Last Weekend in Winnipeg

The Forks Market

It was my last weekend and I had almost the whole day to myself. So I decided to do a little bit of photography again and walk a different street this time.


In my first week in Winnipeg I honestly had a different impression of the place. I came here with no expectations but I still found myself a little bit unimpressed. I found it so flat, gray, dry and nothin' happening. Even the group from France found it dead. I can't blame them.

As the days passed by I learned that Maryland street wasn't the safest hood to be in. This explained my uneasy feeling when I went home late at night on my first day of exploration. A few people actually teased that Winnipeg has been known to be crime central of Canada.. I haven't really looked into statistics..didn't bother.

There were a lot of things I didn't understand so I tried to indulge myself that weekend to read more and perhaps feel and hear better.

Winnipeg has the known "The Forks" which was named due to the 2 Rivers that combines its waters, i.e. Red River and Assiniboine River. Because of this, years ago before the Europeans found this region, the aboriginal people used this location as a trading post. It gave the different tribes a linkage across North and South. Because of the water supply, a lot of the natives used the area for farming, fishing, hunting, camping and tool making. With this history, that made me understand why I've seen a lot of the locals with the features of the First Nations people. Just the same as Alaska, they also roamed the streets and have gone through the changes of time.

Intersection at Osborne village

St. Boniface across
the Red River

I decided to walk the east side of the this time. I followed the street until I found myself in Osborne Village. It's a quite urban funky town across the Red River where a café scene is one of the highlights people go to. There are also shops which I found a little bit expensive. I found myself hanging out at the Second Cup café (in the photo) and stayed there for a few hours. I had a pocket atlas in my hands and tried to figure out things. It was a little bit relaxing for me, since I was out of the hostel and I was just another stranger/traveler roaming the streets. I was also told by the guy in the counter that Canada now will not be accepting pennies. So there's a concept of rounding off if there's a decimal value to the price.

 Around 1 pm I decided to move on and cross towards the  city. I found another way and followed the River Trail. Red River was still a little bit flooded so the River Trail itself was closed. The whole of Winnipeg has been going through a few road constructions and cleaning, which apparently happens in preparation for summer. The name Winnipeg originates from a Cree word winipek which means "muddy waters".

The Meeting place at the Forks

I saw the area of the Forks where they had a small section for people to perform in public. The sun was up and the temperature was screaming summer. Everybody was out that weekend and appreciating the heat. There was a guy with 4 dog cages, prepping up for the afternoon's show. I lingered for a while and took a few photos of the place.


I then decided to check out the Forks market and see what they had to offer. There were a lot of food, clothes, fruits, wine and souvenir stalls. In the middle of the market was a stage for the buskers. May 3 and 4 was the Buskers Festival and those artists who registered would be given a 10 minute opportunity to showcase their talents. There were 3 lady judges and a few crew members around. It was fun watching and listening. A crowd listened to the performers and clapped as well. I found the sound system didn't give justice to the musicians most especially those were singing, but still, it was good enough to be heard. 

Oodena Circle

I walked along the Promenade and found myself exploring the Oodena Circle. It is the celebration circle found just beside the Forks. Surrounding the circle are a few artsy metal structures, that actually points certain locations of constellations. Oodena Circle is a monument to the cultural and natural forces that have drawn the native people to the forks for a thousand of years.

I was happy when I went home. I saw a few of the things I wanted to see and I also had a better appreciation of Winnipeg. It's not a perfect city to be in, but I guess what made me appreciate it is the fact that it was once the centre of trade for majority of the tribes in the First Nations. And I was able to imagine that.... from years ago.

 

Excerpt from Google:

The First Nations are the various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis.^[2] There are currently over 630^[3] recognized First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia.^[4] The total population is nearly 700,000 people. Under the Employment Equity Act, First Nations are a "designated group", along with women, visible minorities, and persons with physical or mental disabilities.^[5] First Nations are not defined as a visible minority under the Act or by the criteria of Statistics Canada.^[6]
Within Canada, "First Nations" (most often used in the plural) has come into general use—replacing the deprecated term "Indians"—for the indigenous peoples of the Americas. Individuals using the term outside Canada include supporters Cascadian independent movement as well as American tribes within the Pacific Northwest. The singular, commonly used on culturally politicized reserves, is the term First Nations person (when gender-specific, First Nations man or First Nations woman). A more recent trend is for members of various nations to refer to themselves by their tribal or national identity only, e.g., "I'm Haida," or "We're Kwantlens," in recognition of the distinctiveness of First Nations ethnicities.^[7]
North American indigenous peoples have cultures spanning thousands of years. Some of their oral traditions accurately describe historical events, such as the Cascadia Earthquake of 1700 and the 18th century Tseax Cone eruption. Written records began with the arrival of European explorers and colonists during the Age of Discovery, beginning in the late 15th century.^[8][9] European accounts by trappers, traders, explorers, and missionaries give important evidence of early contact culture.^[10] In addition, archeological and anthropological research, as well as linguistics, have helped scholars piece together understanding of ancient cultures and historic peoples.
Although not without conflict or slavery, Euro-Canadians' early interactions with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit populations were relatively non-combative compared to the often violent battles between colonists and native peoples in the United States. Combined with later economic development, this relatively non-combative history has allowed First Nations peoples to have an influence on the national culture, while preserving their own identities.^[11]