No matter how I tried to explain it (friends and relatives nearby, summer lake life, affordable housing, arts, culture, music, NDP government, etc.) no one seemed to believe that I knew what I was doing, and that Winnipeg was what my heart longed for. But I moved here anyway.

Several of the senior partners at my old law firm in Vancouver had gone to law school in Winnipeg back in the day. And so when it became known that I was leaving the Best Place on Earth for Winnipeg, they all wished me well and offered me words of wisdom. As I’m sure you know, when people think of Winnipeg, they think of cold, and they think of mosquitoes. My favourite rebuttal to this came from one of these Manitoba Law School grads: “The best thing about Manitoba is that there are no mosquitoes in the winter, and no snow in the summer”. Looking back, I guess that’s sort of a backhanded compliment to the province, but somehow in perfect fitting with dry prairie humour and practicality.

My first weeks in the city, typical hot and sunny July days, were spectacular.  People actually talked to each other on the bus. Drivers give each other “the wave”. On Mulvey Street kids drew on sidewalks and neighbouring families had garage sales together.  The places in Carol Shields’ fine novels The Republic of Love and Larry’s Party suddenly came alive. Grosvenor, Ash.  I could actually walk along them!  Notices everywhere for the cleverly named “Dr. Hook Towing”. Stop signs that had the words “Hammer Time” spraypainted beneath “stop”. Everywhere I looked, something quaint, something wonderful. I also smelled malathion for the first time and learned that the mosquitoes are every bit as bad as “they” say they are. In spite of this, I felt as though I knew something the rest of Canada didn’t, some well-kept secret, a treasure trove of city life.

That summer, the Free Press ran a series called “Winnipeg from A-Z”, and it was a great introduction to the city.  One of my favourite lettters was James Turner’s piece, “V is for Vertical Height (or Lack Thereof)“, which theorizes about the reason for Winnipeg’s inferiority complex.

I went to Staples and bought a bookcase. They delivered it – free! – the next day. I was stunned. I’d heard Manitobans were cheap, but free delivery for an $80 bookcase was something I’d never encountered.

I learned that here, little desserts are called dainties. I found about socials and presentation and found them simultaneously fascinating and repellent. I heard about spongee and marvelled at a sport only known to this city.  Laughed at the word “yurt” – I’d never heard it before. Got laughed at when I used the phrase “gym strip” (guess it’s an Alberta thing?).  And secretly thought it was a bit trashy that what I’d call a duplex, Manitobans call a “side by side”.  I relished each of these linguistic discoveries, mundane as they are.

But also:

I’ve learned that people do just as many stupid things here as they do everywhere else. People are ignorant, racist, selfish. For every friendly Manitoban there is an arrogant jerk. (A lot of them hang out on the Freep website, leaving comments to prove they exist.)

I can’t, for the life of me, figure out why Manitoba doesn’t have a container deposit system – it’s ridiculous. I’m perplexed as to why the city is building a rapid transit bus line and not something more efficient, and well, major city-esque. I am appalled that Manitoba has one of the worst child poverty rates, and the second highest rate of child food bank users in Canada with 51% of food bank recipients being children. For every boast-worthy quality Manitoba has, it has another that’s strange or worse, shameful.

Ultimately, the city doesn’t seem that new or novel or exciting to me as it once did. A lot of the time, it just feels like the city I live in – nothing more and nothing less. Those rosy first impressions have become nostalgia – things I remember vividly but seem out of reach.

I’ve learned that no matter what city you’re in, you have to make the most of it – great things won’t just happen to you by osmosis. Truth be told, since the day I moved, there have been lots of days that I didn’t love Winnipeg as much as I thought I did. The longer I am away, the more I appreciate my hometown of Lethbridge. And I do miss a lot of things about my 20s stomping grounds of Vancouver.

There are still aspects and areas of Winnipeg and beyond the Perimeter that I have yet to explore. As I settle into a new life stage – I’m not a freewheeling single anymore! I have commitments and responsibilities! – I will come to know the city in different ways, and I look forward to seeing what they are.

