Frigs Natural Meats -   3515 Main Street, West St. Paul, MB

This one’s a bit of a drive, but Frigs Natural Meats is a great butcher that sells a huge variety of naturally-raised meat and poultry that is antibiotic- and growth-hormone free. After watching a very alarming episode of Marketplace about superbugs on grocery store chicken, I knew we needed to make a change to the meat we eat. Some friends of our recommended Frigs (especially for their bacon!) and shortly thereafter I began buying all of our meat, poultry and eggs there. All fresh and frozen meat is 10% off on Wednesdays, so usually I go that day.  It is one extra stop in my grocery shopping, and requires a little extra planning, but we feel really good about supporting this business. And also, their Kubi-Dogs are amazing.

See also: Savour Winnipeg and Riverside Kitchen

The Crusty Bun - Unit H-1026 St. Mary’s Road, Winnipeg

My aunt introduced me to The Crusty Bun, and now whenever I am in St. Vital I try to swing by and grab some of their scrumptious bread! This little gem is a bakery cafe, and if I am there for breakfast or lunch,  I get the “Small German Breakfast”, which includes two amazingly soft yet crusty buns, cheese, ham, jam, and a coffee or tea. The Crusty Bun sells a wide variety of breads, buns, and other glutenny goodness (my favourites are the pumpkin seed bread and the salt pretzels) alongside tasty pastries, cookies, and cakes. There is often a lineup, but it’s worth the wait. They call it European-style, I call it delicious… check it out!

High Tea Bakery – 2103 Portage Avenue  Winnipeg

Though I have yet to complete part 2 of my quest for Winnipeg’s best Imperial cookie, I have a hunch that the High Tea Bakery will take the honours. This bakery is a little out of the way for me – it’s a ways down on Portage and not surrounded by a whole lot, but again, worth the drive. They make the most delicious, beautiful cookies and dainties, and custom cakes as well. The High Tea has made special Imperials for Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Winnipeg and in honour of the Royal Wedding. They’ve even been to the Golden Globes! They also sell a good selection of Murchie’s teas, coffee, and hot chocolate – I think it might be the only place in Winnipeg that does – correct me if I’m wrong.

Pineridge Hollow - Just outside Bird’s Hill Park

Pineridge Hollow describes itself as a “restaurant, boutique, furniture showroom and reception venue” but this doesn’t really do it justice. About a half-hour drive from my house in Glenelm, Pineridge Hollow is a wonderful place to escape for a few hours, summer or winter. There’s a restaurant that focuses on local food and a huge giftware and home decor shop open year-round. During the summer, there’s also a weekly farmer’s market and greenhouse. And randomly, there is a small section of farm animals: on a recent visit, we saw goats, sheep and a rabbit! Definitely one of my favourite places to zip to for a girls’ day out or just a nice destination for a country drive. I’m hoping someday soon I’ll be invited to a wedding at Pineridge – it is just the most beautiful setting. I only wish they had a small inn, too!

 Which local businesses do you love to shop at?

“Considering that downtown Winnipeg is only now beginning to see its first significant amounts of residential development in nearly 20 years and retail growth remains slow outside of the Exchange District, articles like this latest in a series of Globe offerings are like getting hearty congratulations upon completing the first mile of a marathon. In other words, the praise might give one the warm fuzzies, but it also makes it easy to lose sight of all the work that remains.”

(emphasis mine)

I’m glad he wrote about this, because I’ve been thinking that people are putting all their eggs in the NHL return/Human Rights Museum basket. Some people think the moment these two businesses are up and running, there will be an outpouring of downtown love. Well, I hate to be a Debbie Downer (especially when it comes to Winnipeg!), but I really doubt it.

Don’t get me wrong, I think they’re going to be amazing assets. But they won’t come close to fixing it all, because regardless of how much good stuff surrounds Portage and Main, people don’t like coming downtown.

