downtown Winnipeg

We went to the local Safeway to use the Internet. They have an area with a 20’ counter and 4 tables chairs beside their in-house Starbucks with free Internet provided. There is only dial-up at the campground. We went to St. Mary’s Cathedral downtown but unfortunately it wasn’t open. Lovely old stone building with very nice stained glass windows; my mom’s parents were married here in 1908. As we drove down Portage Ave., I marvelled at the foresight of the people who designed this 10 – 12 lane, divided road, how many years ago? There are many murals around town honouring people and events of their history, which makes it interesting. We stopped at the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada, which had a Holocaust Education Center but they are building a new one at The Forks and it was available yet. We did stop at Grant’s Old Mill on Sturgeon Creek right in the middle of the West End. This is a reconstruction of the one, Cuthbert Grant, a famous Métis leader, built here in 1829 when the Hudson’s Bay Company was refusing goods to the competition in the fur trade. This was the first use of water power in the western provinces. It was very interesting to see the huge wheel turning and the stone slabs grinding out flour.