Whenever I return to Winnipeg, I try to drop by The Forks. On my recent trip, I did briefly at…read morenight before flying home the following afternoon. I feel like I'm a broken record with my recent reviews when I describe The Forks. Here's the last time I say almost the same thing. The Forks is located at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine rivers. It is known as a meeting place for over 6,000 years. Indigenous peoples traded at The Forks, followed by European fur traders, Scottish settlers, railway pioneers, and immigrants. The Forks was an abandoned railyard. The area has been repurposed over the decades to include shopping, dining, skating, and more. The Forks comprise a number of areas of interest: - The Forks Market - Johnson Terminal - Canadian Museum for Human Rights - Manitoba Children's Museum - Shaw Performing Arts Centre - Citytv - Travel Manitoba Visitor Information Centre - Inn at the Forks I'll briefly summarize each of them. The Forks Market has two floors in a former horse stable and hayloft building. The main floor is a food hall with many stalls offering good eats and drinks. The second floor has local artisan and retail stores where you can pick out unique gifts. Johnson Terminal is a four-storey building across from the Forks Market. It's a municipally designated historic site. It's a fun place to check out specialty boutiques, stores, offices, and restaurants. The main and second floors have retailers and eateries. The third and fourth floors are leased to office tenants. The basement features the Johnston Terminal Antique Mall, which has more than thirty consigners. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is also at The Forks. It's the first national museum in Canada located outside of Ottawa, which opened to the public in 2014. Its location is one of archaeological importance relating to First Nations history. This museum is fascinating and eye-opening. I highly recommend visiting it. The Manitoba Theatre for Young People is a theatre for children and young adults. It's located at the Shaw Performing Arts Centre, which used to be the Canwest Performing Arts Centre. It's a cool place for professional theatre and training in the theatre realm for both children and young adults. CItytv operates and broadcasts from the Forks Market. I remember watching its morning program before I went to work and watching the news at night. It features local news, and was helpful figure out what was going on in the city and abroad. Since The Forks is a tourist attraction, it makes sense that the Travel Manitoba Visitor Information Centre is located here. It's the visitor information centre for Manitoba, offering travel counselling and trip planning services. It's helpful to tourist and locals alike. I have never stayed at Inn at the Forks. It's a five-storey hotel with just under 120 guest rooms and suites, meeting and reception space, fitness facilities, The Current Restaurant & Lounge, and Riverstone Spa. In the summertime, it's nice to walk around and enjoy the rivers as a backdrop. There's the Assiniboine riverwalk that's enjoyable to take a walk by the water. Canada Day festivities happen here, along with outdoor concerts. In the winter, you can skate here. I have been here for New Year's Eve fireworks. I was crazy enough to watch them outdoors when it was -28°C years ago. Parking can be a bit of a challenge, especially when there's an event. It's free, which is nice. It's a cool place to visit. I learned that there's a Winnipeg sign that I need to check out the next time that I'm there. (111)

My favourite go-to place in Winnipeg. I used to come here all the time when I lived in Manitoba…read more While I was back in town, I knew I had to come here. I'm happy to report that the place is still just as charming and beautiful as I remember it. There's something to do for everyone here, from the riverwalk to the antique shops to a children's museum to a hotel to a travel info centre to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. I could go on and on about more specifics about what you can find here, but I won't do that. I LOVE how everything you find here is locally made and not commercialized. There's also excellent food options here, the majority of them all local! This is great to see, especially if you want to get a taste of Winnipeg. Classics like Fergie's Fish and Chips and The Original Pancake House can be found here, as well as some delicious pizza and food from all over the world. There's also a small observatory you can go up to get a good view of The Forks, and during winter time, from what I remember, there's an ice skating rink too. Parking can be a bit tricky sometimes but there should be plenty, regardless of when you visit. If you're debating whether or not to visit... DO VISIT. It's 100% worth the trip. I'll certainly be back here the next time I'm in the Winnipeg area.

There was a power outage so the nice desk person let us in for free. The trails are easy to do and…read morenice for my girlfriend to try out. The boardwalks were good for the most part but others were flooded in due to the high rainfall. There is a nature center with praire dogs and burrowing owls which was cool. There are a couple of teepees as well as other historical sites. At the very end, we walked towards the otherside away from the gift shop to see the free range bison. It was a nice day and couldn't ask for anything better. Also, there is a cafe at the front desk near the gift shop. We brought in our own sandwiches and drinks but you can always get something if they don't have a power outage (j/k).