I expect that I will become more philosophical on topics like community, parenthood, and public education – things that will probably start to play more of a role in my life than honey dill sauce, block heater cords, and ten-digit dialing. (Besides, I have been converted to the Church of Honey Dill Sauce, and I’m not ashamed to say it.) Will those meatier topics fit into this blog? There are times when I would love to share a recipe or a beautiful photo of my son but I don’t, because they are not relevant. Maybe all I need to do is change its tagline and release myself from the confines of “moving to Winnipeg” – I’m really not sure.

Writing Winnipeg O’ My Heart has been a wonderful experience, and I regret that I haven’t been able to devote more thought and time to it since the initial posting frenzy of its first year. This isn’t a blog about moving to Winnipeg anymore. It’s something else, and I’m not sure what. I no longer have the same level of civic pride (some called it boosterism, even) that I had three years ago, when I also shared the writing and idea load with two friends. It’s been a little lonely here since, even with the ever-increasing number of fantastic Winnipeg blogs out there, providing constant inspiration. At times, I’ve  found myself wondering whether I’m really contributing anything to that community, or  just trying to fatten thin ideas up just so I have something to blog about. Or worse, thinking, “If I could figure out how to make some money off the blog, I would write on it more often.” Not a great approach. It’s strange how having a blog gives you this weird sense of obligation when really, unless you’re being paid to blog, there’s no reason you should feel obliged.

This isn’t a farewell post, maybe just a way to explain where I’m at with Winnipeg and with this blog. Maybe I’m also giving myself permission to not worry about blogging more often. If you have thoughts on what direction to take this blog, topics you’d like to see written about, or thoughts in general about blogging malaise, I’m all ears and would love to hear from you

Anyway, there are actually quite a few of us provincial ex-pats, and in this post I want to share a few of their blogs.

Maude in Manitoba

Sheri moved from Ontario to Brandon for no good reason… I like her already! My favourite post concerns brands and colours of farming equipment commonly seen in Manitoba. Lately she’s been wondering why Winnipeg has to be the centre of the universe in this province – doesn’t Brandon deserve some love? (Good question!)  I’m looking forward to reading all about Sheri’s adventures in her new hometown. (And seeing what other funny things she learns about our little province!)

My Move to the ‘Peg (Going to Winnipeg)

You may remember that I talked to Jess a few months ago. This hockey-crazy Vancouverite moved here in 2010 and has been sharing her take on our city ever since. She’s slowed down in her posting lately… I guess she’s just having too much fun What have you been up to, Jess?

A Weekend, in Food

Honeybee shares her culinary adventures in Winnipeg after moving here from Ontario. She writes about local restaurants and shares recipes of her own. I loved her Tour de Winnipeg local foods project, and the fact that she dared to bash Sals. And also that she admits to liking pole syrup (Amen!).

Little Gray Bird

This Nova Scotia native writes thoughtful posts about exploring Manitoba, often discussing similarities and differences between her experiences in the two provinces. She’s written about all sorts of Manitoban regionalisms, from lingo (booters), to accomodations (yurting ), to food (pickerel cheeks and matrimonial cake). Almost  everything she writes resonates with me on some level, and I always look forward to new posts.

Project Zoom 

This one’s sort of an exception. Did you hear about Project Zoom? A couple from Mississauga decided to zoom around the country, living as locals in 10 provincial capitals for one month each. Winnipeg was their city for October, and they had lots of adventures here. Check out their posts on strolling down Wellington, exploring the murals of Winnipeg,  and what they thought of our transit system. Yvonne and Jim are off to Regina now… I wish them the best of luck on their fascinating journey!

Am I missing any others?

I spent that night in a foul mood, angry that instead of celebrating this remarkable milestone in family healthcare, this broadcaster was playing to people’s fears and spinning a misleading story, not based on fact or evidence. I was so miffed that I actually registered on the CBC website to leave a comment on the accompanying story (yes, I became one of those people!). My comment didn’t make it past moderation, which annoys me greatly as it wasn’t at all inappropriate. Fortunately, I quickly discovered others felt the same way I did: Tanya at Double Booter and Melissa at Nothing in Winnipeg both wrote excellent posts, calling out this story’s major flaws. I encourage you to read both posts.

