Issue link: http://read.canadatravelguides.ca/i/809166
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 ten million annual visitors are recreational hunters and fi shermen headed for remote lodges and small towns tucked away in thick lake or riverside forests. As well, paddlers, hikers, photographers 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 fi ve-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.frontiersnorth.com), and probable displays of aurora borealis. In summer, hardy adventurers can go snorkelling with more than 57,000 white beluga whales that calve and raise their babies near the mouth of the Churchill River ( www.everythingchurchill.com ). But while nature's the big draw for much of Manitoba, there's a whole lot more to be discovered in this varied province. WHAT'S NEW? Celebrated chef Scott Bagshaw has closed Deseo on Osborne Street in favour of the new small-plates Máquè on Staff ord Street. His Enoteca, on Corydon Avenue, is still going strong. RAW:almond, a pop-up fi ne-dining restaurant at the confl uence of the frozen Assiniboine and Red rivers, returns annually to the Forks area of the city on weekends in January and February. A satellite version launched in 2016, RAW:churchill, is expected to be reprised near Churchill. Enjoy an extraordinary experience travelling across the Churchill River in a Tundra Buggy to dine in a heated pop-up restaurant with a transparent roof, under the northern lights within the historic Hudson's Bay Company's Prince of Wales Fort. Neechi Foods, the province's fi rst Native co-operative, stocks Aboriginal foods like fresh bannock, wild game meats and wild rice. It boasts a crafts shop on the second level. CITY LIGHTS Foodies alert: Manitoba's culinary scene is a rising gem, from haute to heavy-duty chowing down. Outside the city, Jennifer's Picnic, a long-loved local spot on Highway 307 near Seven Sisters Falls, has become a food truck favoured by gourmet palates— kangaroo soup, anyone? The local epicurean website ( www.pegcitygrub.com) keeps track of new hotspots and old favourites like the Salisbury House with its Mr. Big Nip burger, the Goog ice cream sundae at the Bridge Drive-In, and the latest Broadway Avenue noon-hour food trucks. Manitoba's famous fall supper circuit off ers home-cooked hearty, community hall family-style fare all autumn long, with listings at Travel Manitoba ( www.travelmanitoba.com). Summer brings the Goldeyes AAA baseball to Shaw Park (www.goldeyes.com). The MTS Centre, the winter home of NHL hockey's Winnipeg Jets, mounts concerts and special events year-round ( www. mtscentre.ca), while the city's south end CFL Blue Bombers' Investors Group Field tackles big blockbuster concerts (www. bluebombers.com/stadium). In July, the four-day Winnipeg Folk Festival at Birds Hill Provincial Park, north of the city, is family- friendly ( www.winnipegfolkfestival.ca), as is the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's "Ballet in the Park" at Assiniboine Park's outdoor Lyric Theatre ( www.rwb.org). Winnipeg warms up winter with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (www.wso. ca), Manitoba Opera (www.manitobaopera. mb.ca), the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Tom Hendry Warehouse Theatre (www. mtc.mb.ca ) and Prairie Theatre Exchange (www.pte.mb.ca). Year-round, Thermëa by Nordik Spa in the city's south end (www. thermea.ca), and Ten Spa at the Hotel Fort Garry (www.tenspa.ca) provide sybaritic pleasures. THE GREAT OUTDOORS Provincial parks provide groomed hiking trails and off er summer campsite bookings by computer, and most are near small towns where local motels appeal to family-oriented explorers ( www.gov. mb.ca/conservation/parks/popular_parks/ map.html). Whiteshell Provincial Park (www.whiteshell.mb.ca) is a handy hour's drive east of Winnipeg, and further afi eld, wilderness wanderers can take to lakes and rivers in canoes, kayaks, or fi shing boats. Cosy resort communities like Grand Beach, Gimli, Winnipeg Beach, Victoria Beach, Sandy Hook, Matlock, and many more lay claim to wide, sandy beaches. Gimli is a favourite weekend hangout with its charming marina and beach-town atmosphere ( www.gimli.ca). In Spruce Woods Provincial Park, a day tripper's INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL • TOURISM WINNIPEG/LEIF NORMAN MB 81