Monday, July 31, 2023 (continued)
We returned the rental car to the Winnipeg Airport, where initially we were to meet the Frontiers North Adventures group at another airport hotel. However, Frontiers North changed the hotel to the Inn at the Forks, yes, at The Forks. The Inn did not have a free airport shuttle, so, rare for us, we took a taxi. I thought I heard the fare would be $45, which was within the range I had researched. Happily, the actual fare was $25 CAD, and the driver did take us straight to the hotel without diversions.
Our rooms were ready at The Inn at the Forks; from now on Dylan and Pete would not have to share a hotel room with snoring grandparents! In fact, they were never assigned a room on the same floor!
 |
On the Midtown Bridge abutment, a blue line is marked for
high tide and the yellow and red lines indicate average low and
high flooding, although there have been even deeper floods |
 |
The Manitoba Legislative Building (1913-1920,
by Frank Worthington Simon in Neoclassical/
Beaux Arts style) faces the Assiniboine River |
The Legislative Building is the provincial capitol building, comparable to our state capitol buildings. The dome is topped with a statue of
Eternal Youth (1919, by Georges Gardet) that is affectionally called "The Golden Boy."
In front of the building is a statue (1996, by Miguel Joyal) of Louis Riel, who was born and educated in St Boniface. He became champion of the Métis population (people of mixed First Nations-European descent). When Manitoba was to become a Canadian province, Riel insisted that Ottawa must negotiate terms with the Métis, who established a provisional government with Riel as president. Riel wanted to insure that the Métis were given certain rights. Complications arose, with Riel going into exile in the Dakota Territory. During his exile he developed a religious fervor that affected his mental state, and his uncle placed him in an asylum in Montreal, under an assumed name. After recovery, Riel returned to the Dakota Territory, then Montana Territory. Upon his return to again assist the Métis, he was arrested, tried, and executed as a traitor. Now Louis Riel is considered a folk hero who stood up for the Métis, who are considered one of the indigeous peoples of Canada. He is also considered the founder of Manitoba.
Back at the Inn at the Forks, we met with other members of our Frontiers North Adventures group. Our Tour leader was Angèle, who told us to disregard our itineraries. We would essentially go with the flow on this adventure. There were a total of twenty tour participants.
After a buffet dinner, we boarded a tourist trolley for a two-hour tour of Winnipeg. This tour went way beyond any research I had done!
 |
St Boniface Hôtel de Ville/City Hall
(1906, by Victor Horwood in Georgian style) |
 |
Université de Saint-Boniface/St Boniface
University (est 1818 as the Collège de
Saint-Boniface) in the former seminary
(1911-1912, in Neoclassical style) |
 |
| The grave of Louis Riel in the St Boniface Cathedral Cemetery |
 |
A better view of the remaining façade of
St Boniface Cathedral (a new cathedral was built in 1972) |
 |
The Grain Exchange Building
(1906-1908, by Darling and Pearson) |
 |
Bank of Montreal War Monument (1923,
by James Earle Fraser, an American sculptor
who gave the Canadian an American uniform)
commemorates Canadian bank
employees who died in World War I (KSS) |
 |
Ashdown Warehouse (1895-1911, by S Frank Peter,
then J H G Russell, in Richardsonian romanesque style) |
 |
1919 General Strike Memorial/Bloody Saturday (2019,
by Noam Gonick and Bernie Miller) depicts an iconic
image when protestors tried to overturn a streetcar (KSS) |
 |
Pantages Playhouse Theatre (1913-1914, by
George W Northwood and B Marcus Priteca) as a
vaudeville theater and it hosted the first
jazz concert in Canada |
 |
The Bank of Montréal (1909-1913, by
McKim, Mead & White in Beaux Arts
style), with the MTS Bulding (1983-1985,
by Smith Carter) behind it |
 |
Birks Building (1901, by George Browne
as a YMCA) was acquired by Birks, a
jewelry design, manufacturer and retailer
in 1912, renovating the building in
Renaissance Revival style (by Percy Nobbs),
including six medallions depicting the
sources of materials used by jewelers |
 |
Former Hudson's Bay Company Store
(1925-1926, by Barott and Blackader
in Beaux Arts style) |
 |
[Scales of] Justice (1984, by Gordon Reeve) has three
arms that can be set in motion by a visitor (KSS) |
 |
| Manitoba Legislative Building |
We were taken rather far afield to see
Back Alley Arctic with murals created by Kal Barteski. After having painted a polar bear on her own garage door, the artist received requests to paint for her neighbors. Kal stipulated she would paint any Arctic animal for free.
 |
| Lynx canadensis/Canada Lynx (KSS) |
 |
| Ursus maritimus/Polar Bear |
 |
| Rangifer tarandus/Caribou (or Reindeer) (KSS) |
 |
| Delphinapterus leucas/Beluga Whales |
 |
| Bubo scandiacus/Snowy Owl |
 |
| Pusa hispida/Ringed Seal |
 |
| Odobenus rosmarus/Walrus |
 |
| Fratercula arctica/Atlantic Puffins |
 |
| Stylized Polar Bear |
 |
| Canis lupus arctos/Arctic Wolf |
 |
| Pete with a Polar Bear (KSS) |
 |
| Caribou (KSS) |
 |
| Monodon monoceros/Narwhal |
 |
| Anser caerulescens/Snow Goose |
 |
| Swimming Polar Bear (KSS) |
 |
| Arctic Wolf |
 |
| Ovibos moschatus/Musk Ox |
 |
| Polar Bear |
 |
| Snowy Owl |
 |
Former Uptown Theatre (1931, by
Max Zev Blankstein in Moorish style) |
 |
The far right second-floor window was the room used
by Neil Young where he lived with his mother;
later Bob Dylan was to visit this house of his idol |
 |
| Passing the fountain side of the Legislative Building |
 |
Indigenous Polar Bear Statue at the
Lieutenant Governor's Residence (hmm, getting too dark!) |
Next: Churchill, MB I.