In Safe Births and Sad Stories, Melissa writes:

“Ms. Dorber’s tragedy does not appear to have a systemic link to the new Birth Centre, and it appears that the issues that caused her son’s death are unlikely to have relevance to this new institution.”

In On the Contrary, Winnipeg’s New Birth Centre will be Safe, Tanya writes:

“CBC is using one person’s account, one anecdotal reference to make a case that safety at the new Birth Centre is legitimately under question. The woman interviewed states she gave birth in 1996, which is before midwives were licensed to practice in Manitoba (this happened in 2000). Therefore I am assuming she was in the care of an obstetrician or family doctor at the time, and not a midwife. This is kind of an important point to leave out of a story questioning the safety of midwives.”

This is the crux of my complaint: after hearing or reading this story, people who know nothing (or are ill-informed) about midwifery will associate the birth centre with babies dying. This comes in the wake of a terribly misleading and uninformed article in Maclean’s entitled “Is Home Birth Safe?“. (Fortunately, Mothers of Change blogger Asheya Hennessey did a wonderful job of dispelling myths and educating commenters to that article. )

I thought twice about discussing this topic on my blog, as I tend to shy away from political discussions. But this is not a political issue, it’s a human issue, and if I can use my blog to encourage others to open their minds a bit, that’s the best I can hope for.

Society needs to see what kind of people support midwifery, birthing centres, and home birth. We’re not  crunchy hippies who sit around chanting Kumbayah and eating hemp hearts and drinking soy milk (though certainly, there was one such lovable dreadhead in my prenatal yoga class!). We’re everywhere: average Canadian women and men who recognize that birth is a normal life process that’s been overmedicalized, to the detriment of mothers and babies. We’ve learned that midwives are experts in birth, who have an evidence-based model of care. They are well-trained and prepared to handle emergencies, and work with doctors and hospitals to ensure safe and healthy births.

Birth is personal. On many levels, the safest place for a woman to give birth is the place she feels safest in. For many, that would be a hospital. But for many others, it would be at home or a birth centre.  Winnipeg’s birth centre is expected to handle 500 births a year, but if the overwhelming demand for midwives in this province is any indication, they’ll probably be turning clients away because they can’t accommodate them all. But, baby steps, baby steps.  Over the coming weeks and months, many Winnipeggers will be celebrating our new birth centre, not questioning its safety.

To sum up, I think Melissa put it best:

“So I say: until we have data on our own Birth Centre, let’s judge its potential for safety on what we already know about the safety of similar birthing choices, and not give power to fear drawn from elsewhere. That, I opine, is the best and most responsible approach for women and the babies they bear.”

 

Update: The grand opening for the Winnipeg Birth Centre is taking place on Oct 12!  ”Women’s Health Clinic invites you to join us in an opening celebration of the Birth Centre on Sunday, October 16th from 1-4 pm at 603 St. Mary’s Road.  Opening Ceremony is at 2 pm.”

If you came to Manitoba from elsewhere, how did you end up living here and how do you feel about life in Manitoba — good, bad or both — after living here for a while as a “Manitoban by choice”?

If you moved away,  how did you end up leaving — do you feel you were ‘pushed’ or ‘pulled’ away? — and how does life in Manitoba appear in retrospect?

And if you moved away and then moved back, how did you end up leaving and end up coming back, and how does life here compare to life in your other homes?

Head on over and leave your thoughts!

Jessica, looking like a true Winnipegger (Yep, she's holding a Tim Hortons cup!)

Emma: Welcome to Winnipeg! When did you arrive, and had you been here before? And most importantly, why did you choose the Heart of the Continent as your new home?