Why? Some of it is social – perception or reality. People are turned off by poverty and scared to be there, and that’s its own serious issue.  Some of it is consumer-based – ‘Peggers love their big box stores and rock bottom prices and they get them at “power centres” which are everywhere but downtown. But I think a huge factor is this bizarre parking issue.

The constant refrain of people who never spend any time downtown is “there’s no parking!”. This is incredibly naive (or ignorant?), because obviously, there is more than enough parking. What they don’t realize or can’t accept is that like in any big city, you might have to walk a block or two to your destination once you park.

I personally think that until folks get a reality check on this fact (or figure out that depending where you’re coming from, taking the bus is actually really convenient!), they’ll continue to resist going downtown, which is really a shame. Parking lots already have their own awards – maybe they need to start doing a little PR and advertising, too. Would a car-crazed city like ours respond to that? I think it might.

I place a lot of stock in the continued U of W and RRC expansions. These are the projects that will get people out on the streets during the day – regardless of how they got downtown. I think the Downtown Peggy project is really effective, and I’m impressed that the Downtown BIZ has been steadily increasing their efforts over the last couple of years. Stella’s, a taco truck and a poutine specialty shop are welcome new additions to the food scene, too. People continue to be nuts about the Exchange and more people are living, shopping, and recreating there.

I do believe that good things are happening in downtown Winnipeg, but nothing is going to create huge change overnight. In a dream world, I’d like to see Portage & Main reopened to pedestrians. I’d like to see big stores like H&M and Chapters open up downtown, and I wish like crazy Ikea would have opted for a downtown storefront. I hope the Bay is on its way to being restored to its former poshness. It’ll be very interesting to see what the next few years bring!

Everyone has their own ideas on what it will take to make our downtown a bustling, desirable, and profitable place to do business. Build it and they will come? Come, and then they will build it? It’s gotta be somewhere in between. But as someone clever once said, there is no reality, only perception. Perception will play a big role in changing people’s minds about downtown. So I don’t know…. maybe these “puff pieces” are, in fact, just what we need.

What do you like to do downtown? What would bring you downtown more often?

“You don’t choose Winnipeg; it chooses you. This quirky little city is more of a big small town filled with people you know, and it sits smack-dab in the middle of Canada. From prairies to polar bears, the province of Manitoba has it all, with Winnipeg right at its heart. We are resilient people, living in the harshest of opposing climates. Half the year, we bundle up and brace the blowing snow and bitter -30º temperatures. The other half of the year, we live for the blistering heat and humidity, tainted only by our sworn enemy — the mosquito. We love our lake life, with beaches and lake towns only an hour or two in every direction from the city. We play host to hundreds of summer festivals like the Fringe Festival, Folklorama, the Folk Festival and the Jazz festival.”

Check out the city guide and more thoughts on Winnipeg here,  and a big congratulations to Lenore – you did a wonderful job at rounding up the gems in our big little city — I’m stoked to check out lots of new-to-me places!

(hat tip to Courtney for sending me the link!)

We were fortunate that it wasn’t too busy that afternoon, and between elevators and ramps, navigating with a stroller was a breeze.  But Courtney mentioned how she’d recently been poking around in the Kensington neighbourhood of Calgary (our old stomping grounds from our days at SAIT) and she was astounded at how stroller un-friendly it was: stairs and tight corners everywhere! (This also makes you wonder about people with limited mobility or those in wheelchairs or walkers.) And on a recent trip home to Alberta, I noticed a number of “No Strollers Allowed” signs in shop windows. This got me to thinking, what parts of Winnipeg are kid- and baby-friendly?

