Bailliage du Canada —Chapître du Canada

Join Us in Winnipeg for a 60 Year Celebration! Bailliage du Can ada – Cha pître du Can ada 2 021

(October 21 - 23, 2021)

A prairie sunset overlooking downtown W innipeg. photo credit: Dan Harper Photography

Editor’s Note: Due to the on-going Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 National Meeting originally scheduled for Wiinnipeg was cancelled. However, in true Chaîne fashion, Winnipeg has once again stepped up and will be holding our 2021 National Meeting and Canadian Jeu neChefs Competition during t he weekend of October 21 – 23, 2021. We repeat this profile ofWinnipeg, it’s history and all it has to offer in this latest edition of La Chaîn e in Canada.

AA s the capital of Manitoba, Winnipeg is home to the famous street corner of Portage and Main, known as possibly the “windiest corner on the continent. The city is overflowing with venues for the arts and culture, museums – such as the Canadian Museum for

Human Rights, Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, theatres, festivals, music and dance, sports, and more. From The Forks National Historic Site which has its own river walk, shops and green space, to

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the Royal

Canadian Mint and the stunning urban forest setting of the Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg is a city with much to offer.

Considered the geographical center and gateway to Eastern and Western Canada, Winnipeg derives its name from the Cree word of “win” for muddy and “nippee” for water. An aboriginal trading centre prior to the arrival of the Europeans, Winnipeg was at the heart of the country’s fur trade and instrumental in developing Canada’s gateway to the west. The first permanent settlement occurred in 1812 when a group of Scottish crofters arrived, and it became a trading post for the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1870. In 1873, Winnipeg was incorporated as a city with a population of 1,869.

The historic corner of Portage and Main in the early 1900s. photo credit: Western Canada Pictorial Index collection

The city saw a 30-year period of growth and prosperity with the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885, becoming a financial centre in Western Canada thanks to a flood of immigrants, high wheat prices and improved farming techniques. Today, Winnipeg is a culturally diverse city with about 100 languages and nationalities represented throughout the region.

Portage and Main today. photo credit: grajewski fotograph inc.

Winnipeg’s rich history is reflected in its architecture, its surroundings and its people. A stroll along its boulevards or Riverwalk reveals streets lined with architecture combining relics of days gone with modern buildings that sparkle with innovation.

Royal Canadian Mint. photo credit: Merlin Braun. Take a moment to visit the Manitoba Legislature Building and view “The Golden Boy” (official name: Eternal Youth), a statue perched facing North on the dome, arguably Manitoba's best-known symbol. It stands 5.25 metres (17.2 feet) tall from the toe to the top of the torch and 4.27 metres (14 feet) from head to toe. It weighs 1,650 kilograms (3,640 lb), and the top of his torch is 77 metres (250 feet) above ground.

Riverwalk - Winding along the Assiniboine River from the legislative grounds on past The Forks and on to the Red River. photo credit: Ruehle Design

Golden Boy. photo credit: Dodgie Dator

The Exchange District, National Historic Site and North America's most extensive collection of turn-of-the-last-century architecture. photo credit: Brent Bellamy.

Designated a National Historic Site, the 30-block Exchange District is packed full of stunning turn-ofthe-last-century architecture, with its rich collection of turn-of-the-century terracotta and stone-cut buildings, a collection unrivaled anywhere else in the world. At the turn of the century, Winnipeg was known as the “Chicago of the North” because of its modern skyscrapers influenced by the Chicago style of architecture. In fact, the Union Bank tower built in 1904 was Western Canada’s first skyscraper. Currently, the building is undergoing a renaissance as it is transformed into student housing and the culinary institute for Red River College.

Turn-of-the-last-century buildings highlight Exchange streetscape. photo credit: Brent Bellamy

Other examples abound. Winnipeg’s Union Station was designed by the same architects responsible for Grand Central Station in New York City. The Arlington Street Bridge, located in the heart of Winnipeg, was originally meant to span the Nile River in Egypt. When that project was cancelled, the local engineering firm that built the bridge used it to cross the CPR yards along Arlington Street. The bridge’s intriguing design includes a steep incline and traffic light at its apex.

Polar Bears at Assiniboine Park Zoo. photo credit: Assiniboine Park Conservancy

Amidst the bustle of the city, you will discover peaceful green spaces that put you in touch with nature. Winnipeg has the largest, mature urban elm tree forest in North America with approximately 170,000 elms. More than 60,000 of these trees are on public boulevards, providing graceful arched cover over many neighbourhood streets. The Assiniboine Park Zoo is home to the Journey to Churchill Exhibit, bringing those worldfamous polar bears right into the city. The project also includes the International Polar Bear Conservation Centre — a transition centre for polar bear cubs in need of rescue — one of the most significant projects in North American zoo history.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights

Designed by architect extraordinaire Antione Predock, Canada’s newest, most eye-catching attraction dominates the Winnipeg skyline, shining like a beacon. Inside an immersive experience that you can’t possibly shake awaits as 11 powerful, interactive and awe-inspiring exhibits gradually climb to the CMHR’s pinnacle, the Tower of Hope (which provides a stunning view of the city). An ambitious museum meant to foster dialogue and promote change for a better world, the CMHR provides a stirring account of the human experience unlike anything you’ve ever witnessed.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights. photo credit: Aaron Cohen

A City of Distinct Neighbourhoods

Known for its green spaces and access to outdoor activities, the city features more than 1,100 restaurants as well as numerous attractions, museums, theatres, sports venues and nightspots.

The Forks National Historic Site at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine rivers. photo credit: Ron Garnet and Airscapes.

Recently voted the best public space in Canada, the 53-acre site at The Forks is a vibrant tourist destination that offers endless stories to tell. Sensational shopping and diverse culinary options await, including large patios overlooking the river, ethnic eateries, an organic bakery, and sumptuous fine dining and family-friendly restaurants. Activities abound at the forks where you can stroll the riverwalk, hop on a water taxi, take in 6,000 years of history, gaze upon wild prairie gardens and watch tricks at the urban skateboard plaza.

Gallery and food court at The Forks.

Academy Road is one of Winnipeg’s premier destinations for upscale boutiques, unique gift stores and gourmet specialty shops. Here you will find designer clothing, exceptional glassware, decadent chocolates, exotic teas and coffee blends, European shoes, fine wines and much more. Once known as Winnipeg’s “Little Italy, ” Corydon Avenue now features a wide array of cuisine from regional fare to Japanese to Indian and, of course, classic Italian. Whether stopping for a quick espresso or out for a night on the town, Corydon Avenue is sure to delight all of your senses.

Relaxing on one of the many patios lining Corydon Avenue. photo credit: Juncutta International

Calendar of Events

Celebrat e our 60th Anniversary!

Thursday, October 21

Dine-Arounds

Acadian Caviar & Champagne/Sparkling

Pizzeria Gusto

St. Charles Country Club

Friday, October 22

Bailli Lunch

Inn at the Forks & Spa

Welcome Reception

Inn at the Forks & Spa

Saturday, October 23

Tours

Tour of Canadian Museum of Human Rights

Tour of Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet

Induction Ceremony and Grand Chapître Gala

Breezy Bend Country Club