Jessica: Thank you! I arrived on August 31 of last year. I had been here a few times before, visiting the very person that brought me here to live. Which ties in nicely with your next question. I choose the HOTC as my new home simply for love. My (now) fiance came to Winnipeg to do his Masters at U of M not long after we started dating back in Vancouver in 2007. We did the long distance gig for a while but when it came to his PhD, the distance just seemed to far. So we packed up a U-Haul and came out here together last year. And now we are getting married this summer and I know that our adventure to Winnipeg together has allowed us to take our relationship to that next level.

What a great story…congratulations! You’re about to be introduced to a whole new world of wacky Winnipeg wedding traditions, if you haven’t yet been  Anyway, West Coast winters are totally different from Prairie winters. How did you fare? Now that we’re seeing signs of spring, what tips would you give for a newbie to survive their first Winnipeg winter?

See below in the “stereotypes” question for my thoughts about winter. But as for advice to give to newbies? Well, I feel hardly practiced enough to give advice but for what it’s worth:

• Get outside when you can! Bundle up and take the plunge!
• Be OK with staying indoors
• Scarves saved my life and can double as a face shield when the wind really gets rippin’
• Block heater and car starter! Really help with getting going in the morning…
• Black ice is not always black. It can look brown but cause you to rear-end other cars in just the same way
• Know that it will end. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but it will. I promise.
• Get involved in winter activities! (OK, I admit, I didn’t do this. But as a physio, I’ve been seeing a lot of triathletes in this city. There a great number of running groups, x-country ski groups, etc. that go year round here! Next year I’m doing it!)
• Keep a shovel in the trunk of your car

Excellent tips! Might I add curling to your list of winter activities? I know some people laugh when curling is referred to as a sport, but all that sweeping can really get your heart rate up! Next question: aside, of course, from your friends and family, what do you miss about Vancouver?

I definitely miss the ocean and the mountains. Having grown up on the west coast, there’s something about the ocean and mountains that becomes a part of you. It really is hard to put into words. I miss spending numerous evenings every week down at Spanish Banks watching the sunset and listening to the gentle crash of the waves. I miss looking out my window and seeing the mountains craddling the city. I miss how beautiful the nature is in and around Vancouver – the greenery that is present year round. And I miss the energy in the city when the Canucks are a winning team…so I’m really missing this right now! And if they win the Cup this year? I will really miss that!

I know what you mean. The year-round lushness of the environment is so gorgeous, and I miss it, too (especially seeing the magnolias and cherry blossoms at this time of year). When you have visitors from out of town, what places to go or things to do are “Winnipeg Musts”?

When one of my best friends came to visit last month, I took her to The Forks. It was a must (see below). There’s also some great restaurants in town that I’ve already had a chance to explore – East India Company Pub & Eatery, Ichiban, and Burrito Del Rio! And I know there’s many more – Winnipeg has great food! I also think a mini-road trip out past the Perimeter Hwy is worth doing. The prairies are truly beautiful. And even if the sunsets aren’t over the ocean, they definitely have their own unique beauty. When my dad and stepmom were in town, we checked out the Royal Canadian Mint. We did the self-tour and it was neat to see all that coin being made! And for so many different countries! To be honest, I still feel like a tourist in this town and I’m really looking forward to the summer to explore the city further. Oh, and I hear the Manitoba Museum is pretty cool too! That’s on my list…yeesh, I’m a bad “tourist”.

The Mint is surprisingly cool, eh?! Have you had your “I’m a Winnipegger!” moment yet? Do tell!

Haha, I have. It hit me when I was walking back from Dairy Queen a few blocks from my place with a Blizzard in hand. It was probably about minus 30 and the wind was howling. I think the only thing that would have made me more of a Winnipegger was if it was a Slurpee instead of a Blizzard!

Plus one million Winnipegger points if you’d been wearing shorts at the time What summer activities are you looking forward to?

Ahhhh, summer. I can’t wait. I’m really looking forward to all the festivals and the fireworks! I also hear that there is a “Cruise Night” every Sunday evening on Portage where people parade there cars down the street. I’m definitely pulling up a lawn chair for that one. And I hear that the beaches on the lakes are amazing! So I’m looking forward to some trips out of town to “cottage country”. I also can’t wait to head down to CanWest Global Park to catch a Goldeyes game. There’s nothing better than beer, hotdog(s), and baseball on a hot summer day!

