New(ish) Blog: Going to Winnipeg

I am excited to share another “new to Winnipeg” blog with you! When Jessica Owen was planning her move to Winnipeg, she decided to keep a blog, entitled “Going to Winnipeg“, to document her experiences. Her posts are entertaining, truthful and very well-written… I love ’em! I interviewed Jessica over email a few weeks ago and am happy to share her thoughts on her new city with you here. Be sure to check out her blog. The “Only in Winnipeg” category of posts is especially funny!

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!