Exploring Winnipeg

Where the French onion soup is as rich as its history

By Irene Middleman Thomas 

I sighed contentedly as I sopped up my steaming French onion soup, topped with bubbling cheese over the richest beef broth imaginable below. The crusty baguette was just right for getting every drop. I was not in France, nor Quebec, however. I found myself in Old St. Boniface, Winnipeg, the heart of Manitoba’s vibrant Francophone community.

When I told friends and family that I was traveling to Winnipeg, Manitoba, most gave me blank stares, and after an awkward pause, asked me, “Now, where is that?” 

Covering 250,946 square miles, Manitoba boasts over 100,000 lakes—putting Minnesota in the back seat. With a population of around 1.2 million, nearly 800,000 residents call Winnipeg home. Since May of this year, United Airlines has been offering direct flights from Denver to Winnipeg, taking just two and a half hours.

Winnipeg is considered the center of North America, just 65 miles north of the border with North Dakota. It was an Indigenous trading center prior to the arrival of the Europeans, then became the heart of the country’s fur trade and was instrumental in developing Canada’s gateway to the west. This now cosmopolitan city is a celebration of culture, history and design. It’s full of surprises, such as its fine French cuisine, due to it being home to the largest Francophone community in Canada outside of Quebec.

Close to 10,000 primarily French-speaking folks live in Winnipeg’s Old St. Boniface neighborhood and surrounding areas. That French onion soup I loved was at Inferno’s Bistro, and my eggs benedict with smoked Arctic Char at the charming Provencal Brasserie, overlooking the Red River and downtown skyline, was divine. Ah, oui, the poutine at the Forks, the perfect comfort food! 

The very walkable city’s artistry and originality is heavily influenced by its ethnic diversity and inclusiveness, and its pride in its Indigenous population and heritage. Winnipeg is home to the largest Indigenous population in Canada. I found signage in various indigenous alphabets not only at government buildings, but on storefronts and street signs.

I can’t adequately express how moving, powerful, memorable and educational the multi-level Canadian Museum of Human Rights is. Shocking, appalling, and yet somehow also a testament to resiliency and hope, the museum was conceived of and founded by Holocaust survivors now living in Winnipeg. Its architecture alone is stunning and fascinating, with its exhibits even more so. 

After touring the museum, the perfect place to contemplate and discuss is right across the street. The Forks National Historic Site, situated on a former meeting place for thousands of years for indigenous peoples, at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers. Here is the wildly popular, newly renovated Food Hall, Winnipeg’s top tourist attraction. If you want to try some foods with indigenous roots, Feast Café Bistro, in the ethnically rich West End area, has excellent cuisine with First Nations roots, such as “bannock” (a type of fried or baked bread made with wheat flour) and several dishes featuring bison, to name a few. Chef Christa Bruneau-Guenther of the cafe is highly acclaimed and respected throughout Canada.

FortWhyte Alive is a 640-acre wild oasis nature center that is the city’s largest green space, with trails for hiking, cycling and cross-country skiing, five pristine lakes for canoeing and fishing, and best of all, a beloved urban bison herd.

I almost missed visiting the Winnipeg Gallery at the Manitoba Museum, and I was so grateful that I didn’t. This is so much more than most heritage museums, with extensive, interactive and multi-sensory exhibits depicting Winnipeg’s history and present state. I especially enjoyed an immersive experience of a 1920 Winnipeg cityscape, recreating the buildings of the era and showing the diversity of its people from more than 100 years ago, such as the Chinese laundry, with its signage about the racism suffered by Asian immigrants at the time. Don’t miss the replica of the Nonsuch, a small sailing vessel that sailed into Hudson Bay in 1668, launching the enormous Hudson’s Bay Company. 

I felt like I was in Central America, not North America, when I explored The Leaf, the exceptional indoor horticultural extravaganza, located in the 1,100-acre Assiniboine Park, open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. With four indoor plant biomes from distinct climates (including a butterfly garden) and more than 12,000 trees, shrubs and flowers from all around the world, as well as the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, The Leaf is a mind-blowing architectural feat in itself. 

There are six outdoor gardens that are free of charge, including The Indigenous Peoples Garden. Open from 11am to 11pm daily, on-site Gather Craft Kitchen & Bar is fast becoming a go-to spot for socializing and dining in a delightful botanical paradise, with locally sourced and seasonal ingredients from The Leaf itself. 

Opened in 2021, Qaumajuq is a gallery connected to the Winnipeg Art Gallery, dedicated to the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world. It is home to a staggering 6,000 pieces of Inuit Art displayed in a three-story visible vault. Mesmerizing in the creativity, sometimes whimsical, other times poignant, always impressive and beautifully executed, I could have stayed for several hours at Qaumajug.

If you go, check out the Winnipeg Attractions Pass, a mobile phone passport that is good for either one or three days, and offers entrance-fee savings on five of the city’s top attractions. Learn more by visiting travelmanitoba.com and tourismwinnipeg.com.