The stadium is definitely a Winnipeg gem (and I don’t even like baseball!).  So far, have the Winnipeg stereotypes you’d heard about prior to your move proven to be true? (And is this a good thing or a bad thing?)

I’d have to say, yes, the majority of the stereotypes I’ve heard about Winnipeg have been proven true. And this isn’t necessarily a bad thing! However, less than 30 seconds after stepping out of my U-Haul upon arrival into town I had a golf ball-sized mosquito bite on my forehead. So yes, mosquitoes practically run the city in the summer…and they are large enough to ride (well, almost). This is definitely NOT a good thing.

Other stereotypes:

• “Winterpeg”. I have to say, the winter was not nearly as horrible as I thought it would be. Locals I’ve told this to just laugh at me and tell me to wait a few more winters…the first one is always novel. But I actually enjoyed the winter! Sure, there were days that were just too darn cold to go outside (but I’m OK sitting on my couch and watching the Slice network all day if need be), but there was sun!! So much sun! Coming from Vancouver, known to be dreary, cloudy and rainy for up to a month at a time, the sunshine made the winter completely tolerable! I’ve seen more “winter blues” in my old town than in the ‘Peg. But I will admit, when there was a snowfall warning of 15 cm last week and day temps dropping back down to -30 with windchill, I was starting to understand why people say, “the winters really drag on”.
• “Friendly Manitoba”. True. Well, for the most part. Yes, generally speaking Manitobans are a friendly bunch. Everyone is fairly laid-back and seem to be on some sort of “island-time” despite the fact that Winnipeg is definitely not an island. But I will say this – when a Manitoban gets behind the wheel, look out. Drivers here seem to think that they own the road…all of them. As you can imagine, this doesn’t work very well. And if you need to merge to avoid a parked car or to get onto the freeway? Good luck. No one…and I repeat…no one is letting you in. I’m thinking this must be some sort of survival mechanism that has developed over the years in Winnipeg. I mean, if you do slow down to let someone in, you risk getting caught in “blowing snow” or ran over by a snow plow.
• *Grimace/disgusted face. OK, so it’s not a stereotype but that was pretty much the reaction I got from anyone I told I was moving to Winnipeg. It seems that Winnipeg has a bad reputation throughout Canada and this judgment definitely isn’t fair, in my opinion. Winnipeg has some really great, beautiful things to offer. No, it’s not Vancouver. No one is pretending it is. Sure the winters are cold, but if you’re keeping score with Edmonton, Calgary, or Toronto, the winters are very similar (well, at least this year’s was). And have I mentioned there is sunshine here!? Winnipeg has two lovely rivers meandering through the city, a diverse culture, a great arts scene, friendly people, and hot summers. How bad can it be? So if you are one of those people that grimaces when you think of Winnipeg, I encourage you to visit and see for yourself the beauty this city holds (perhaps in the summer). And if you are from Winnipeg and have moved away because maybe it wasn’t your cup of tea, keep the negative Nancy comments to yourself. The city really does have a lot to offer.

Granville Island vs. The Forks. Discuss.

Hahaha, how did I know I was going to be asked this question. And hmmm, where to begin. I will choose my words wisely because I do understand that The Forks is a place of pride for Winnipeggers. And it should be. The Forks hosts some amazing local artisans, musicians, events, and food. And from what I’ve tried of the food, it’s pretty darn good (the cinnamon buns at the bakery are unreal!). And it’s very pretty, being at the fork of the two rivers. So The Forks gets a thumbs up, relatively speaking. Granville Island is really incomparable. Sure, same idea, a marketplace with good food, music and events. But on a different level. I mean it’s like comparing apples to oranges. For those who haven’t been to Granville Island, it’s like The Forks on crack (not that I’ve ever done crack but I think you get the idea). And because BC is known for it’s fresh local produce and meats, this is what you get at Granville Island (unlike the brown-ish meats I’ve seen displayed at The Forks that look like they have been sitting there for over a month). But alas, The Forks absolutely works with what they have, and for that they do a great job!