Before our son was old enough to go in a nice, compact umbrella stroller, I made the mistake of taking him to the mall in his “travel system” stroller (aka “Monstro”) and quickly found that I was unable to manoeuvre inside a lot of stores, and I was actually embarrassed at how much space we took up.  (Don’t worry, I never took Monstro on the bus!) But even with a much smaller umbrella stroller, I find that a lot of places just aren’t designed with parents in mind.  Even if you’re wearing your baby in a carrier or sling, thereby avoiding the stroller hassle, you definitely don’t notice how many places don’t have baby change tables until you need one. And as a new mother desperate to get out of the house every now and then, I figured out pretty quickly which places had quiet, comfortable places to nurse and which didn’t.  (St. Vital Centre’s parents’ room is amazing! They definitely know which side their bread is buttered.)

Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t expect that the world should cater to me now that I have a little one in tow, I’m just saying that the reality is that parents need to and want to take their kids with them as they go about their errands, and businesses that take that into account probably attract more of those customers. I know I really appreciate the little things that make it easier to bring my baby along.

So, readers, I put the question to you – which places in our fair city are baby- and kid-friendly? What neighbourhoods do you feel welcome with a stroller in? Any places you avoid because you don’t want to get stuck changing your baby in the car? I’m curious to know your experiences.

Update: I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention I Spy Winnipeg, which I came across after I wrote this post. It’s a blog devoted to “navigating Winnipeg with kids, one weekend at a time”.  Check out I Spy Winnipeg on Twitter, too.

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?

5. Saffron’s (Corydon): We went for a weekday lunch and hoped Saffron’s would deliver in all aspects – a great patio with an excellent view of the street, therefore good people-watching. But our experience was that the view was the best thing we could say about it. Our coffee was cold, and the 10″ pizza was grossly overpriced. We really wanted to like it, but would not go back. The highest rating we gave Saffron’s was 4 out of 5 umbrellas for each of the view, people-watching, and comfort. Sadly it failed on all other accounts.

4. Cousin’s (Sherbrooke): We were intrigued by this one, never having heard of it and not knowing what to expect. The patio is on the corner of Sherbrooke and as such there’s lots of foot and vehicle traffic. The patio itself is nothing special and seems to have been added just because there was room to do it, but this was made up for by the knowledgable and friendly waitress who recommended the veggie burger. It didn’t disappoint and we’d definitely go back. Great place for a quick lunch, but nothing in the way of atmosphere. We scored Cousin’s with a full 5 drink umbrellas for their delicious veggie burger and great selection of beer for such a small spot.

3. Bar Italia, a.k.a. “Bar I” (Corydon): We came here on a Sunday evening and quickly realised that this place appeals to certain demographic (which we find ourselves rapidly outgrowing!). The Bar I patio is perfect for people-watching, and seems to be as much about being watched as it is about doing the watching! Our food was okay; our coffee-based drinks were good. Bar I’s large patio can accommodate a lot of diners (a plus) and smokers (a negative). All in all, a good place to come with a pack of friends (to nurse a hangover, maybe?) but not romantic at all, and not the sort of place you’d want to bring your parents. Bar I receives top marks for  its party atmosphere and ranks high for service. Definitely a patio you’d hit for drinks after work on a Friday…or a Monday for that matter.

2. Confusion Corner (where else?): We came here for brunch on a Saturday and had the rooftop patio to ourselves. We loved the comfy, cabana feel of it and pretty much had a dedicated waitress. While there was no view to speak of (couldn’t see the namesake confusion corner) and therefore no people-watching, it was sheltered from the elements and had a cozy feel. Our food and drinks were great and we enjoyed our visit. A good place for a date, brunch with the folks, or a large group meal. Great atmosphere. For the service, party atmosphere, and protection from the elements Confusion Corner rates high in our books. This spot, despite a view of the parking lot, also offers comfortable seating and fantastic ambience.

