We’re the first to admit, spring can be a slushy time in the city, but that just means that it’s the perfect time to experience all of what our attractions have to offer.
The Winnipeg Art Gallery is home to the world’s largest collection of contemporary Inuit art, along with a staggering permanent collection that spans mediums from the later Renaissance, to contemporary Canadian. Curatorial staff are often putting on great exhibits, including Salon Style (which runs through Spring 2019) which presents 200 of the WAG’s rarely seen works from the 16th to 19th centuries in close quarters.
Winnipeg’s architectural marvel, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights – which you can now also find on the new Canadian $10 bill, alongside Viola Desmond, whose story is told in the Museum – is always awe-inspiring. If you have a few hours, a self-guided stroll through its ever-climbing galleries is a must, while the CMHR also offers a variety of daily thematic tours. Architecture buffs will relish the Discover the Building Tour, while the Mikinak-Keya Spirit Tour – which was developed via consultation with Indigenous elders – “invites visitors to discover the powerful connection between First Nations’ sacred knowledge and worldviews and the Museum’s architecture and human rights mandate.” The Museum is also constantly showcasing new traveling and original exhibits, while its onsite ERA restaurant does a wonderful work with local, sustainable and fair-trade ingredients.
One of the world’s largest Indigenous festivals takes place every May in Winnipeg and is open to everyone. During the Manito Ahbee Festival (May 15-19, 2019), you can witness a vast celebration of Indigenous arts, culture and music, with events including one of North America’s largest pow wows (held over the course of three days at the RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg), the Indigenous Marketplace and Trade Show (where you can purchase art, textiles and all manner of goods right from the makers), and the Lighting of the Sacred Fire at the Oodena Circle at The Forks.