Thanks for sharing, Jessica!

Hello, loyal readers of WoMH. As you may know, this little prairie blog started off with three fine contributors, of which only Emma has remained to hold down the fort.  Well fear not for the future, because I am here to reverse the exodus trend. My name is Ian and I hope to make a semi-regular contribution to WoMH, to add my own thoughts and observations on this great city as seen through the eyes of a newcomer to Winnipeg and Manitoba. I am, coincidently, also an ex-pat British Columbian who moved out here for a career change and new opportunities and adventures.

I am just days away from my one year ‘Pegiversary, which I believe commenced when I was issued my funky (and now sadly defunct) two-piece Manitoba drivers’ license.  In this short time, I have explored many of Winnipeg’s diverse neighbourhoods, partaken in its cultural events from the symphony to the social, the fringe festival to Folkorama. I have also walked in the sand at Grand Beach, visited the Icelandic museum in Gimli and ridden the train to the northern reaches of Manitoba (where I happened to spend most of my first Manitoba winter!!!) But now I am back in the ‘Peg, living and working downtown and eagerly awaiting my second summer in the city (this time with more sun!).

So that’s a brief introduction of my story.  I hope that you’ll enjoy my occasional observations, kudos and critiques of life at junction of the Red and Assiniboine (I can finally spell that name!) rivers.  Cheers, and enjoy this wonderful weather while it lasts!

–Ian

I’d never heard of Manitoba-based Canadian Dimension magazine until I stumbled across this article, and I see that the entire current issue is devoted to Winnipeg. I’m off to read the other articles (about the North End and the city’s radical past) now!

Read Ed Janzen’s The Power of Myth: How Winnipeg and Its Art Became Such a Big Deal at Canadian Dimension magazine.

Anyway, since the end of the year is the perfect time for lists, and in particular, lists of resolutions, I decided to put some thought into what I’d like to do in 2010 here in my adopted hometown.

• Try the hot chocolate at Constance Popp Chocolatiers… I’m told it’s spectacular!
• Go skating on the world’s longest naturally-frozen skating trail, a.k.a. The River Trail.
• Go to Grand Beach, apparently one of the best beaches in the world!
• Do Part 2 of the search for Winnipeg’s Best Imperial Cookie with Laurel when she visits in February during Festival du Voyageur
• Go to the Farmer’s Market more often
• Start backyard composting
• Explore the Exchange District
• Go to more concerts (looking forward to 2010: The Concert this weekend!)
• Patronize local businesses more often. Some recent neighbourhood discoveries include Sam’s Place and Sonya’s Family Restaurant (see an awesome write-up of Sonya’s at Breakfast in Winnipeg). The closure of McNally Robinson is yet another reminder to shop locally if local businesses matters to you! I’m going to try to make more of an effort this year to do that.
• Find a family doctor, dentist, and massage therapist – this one may prove the hardest. I found an optometrist close to my house who I really like, but my current doctor’s office is a 25-minute drive away and not really doing it for me. I have yet to find a dentist though I’ve got some leads. An RMT would be great, too! Any recommendations for these health professionals in East Kildonan?

Off the top of my head, those are just a few of the things I’d like to do over the next year. With any luck I’ll accomplish most of them and remember to report back this time next year. I’d love to hear others’ Winnipeg-related resolutions for 2010… please share in the comments!

With the year almost through, I want to give big props to my fellow Winnipeg bloggers — thanks for all the great reads this year.  To everyone who’s commented at Winnipeg O’ My Heart, I appreciate your thoughts, suggestions, and ideas. You’ve all provided an excellent orientation to this fine city.  I wish you all a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2010!

What’s been bugging me about Winnipeg lately is, well, downtown Winnipeg. Every weekday, I walk a couple blocks from my office to Portage & Donald to catch the bus home. Sometimes I have an appointment or something to do at lunch that keeps me downtown, so I’ve done a fair amount of jamming up and down Portage during the noon hour. Occasionally, I have met up with friends for after-work drinks at Tavern United or in the Exchange, but between that and my daytime adventures, that’s about the extent of my time spent downtown. And truth be told, that’s about enough for me.