1. Inferno’s Bistro (St. Boniface): We truly saved the best for last. We had a light dinner and drink on a weeknight, and from the moment we came into the patio, knew we had found our winner. The patio is secluded and cozy, and the food and drink were delicious. Service was a bit slow, but it’s not really the kind of place you come to in a hurry anyway. We thought it would be the perfect place to have a long, lazy dinner and drinks – either for a romantic date or as a group of friends. Definitely would be a classy place to bring visiting relatives. Awarding Inferno’s 5 drink umbrellas for their fantastic food and intimate, romantic atmosphere was easy.

Conclusion: It was hard to pick a winner; all these places were vastly different from each other. The appeal of Bar I is the complete opposite of the appeal of Inferno’s, but they both ranked well for us in different regards. Confusion Corner was a positive experience, too. We’d go to Cousin’s again for the food, but not the atmosphere. Saffron’s is out totally for us, which is too bad, because it is a great location and has potential.

Throughout the week, we had a lot of people ask, why didn’t you go to [such and such a place]? We were surprised that no one suggested (to the CBC) the rooftop at Tavern United. Also recommended was Pasquale’s, Pony Corral on Pembina (where the patio is right on the river), and the Red Cactus (on Corydon). These are the places we’re looking forward to checking out later this summer; however, where would you say has the best patio in the city, and why? Keeping in mind aspects such as view, atmosphere, food, drink, and comfort – where else should we visit during the next few months? Have you had a particularly bad or good experience on a Winnipeg patio, or do you lament a Winnipeg patio of the past? We’d love to hear all about it! Ahh, summer…

But my next move was to…drumroll please…. Elmwood! Yep,  I learned pretty quickly what people think of this neighbourhood. Before long, I was ambiguously saying “East Kildonan” (or “EK” if I was feeling particularly cool) when asked where I was living… it meant I didn’t have to follow up with defences like “it’s not so bad, really!” or “but our street isn’t  one of the really sketchy ones!” I didn’t grow up in Winnipeg, and therefore didn’t have any preconceived notions of this neighbourhood, but I had to admit, there are definitely certain pockets of fairly undesirable-looking houses! And I definitely don’t feel quite at ease here when I’m out by myself at night. 

It’s been pleasant, though, the increasing frequency at which I hear “I live in that neighbourhood, too” or “We just bought a place not too far from you”. In my experience so far, it’s a place where houses are pretty reasonably priced and some great fixer-upper deals can be found. I find this part of town to be very convenient – getting downtown is only a quick 10-minute bus or car ride away.

I recently came across a really neat section of the CBC Manitoba website. It’s called “Urban Myths: Think you know Winnipeg? Think Again“. I’m not sure where the name came from, but the content is fascinating: 19 neighbourhood profiles from Centennial to Wolseley.  The Elmwood profile seems spot-on to me.

“A lack of banks in the area gave boom to moneylenders and payday loan businesses”

And how! There are at least three nearby that I can think of off the top of my head. That, and locksmiths….hmmm….

“It also has had one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the province.”

This is not surprising to me, either. I take the bus home from work downtown almost every day, and there are always, always young women with strollers on the bus headed this direction. Many more than when I took the 19 from downtown to St. B at the same time of the day.

Elmwood does have its redeeming qualities, though:

“Still, Elmwood is a tight-knit community with a great network of schools and churches.”

Last summer, the Free Press ran a great series of articles called “Winnipeg from A to Z”, and it provided a great initial orientation to some of the city’s insider knowledge. E was for Elmwood, and indeed, Joe Paraskevas uncovered a close group of long-time Elmwood residents. One of them, Rob Knight, told him, ““Elmwood people who still hang out together, went to school together, and they’re my age, which is the mid-60s. They’re still all friends with one another. They go down to Palm Springs together. They camp together. They all go out for dinners together. I’m not saying that that doesn’t happen in other areas of the city … But I certainly feel it’s more profound in Elmwood.”"

Anyway, now that the weather is progressively getting a little nicer, I’ve been exploring some of the local businesses in my ‘hood, and I thought I’d share some of my favourite spots with you!

