patrise promptly changed her clothes and went to sleep. I sat up for a while reading and then went to sleep.

Here are lots of photos of scenes throughout today.

Several significant buildings in Winnipeg's history and community, including the VIA rail station (1st row center), the Children's Museum (2nd row, left), Fort Gibraltar (2nd row, center and right, and 3rd row, center), and the former St. Boniface City Hall (3rd row, left).

More about Louis Riel, kind of the M.L King, Jr. for his people, hung as a traitor at the age of 41 for advocating for rights for his Metis people.

1st row: St. Boniface Library, entrance to Chinatown, first theatre in Manitoba

2nd row: Peasant Cookery restaurant, monument to suffragettes, labor riots memorial

3rd row: labor riots memorial, overturned trolley car (part of labor memorial), Ukranian memorial from early 20th Ukranian immigration

Former Bank of Montreal, soon to be a Metis Heritage Center, Provincial Capitol of Manitoba.

1st row: homes in the Wellington Crescent neighborhood

2nd row: Wellington Crescent home, Assiniboine Park (largest park in Winnipeg)

1st row: Assiniboine Park's Leaf building is certified green, the Pavilion tells the origin of Winnie the Pooh, a statue dedicated to the ox, which early settlers relied upon;

2nd row: "regular people's" neighborhoods (note: Neil Young the famous rock musician came from one of these), the Assiniboine River (that flows into the Red River.)