A few fun facts about Winnipeg
- Winnipeg is the capital of Manitoba – and the geographical center of North America. It was incorporated as a city in 1873.
- There is measurable sunshine on an average of 318 days of the year.
- Winnipeg’s train station was designed by the same architects who designed New York City’s Union Station.
- Winnipeg was the first city in the world to develop the 911 emergency number.
- The Royal Winnipeg Ballet is Canada’s oldest dance company. It’s also the longest continuously operating ballet company in North America, and the first designated with the “Royal” Title outside of Great Britain.
- The Winnipeg Art Gallery has the biggest collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world.
- The LONGEST skating rink in the world – that freezes naturally is found in Winnipeg – and not in Ottawa as was recently reported in Outside Magazine. The skating takes you along the Red and Assiniboine Rivers over a length of 8.5 kilometers.
- The Festival du Voyageur celebrates Canada’s fur trading past and French heritage and culture. It’s the biggest winter festival in western Canada. Every year it takes place over 10 days in February.
- The Winnipeg Jets – one of the professional hockey teams in the NHL – has an amazing fan base. Although they have the smallest market of all the NHL teams they sold more merchandise than any others.
- Other professional sports teams include the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (football), the Manitoba Moose (AHL hockey), and the Winnipeg Goldeyes (baseball).
- Universities in Winnipeg include the University of Manitoba, the University of Winnipeg, the Canadian Mennonite University and the University of St. Boniface.
- Canada’s newest National Museum – the Canadian Museum for Human Rights – is the first national museum to be located outside of the capital region.
- The character of James Bond is believed to be based on Winnipegger, Sir William Stephenson who started a spy school in Barrie, Ontario that produced the first 5 Directors of the CIA in the US.
Photos of Winnipeg