Lovely place during all seasons! Lots of activities and always changing. The restaurant is good…read moretoo. Snowshoeing in the winter to finding birds in the summer.

Beautiful garden. Free admission. Plenty of shade. Bathroom in the gallery. 1.5 hours to walk…read morearound and enjoy the small garden. Handicap accessible, kids & pet friendly. Parking onsite is limited but plenty of park street parking an available with minimal walking.

Absolutely loved this place. Located in Assiniboine Park with lots to park in. Clean and neat and a…read morelovely walk around. The sculptures are beautiful and the trees, plants, and floors complimented them very well. Plenty of benches to sit on and relax and enjoy the environment. My only downside is that there were not enough signs to figure out where everything was. But there were nice workers to show how to walk there.

If you're a nature lover, Kildonan Park is a great place to be at. It's the most beauuutiful…read moresuburban park I've been to by the Red River that has many things to see and do. This park has it ALL...historic trees, trails, gardens/lawns, picnic tables, barbecue pits, public art, duck pond, swimming pool, play area, boat dock, restaurant, main attractions like Hansel & Gretel's Witch Hut and outdoor theatre, Rainbow Stage just to name some. I can't say enough about this park. Highly recommended!

Large, expansive park with a popular outdoor pool with a waterslide for the summer months…read more Rainbow Stage and Prairie's Edge restaurant are both located inside the park. Lots of different covered areas for picnics and even the famous Witches Hut for your little ones to explore. Kildonan Park is a favourite hiding spot for the Winnipeg Rocks community just so you know to keep an eye out for their painted little beauties!

My son (age 46) and I (age 75) visited Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge for the second time this past…read moreweek. This is my 33rd fishing trip to Manitoba and 18th lodge visited. We were the first group in for this season. Other than being very cold and rainy it was a great trip. Nothing has changed since our first visit in 2019. In my opinion this is the best overall lodge in Manitoba. There are so many different ways that this lodge is superior to others but let me try and highlight a few. Let's start with the booking process. Pit, the owner and General Manager, appears to sit at his computer 24 hours a day. When you contact him, you get an almost immediate response. His communication is clear and to the point. When you book you get a provisional slot hold until you make your deposit. You can send in a check or use a credit card. Once you book his wife, Julie, takes over and contacts you about any special requests you may have. If you have any special dietary requests, booze orders or the like she makes sure it happens. Next are the lodge facilities. The cabins are immaculate and appear brand new. Ours had two bedrooms each with a mini split heater and AC and a living room with a fireplace. There was also a screened in porch. A short walk to the main lodge itself which houses the dining room and "Big Mollys Bar". The bar is unusual in that it includes a happy hour before dinner where the drinks are free. At most lodges I have fished the groups tend to keep to themselves. One impact of the happy hour is that most groups become very friendly. Secret spots and lures are shared freely and you make new friends. We have already made contact we people we met at the lodge and are making plans to met again next year. On to the food. Most lodges have a fixed breakfast. At Aikens you can order whatever you want for breakfast. I had asked Julie to have some hot peppers for my omelet and they sure were hot! The shore lunches were also unique. The lodge has prepared several sites throughout the lake with picnic benches, metal roofing to protect from the rain, propane cook tops and chopped wood for the open firs. This not only keeps you dry and comfortable but dramatically reduced the food preparation and cooking time. The lunches themselves are not just the old fried fish but included different variety of batters and baked fish. Dinner at the lodge was also special every night. Julie cooked for us a few nights and she is the best chef in Canada. One night we had a pork chop that must have been 2 inched thick but was still moist and tender. Steak night riveled any steak house in Winnipeg, The staff were also exceptional. Pit, Julie and Patrick are all co-owners and unlike many other lodges are on site. This ensures that if any issues arise, they are dealt with quickly and properly, They have hired a great group of young ladies to work the dining room and cabins. They are friendly and hard working. The guides are also good. They tend to hire young men in college who work there for4 to 6 years so you always have an experienced guide who knows the lake in your group. The newer ones receive formal training from Pit and Pat and also learn from the more experienced guides. The fishing is also good. The boats are newer 18-foot Lunds powered by 60HP Yamaha motors. They have very comfortable cushioned chairs, depth finders, live wells and trolling motors. Most lodges have. 16-foot boats and 20 or 30HP engines, benches and no electronics You can really cover a lot of ground quickly with these 60 HP motors! It was very cold (low 40's) and rainy during our trip which impacted the fishing. However we still managed to catch several pike on the low 40s and had an afternoon during which we caught walleye over 22 inches for 3 hours straight. I made the "century club" by catching 4 walleyes totaling over 100 inches in the same day. We can't wait to return next year!

