Winnipeg, Manitoba

Winnipeg has come a long way from its humble beginnings as a collection of fur trading posts at the junction of two rivers – the Red River and the Assiniboine River. Then, it served as the intersection of two major fur-trading trails, and, I am sure, it was the place to get everything you needed (from fur coats to fur hats to fur boots to fur food). Today, Winnipeg continues to meet all your needs.

Hungry? Winnipeg has more than 900 restaurants: from coffeehouses, tearooms, dinner cruises or dinner theatres to American, Ethiopian, Mongolian, Salvadoran, or Ukrainian. If you want to taste the world, come to Winnipeg!

Need shelter? Winnipeg's cost of living allows you to buy a home twice as big as any you could afford in any other major Canadian city.

Don't have a job? In 2002, Winnipeg's unemployment rate was only 5.3% – 2.4% lower than that of the rest of the country.

Bored? Not for long! If you're a nature buff, you'll love the 178 kilometers (110 miles) of riverbank frontage, 4,151 hectares (10,260 acres) of parkland, 75 kilometers (118 miles) of cycling/jogging trails, and 30km of waterways. If you're an athlete (or just like to think you are) you can skate on Winnipeg's 30 indoor arenas, golf on her 24 courses, curl on her 20 curling rinks, or swim in her 13 indoor swimming pools. If you're an animal lover, you can make some new friends at the Assiniboine Park Zoo (one of the largest in North America) or at the Oak Hammock Marsh (an interpretive center, which is home to birds, mammals, insects, amphibians, and reptiles).

If you're a sports nut, Winnipeg is home to the Blue Bombers (Canadian Football League), the Goldeyes (Northern Baseball League), and the Manitoba Moose (American Hockey League). If culture is more your thing, you'll enjoy the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Winnipeg Art Gallery, the Manitoba Opera, the Manitoba Theatre Centre, and you will especially love Folklorama, the largest cultural festival in the world. If you prefer to live in the past (or simply like old things), you can visit St. Boniface. Also known as Winnipeg's French Quarter, it was founded in 1818 and is home to St. Boniface Basilica, the oldest cathedral in western Canada and to the St. Boniface Museum, the oldest wooden structure in western Canada. If you prefer things that are shiny and new, you can find them in one of Winnipeg's many shopping districts…. and enjoy the fact that Winnipeg does not have general sales tax.

And if you like weird, little-known facts, you will get a kick out of this one: the longest canoe trip (which is recognized as the world's longest canoe journey and commemorated with a plaque!) was launched from Seniors Park in Winnipeg and ended more than 19,311 kilometers (12,000 miles) away in Belem, Brazil.

Winnipeg… not just for fur-traders anymore!

See our 1 Job in Winnipeg, Manitoba