• Big Rick’s Hot Rod Diner  (379 Henderson at Larsen; open 8-3 Monday to Friday, 9 to 3 Saturday, 9 to 2 Sunday) is the place I consider my “breakfast local”. It’s close, cheap,  and we’ve never had to wait for a table.  The food is consistently good diner fare, and there’s tons to look at while you wait for your meal. A perfect spot to do the crossword on the weekend, or meet friends for late breakfast.  Breakfast Winnipeg didn’t love it, but conceded “Great value for your money“.  I have to agree. It’s definitely not the sort of place I’d bring my mum, but for a greasy spoon, it’s perfect.  We’ve never struck up conversation with fellow diners, but I get the impression that there’s a real community there. (And the place has a great story, too.)
• With a huge selection of beautiful and reasonably priced treasures, Vintage Veruca’s (241 Henderson; open 12-5 Monday to Saturday) is a quaint little antique shop right on the corner of Henderson and Johnson (and there’s a bus-stop right in front of it).  I love popping in here every now and then to see what’s new. There’s a great selection of gorgeous teacups, Depression glass in many colours, pretty Jadite and milk glass items, and much more. A fantastic place to find a unique gift at a decent price.
• Mercadito Latino (219 Henderson; open noon to 6 Monday to Friday; 11 to 6:30 Saturdays) is my most recent discovery. Presuming it was an ethnic foods store, we recently popped in to see what kind of items they carried – but quickly realised they’ve got a little restaurant in the back, too! We enjoyed delicious and authentic El Salvadorian pupusas (sort of like a pancake with bean, pork, and cheese stuffing) and quesadilla (different from the sort I was familiar with, Salvadorian quesadilla is a mild, sweet bread) and tried a tasty pink beverage called horchata. Our hostess was very friendly, and the man running the till told us they’d been a coffee shop for several years but only recently opened the cafe portion. We can’t wait to go back – both to purchase ingredients for a delicious home-cooked feast, and for more of the restaurant’s mouth-watering meals.
• As Laurel described in her last post, there are certain places you have to scope out when you move to a new ‘hood. Aside from a local pub (and a breakfast local, we concurred), another essential place to seek out is your nearest coffeeshop (Tim’s and Starbucks don’t really count). Outside of downtown, the only one that I’ve been to is Mountain Bean (wayyyyyy up north on Henderson) and Finale’s (nowhere near). I need a place closer to home, preferably within walking distance. And while I haven’t had a chance to visit it yet, I think Sam’s Place ( 159 Henderson; open 10-10 Monday to Saturday) might be my closest coffeeshop. An MCC initiative, Sam’s Place is a used bookstore, a coffeeshop, and a place where emerging artists can perform. Our neighbours report that they’ve been and it’s lovely. I can’t wait to check it out, too.
• And of course, there’s always Roxy Lanes (385 Henderson). Not the most modern bowling alley (is there any such thing, anyway?), good times-a-plenty can be had for reasonable prices – I think it’s $7 for two games, including shoes. How can you go wrong with that?

In August, we’ll move just across Henderson Highway to the adjoining Glenelm area (which, according to the CBC profile is known as the “Wolseley of Elmwood”). It’s funny: it’s only a five minute walk from our current house, but it’s like another world completely. Bigger trees, better maintained houses, more chalk on the sidewalks… just a nicer aesthetic appeal and honestly, a neighbourhood that I think I’ll feel a little safer in, especially at night. Fortunately, it’s so close to where I live now, that I’ll be able to continue enjoying all these businesses I’ve discovered so far.

Do you know of any hidden Elmwood gems? Do share!

A local is the pub that’s ‘stumbling distance’ to your front door. It doesn’t have to be your favourite spot in the city, but it’s the kind of place you’d go anyway; that, plus the proximity, is what makes a local so great. At the risk of making us Wo’MHers sound like alcoholics (what with Aaron’s recent post about the MLCC), your local can be extremely important to making your new neighbourhood feel like home.

