degrees, 38 minutes and 45 seconds west. But
the entire province, smack in the middle of
Canada, is a playground for more
adventurous souls seeking the beauty and
solitude of unspoiled nature. Rugged
Precambrian Shield granite, lush with forests
and thousands of lakes to the northeast,
gives way to rolling hills and vast, rich,
agricultural prairie to the southwest. Dead
centre are three massive lakes: Manitoba,
Winnipegosis and Winnipeg (Canada's 13
th
,
11
th
and 6
th
largest, respectively).
GOING, GOING, GONE WILD
With all that wilderness, it's no wonder
many of the province's more than 10 million
annual visitors are recreational hunters and
anglers headed for remote lodges and small
towns tucked away in thick lakes or riverside
forests. As well, paddlers, hikers, photog-
raphers and wildlife viewers love these
natural areas, and families can pitch tents or
park campers in one of dozens of provincial
parks, or settle into hotel rooms from two to
five-star rated. In Riding Mountain National
Park, campsites and hotels abound around
crystal clear, icy cold Clear Lake and the
historic townsite of Wasagaming
(www.parkscanada.gc.ca/riding).
The three big lakes are fringed by
summer-oriented towns and villages, and an
October or November visit to far northern
Churchill virtually guarantees sightings of
increasingly-endangered polar bears in their
natural setting (www.churchillwild.com;
www.lazybearlodge.com; www.frontiers
north.com), and probable displays of aurora
borealis. And there's a whole lot more to be
discovered in this varied province.
WHAT'S NEW?
Qaumajuq—the Inuit Art Centre—opened its
doors in 2021, showcasing the world's largest
public collection of contemporary Inuit art.
Part of the Winnipeg Art Gallery, the collec-
tion started in the 1950s when Northern art
was largely unfamiliar to the rest of the
world. The space houses a knowledge and
sharing space as well as an interactive
theatre (inuit.wag.ca).
The Royal Aviation Museum of Western
Canada opened in Winnipeg in May, with a
deep acknowledgment to the region's
pioneers of aviation. The world-class facility
showcases one of the most significant bush
plane collections in the world. It's also home
to an extensive collection of aircraft ranging
from bush flying, military, passenger, experi-
mental aircraft and thousands of aviation
artefacts (royalaviationmuseum.com).
CITY LIGHTS
Foodies alert: Manitoba's culinary scene is a
rising gem, from haute to heavy-duty
chowing down. You'll find food tours that
cover Winnipeg's West End—the city's
unofficial dining district—as well as beer
and spirit tours through the historic
Exchange District (www.tourismwin
nipeg.com/eat-and-drink/food-tours).
Manitoba's famous Fall Suppers circuit
offers home-cooked, hearty, community hall
family-style fare all autumn long, with
listings at Travel Manitoba (www.travel
manitoba.com). Shoppers will be overjoyed
with the Outlet Collection Winnipeg's two
dozen high-end brands, and special tourist
deals (www.outletcollectionwinnipeg.com).
Summer brings the Winnipeg Goldeyes AAA
baseball to Shaw Park (www.goldeyes.com).
Canada Life Centre, the winter home of NHL
hockey's Winnipeg Jets, mounts concerts and
special events year-round (www.canadalife
centre.ca), while the city's south end CFL
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POLAR BEARS, CHURCHILL • DESTINATION CANADA/MAX MUENCH