So, what’s my beef with downtown?

This will seem like an exaggeration, but some days, it seems like the only people I see outside when I’m downtown are people smoking, people spitting, and people panhandling. In short, people who are not all that pleasant to be around. We all know that tons of people work downtown in jobs that require them to dress somewhat nicely and bathe regularly, so where are they? I figured it out not too long ago: they’re inside. If not in their offices, they’re in the walkway system staying warm, and well, avoiding the aforementioned people outside.

Can I blame them? No. When I have occasion to walk from my office to Portage and Main for lunch meetings, and I almost always walk inside. I should also disclose that I often head into CityPlace and then through the MTS Centre even when I’m just walking my regular route to the bus. This is partly because I think taking the walkway is fun – I thought the same of the Plus 15 system in Calgary and the massive, interconnected mall/office towers/transit station system where I worked in Vancouver. There’s something inherently neat about travelling a long distance without ever going outside (to an extent, anyway — think Waydowntown). But it’s also because even though walking through the MTS Centre takes longer than walking outside, some days, I just really don’t feel like sidestepping puddles of spit and listening to people yell at each other.

Winnipeg’s walkway system probably evolved more in response to our chilly winters than anything, but even when the weather is just right, people are still inside. Summer is a bit better: live music in the fresh air brings lots of people outside to eat lunch in the sunshine. But I wonder. Do we really need to hibernate for 8 or 9 months of the year? What else is going on here?

Despite efforts to spice up its image, downtown also just seems a bit sad. To me, the epitome of this is The Bay. Have you been to The Bay downtown? Structurally, it’s amazing. Stately pillars. Mile-high ceilings. Hardwood floors. The ladies’ bathroom is a snapshot in time: there are banks of little vanities where you can actually sit down on a chair, place your purse on the counter, and fix your hair or lipstick. It’s the sort of thing you’d expect to see in a film set, not in modern day. It’s wonderful. And yet, the store is run down. There seems to be no sense of pride in the gem we have on our hands. (And I was really surprised to see it made the Sun’s list of 100 reasons to love Winnipeg.) This Bay doesn’t seem to be given as much attention as the ones in the malls. That being said, my experiences with the Bay in most cities is not what it used to be.

We have such an iconic, historic building that houses an equally meaningful institution. Maybe I’m nostalgic for the good old days I was never a part of, but it seems like a tragedy to me not to restore it to its former self. But of course, it’s not just The Bay. There are dozens of gorgeous buildings in downtown Winnipeg, but so many of them have been left to age and decay. Downtown Winnipeg could have such a cosmopolitan feel to it.

But then, if no one shops downtown, why would anyone bother investing in restoring these old beauties or in opening new businesses in the area? I’m with Graham at Progressive Winnipeg when he wonders why “every major development that is announced here, isn’t downtown”. I mean, there’s only one MEC in the city, and people make the trip downtown to go there. I don’t pretend to know enough about urban planning to say that if you build it, they will come, but, well, I think if the destination store is attractive enough, they will come. This is probably completely unrealistic (because where, oh where on earth would everyone park?), but what if they’d decided to put Ikea downtown? Can you imagine the draw that would have been?

Why don’t people spend much time outside in downtown Winnipeg? My guesses are that they associate downtown with crime and with feeling unsafe, and that moreover, there’s not much to draw them there. Halfway through writing this, I came across this post from Slurpees & Murder, which takes a look at the MTS Centre and vicinity and asks “Would you put your team here?” The photos and commentary in the post are a grim but realistic illustration of downtown.

Now, this wouldn’t be a Winnipeg O’ My Heart post if I didn’t try to look on the positive side of all of this. To me, some progress is being made. The recent announcement about the Union Bank Tower being converted into the RRC culinary arts centre and student residences is wonderful news. More people will inevitably mean a bigger market for all sorts of business; starving as they may be, students always have money for coffee, clothing, and nightlife. And it’s nice to see some care being given to the Metropolitan Theatre – it will be interesting to see what the final product will be. Things are picking up in the Exchange; it seems new stores and restaurants are popping up down there all the time.