After you leave a neighbourhood, your local is often what sticks with you the longest. Emma, Aaron and I all shared a local when we lived in the same house (at different times) in Kitsilano, a Vancouver neighbourhood. Nevermind was a dark, cozy bar whose main customers were the UBC students who lived in nearby suites and apartments. It was an awesome place to hang out, and take advantage of their $10 Burger and Brew on Tuesdays; Nevermind was my first and still favourite local.

Other times, you and your local may not click; this happened with me and my closest local, the Two Parrots. The Parrots was a bar that was well known to me by exterior alone -  it was a bright yellow building with two giant neon parrots on the side, located downtown on Granville Street. I ended up renting an apartment above the bar*; the first time I went inside the Parrots was when I signed my lease. After that, I went in a handful of times; after parties, to meet up with friends, and, on a couple occasions, to watch the Canucks. My next apartment (after I got sick of the bar’s weekly karaoke night) was only ten blocks away, but I didn’t return to the Parrots after I moved.

Fast forward to the present: I found my current apartment on Craigslist almost two months before I moved here. Emma went over and scoped out the place for me; after it was deemed livable, we ran random searches on Google maps, finding the nearest bookstores, grocery store, library, and – yes – pub. That turned out to be Shannon’s Irish Pub on Hargrave Carlton (Edit: My inability to keep street names straight is part of the reason I get lost so often).

The Wo’MH team did a little trial run of the place the other night, and it looks to be local-perfect – cozy, occasional live music, and nachos on the menu (though there was a little disappointment on the vegetarian side when it turned out the tofu dish on the menu was no longer actually being served). The only thing missing is outdoor seating, which, considering it’s underground, isn’t surprising. It seems like the perfect location for ducking over in the cold of winter, but I’m not too sure about the fairer months of the year; I think I still need to explore some more downtown pubs for some sunny patio action.

Fellow (and former) Winnipeggers: what’s your local?

* Kids, never live above a bar in downtown Vancouver.

WO’MH-isms:

Fancy Place (from the post Roadtrippin’): A bar or pub that has more than one draught beer available. These are typically public houses in larger centres where beer drinkers enjoy selections beyond Coors Light. Ergo, if there’s only one type of beer on tap, it’s not a fancy place.

Manitoba street cred (from the post Curling): The valuating system by which new Winnipeggers (and in our cases, new Manitobans, too) are judged as integrating into the local culture. In joining a curling league, drinking slurpees in the wintertime, or apologizing to newcomers about the weather (despite the fact that you can’t control it), you raise your Manitoba street cred. You’re becoming an authentic Manitoban.

‘Pegiversary (from the post Roadtrippin’): The anniversary of a new Winnipeggers’ arrival in the city. Emma’s 1st ‘Pegiversary is quickly approaching on July 8th; for Aaron it will be January 5th, 2010; and Laurel just likes to celebrate hers on the 2nd of every month.

Social Time (a comment to the post Socials): Submitted by regular commenter, Michel, “Social Time is the acceptable time at which you should arrive at a social” and it directly correlates to the attendees’ age. The social arrival approximation scale is available in graph form, and strict adherence to these guidelines will prevent one from decreasing her or his Manitoba street cred.

Water-peg (from the post Water-peg): In the springtime, melting snow and swelling rivers transform Winnipeg into its always latent, ulterior character, Water-peg. The sidewalks are wet, the potholes are filled to the brim (and deceptively deep), and every story on CBC radio is somehow (magically?) spun to include a flooding-related angle.

Weatherpeg (a Winnipeg O’ My Heart post category): So much of Winnipeg’s mystique involves the extremes of weather at this geographic location of the continent. In this way, whenever a post includes significant content relating to the weather in Winnipeg, it will be categorized as a Weatherpeg post.