Keeping it Reel This was our second time at Aikens Lake…read moreWilderness Lodge. It's the place to go for great fishing, professional, yet warm, fun and friendly outstanding staff and delish food! It's all you'll need for your fishing adventure! Our guide was knowledgeable, professional, kind and patient. His shore lunches were superb! Many thanks to Pat, Pit and the whole crew who made our stay remarkable. I can't say it enough times, all the staff at Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge are exceptional!

I love the pool here. It's nice to go to an outdoor pool in a park that is more than ankle deep!…read moreEveryone can enjoy a good swim here and the splash pad is nice, though it's in some shade so it can get cold. The park itself is so beautiful, so walking around all day then cooling off would be aces!

Can anyone remember if there are lockers to secure valuables there? Some of the outdoor pools…read moredon't have anything lockable. As this is the best outdoor pool in Winnipeg I was hoping for some sanity. But this is Winnipeg....

Love the grounds and swimming areas. We spent 4 hours, arrived early, met a lot of nice people and…read morefriendly dogs. Stayed and had a picnic after picking Saskatoon berries and nibbling on the many raspberries growing wild.

Love that they paved the road! Great park!…read moreLots of trails Good dog community Friendly people 1 dog to look out for big bull mastiff that owner trained to attack other dogs on command

Tour of the Manitoba Legislative Building with Dr. Frank Albo…read more Growing up I always wished for a secret passage in my house. Considering my dad built our house about 10 years before I was born it was highly unlikely. I love finding secrets and hidden puzzles and I was a huge fan of the movie National Treasure with Nicolas Cage. When I visited Manitoba I had the chance to participate in a similar treasure hunt at the Manitoba Legislative Building. Dr. Frank Albo has studied the Manitoba Legislative Building for decades and found all sorts of secrets left behind by the Free Masons who built it. As he says continually in his tour "it's hiding in plain sight". We were fortunate to take a tour with Dr Albo himself. He took us around the outside and inside of the building and explained that all the decorations we saw were there with a reason and a purpose. For example the number of columns, their height, and width all meant something. They were designed and built that way on purpose and left for us to discover. The Masons believe that numbers have power and that Geometry is the highest of arts. All through the building everything was done with purpose and the same numbers - 5, 8, and 13 repeated themselves. As he pointed out decorative statues and murals he was able to explain the purpose behind all of it and it really made sense. He had an answer for everything. I loved the enthusiasm he spoke with; it made you hang on to every word. The tour ends with the most powerful position in all of the building and Dr Albo reminds us that is because even though it's a legislative building it is the people that hold the power. It also ends with a wish and some magic. Okay, not really magic, but it feels magical after the tour. I can't give it away because it's so cool and you really need to absorb the tour to truly appreciate it. I will share that this Hermetic Code Tour is a must if you're near the Winnipeg area. He does have a book titled The Hermetic Code that explains in detail about the Legislative Building, but I'd still say do the tour. It's amazing in person.

I used to live a couple of blocks away from the Manitoba Legislative Building. My apartment didn't…read moreface it, but I saw the building often when I went to work downtown. When the weather was decent, I'd walk home and pass by it. I recently returned to the city to check this building out. It's under construction. The road leading up to the building's steps off Broadway was barricaded on a Monday evening. This building is roughly three storeys tall and 250,000 square feet. What makes it special is its domed top with a statue called the Golden Boy. He represents Manitoba's eternal youth and progress. This building is a Manitoba provincial heritage site. The Legislative Assembly is an independent entity, separate from the Government of Manitoba. The 57 members are elected in single-member constituencies to represent the people of Manitoba. They meet in this building. There are also offices for the Premier, the Lieutenant Governor, and the ministers and deputy ministers of all government departments. When it's not under construction, it's free admission to visit it. When the Legislative Assembly is in session, you can watch the proceedings from the public gallery. You can do a self-guided tour of the building, to soak in its history and architecture. It has statues of people, bison, sphinxes, and more. From September through June, on Fridays at 2 pm, minus holidays, public tours are available. The catch is that you have to book an appointment before heading over to this building. I have a feeling that tours may not be as frequent these days with construction going on. Although the steps up to this building look intimidating and the building is over a century old, it does accommodate those requiring wheelchairs to get around. It's a nice touch. I'm not sure how long repairs will be happening. It was nice to see the Manitoba Legislative Building from afar, but I'd love to do a tour when the building is open to the public (I was there on Louis Riel Day) and I'm not in town for 1.5 days! (112)