I haven’t lived in Winnipeg long enough to feel particularly qualified to comment on city politics or planning. All I know is what my experiences have been in other major cities, and what works for them. In Calgary, downtown’s Stephen Avenue is a bustling strip of bars and restaurants and adjacent shopping that is extremely active – even after work and on weekends. In Vancouver, Robson Street is much the same: truly convenient public transport and tons of nearby residences makes it easy to get to, and the variety of stores and restaurants make it a popular destination. Perhaps more importantly, pretty much all of downtown Vancouver feels safe. This is in large part, as former WoMH’er Laurel pointed out, because there are always people around. But I just don’t see how downtown, in its current state, can attract more people than it does now.

So I will watch with great interest at the developments occurring in Winnipeg’s downtown over the next few years. I will commit to exploring downtown a little more often, and to try to look bright side of things. It won’t be easy, though. I’m hard-pressed to think of anything I actually like about downtown (well, The Forks is pretty nice), but I’m open to suggestions. Anyone? Anyone?

For those few readers who have thought we were some marketing scam, some Destination Winnipeg tie-in, let me tell you: we are not. For this is a post, not about moving to, living in, and loving Winnipeg, but about leaving it.

I’ve been here the shortest of the Wo’MHers. I moved on a whim; after landing a job where I could work from home, I wanted a city that didn’t suck up as much rent as Vancouver, and loved the idea of moving near to dear friends who recently made Manitoba their home. In less than a month, I’d switched jobs, broken my lease, packed up 2000 lbs of books and Ikea furniture, and moved halfway across the country.

I didn’t anticipate what a lifestyle change I was in for – not just moving to a new city, but basically never leaving my apartment. In the last few months, I’ve experienced the amount of anxiety and depression I would normally stretch out over an entire year. It’s been an excellent experience as far as finding a new and welcoming city, but a very difficult one with being so far from family, feeling isolated, and struggling to align myself with my new life, new town, and a much smaller accessible support network that I’d been used to. In the end, looking forward to another winter — a full one this time — and maybe two more visits to my toddler nieces before the year was up, I broke down. I made phone calls; I surveyed my savings and booked a U-Haul: I decided to move back West.

This has been all the more difficult because of the public spectacle I made my move to this city. I feel like, after touting Winnipeg’s finer points, I should ‘eat my own dog food’ (as an old boss used to say about the software we made) and stay here, because didn’t I say the city was awesome? ON THE INTERNET no less? (And the radio. And in a newspaper. Annnnnd in a documentary.) I had a very easy time deciding I needed to leave for myself, and a much harder time reconciling that with this story I’d help weave about how great this city is.

So this is the verdict: I really like Winnipeg. Honestly, I like it way more than I could have imagined, because moving here, I really didn’t expect to. I thought, “This will be …. interesting”, but it hadn’t crossed my mind that Winnipeg would, in fact, be awesome. It’s a beautiful city with potential and promise; and, amazingly, a city I can actually afford to purchase real estate in. One with lovely parks and countless public events; one that is amazingly fascinated with itself in a way that only really seems to create more fascination. I’ve thought more about this town than the four others I’ve lived in as an adult combined; I’ve consumed multitudes about its flaws and its strengths. It is a great city. I’ve also experienced a level of loneliness here I didn’t expect; a disconnect from my family that somehow made me feel closer to them, and a desire to move back to an Island I decided, six months ago, that I wouldn’t call home for at least five years, if ever again. Of course, I’ve been wrong before, but never so publicly, and so counter to things I’d said again and again, through waaaay too many mediums not to at least be a little embarrassed.

As you can probably guess, this is my last post at Winnipeg O’ My Heart. I am so very grateful for the support and interest fellow Winnipeggers have shown us in this endeavor, and wish the best of luck and love for this city to my two remaining fellow bloggers.

Thanks for the awesomeness, Winnipeg. I will miss you.