A sloppy Winnipeg Wrap

Winnipeg Wrap (from the post Wrap it Up): You know when people use lame clichés like: “If I opened the dictionary to the definition of goofball I’d see a picture of your face”? Well in this instance I will simply provide a visual example of the Winnipeg Wrap, and for a more detailed explanation you really should read all about it in the original post. Sadly (for fans of the Winnipeg Wrap), sightings of WWs around town reduce during warm seasons when it’s less likely that a Winnipegger will need an extension cord to plug-in the car while at work all day.

WO’MH-er (from the post Roadtrippin’): A Winnipegomyhearter is a member of the Winnipeg O’ My Heart blogging team. Although we haven’t yet invited guests to post their reflections about Winnipeg or Manitoba (we will), these persons would be considered honorary WO’MH-ers.

Terms unique to Winnipeg or Manitoba:

Caribou: The deliciously potent fortified wine that is intrinsically linked to the Festival du Voyageur. If you’re lucky enough to enjoy this drink at Festival, be sure to try it from an ice cup. We did. It’s a reeeeal good time.

Dainty: A small, sweet treat that is typically made in a large baking pan, then cut into squares or rectangles. In other parts of the country these are referred to as “squares”; however, in Manitoba the general term for a tray of assorted squares is “dainties”. When referencing a specific item on the tray, you should call the dainty by its appropriate name. Usage: “Just look at the fancy dainties at this bridal shower!” “I know…delish! I think I’ll have a Nanaimo bar.” A note about shape: in our limited experience, dainties are square; yet, we cannot corroborate that dainties are always square. This requires further (mmm…tasty) exploration.

Social: A traditional Manitoba fundraiser, usually held by friends (and sometimes family) of the engaged couple, meant to offset the costs of establishing a family home or farm. The social may have extended from this province into north-western Ontario and parts of Saskatchewan. “Classic” or “Traditional” socials feature a midnight buffet that always includes rye bread, cheddar cheese, and mustard (NB do not lick the knife). Some modern “Fancy” socials are catered, have professional DJs, and offer a combination of conventional auction items (the lottery tree) alongside new favourites (the spa package).

Social Table: So far as we can decipher, the rest of the country simply refers to this as a table with folding legs. These tables are aptly named according to their frequent use at socials held in community halls. The tables are rectangular in shape (probably 8’ x 3’?) and most likely either wood- or plastic-topped with folding metal legs. Usage: “I’m wondering if there’ll be enough seating at the social this Saturday.” “Oh yes, there will be. The hall provides 25 social tables.”

“LC”, the: An abbreviated slang term for the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission (MLCC). This phrase omits the “M” and last first “C” from the initialism (“LC” stands for “Liquor Commission”). Not to be confused with the initials of Lauren Conrad, star of the popular MTV show The Hills. She has probably never been to Winnipeg or Manitoba in general; what a pity. Usage: “I’m going to stop by the LC on the way home from work. Would you like anything?”

Of course this list is but the tip of an iceberg floating down the Red River following an ice jam breakup in April. Our goal is to keep the glossary updated with our own terms as well as those submitted by our readers. We surely welcome your feedback about our list and additions to what will become the Glossary of Terms Unique to Winnipeg or Manitoba. We appreciate attributions whenever they are available (in order that credit is given where due), and we also strongly discourage plagiarism. Let’s have some fun developing the glossary to define our shared Winnipeg and Manitoba experiences.

Please submit a comment to this post if you have a term to add. We are currently creating the glossary and will tweet (@winnipego) with a link once it’s up and running!

ALSO: Listen to CBC Manitoba Information Radio this upcoming Monday and Tuesday mornings (May 18 & 19, 2009) around 6:40AM (Central time) in order to hear the WO’MH blogging team in our very first discussions about blogging in Winnipeg and our distinct outlook on moving to this fair city from Vancouver. There is a link to live streaming of the broadcast on the CBC website, and we hope against all odds that our friends at Information Radio will consider podcasting these segments!