Olivia asked me to say more about my impressions of Winnipeg. Four nights is not enough to get a sense of the place but I'll try. Day one we got there. Day two we went to the folk festival. Day three we went to the Mint. Mac and Sidney have been to both Mints on our journey. It was pretty interesting. well for us it was interesting.
Did you know: Canada makes currency for 70 countries? Did you know that our coins, except the toonie have steel cores (since 2005)?
Then we went to a cool Franco-Manitoban farm/grocery place. I've been fascinated in how bilingualism manifests itself across the country. Here, in Winnipeg, these folks said everything twice - once in english, once in french. Then we walked through tree lined streets to take the kids to the splashpad. We got lost. People were very friendly in helping us. Unlike many cities, everyone knew how to get to where we were going. Unfortunately, we didn't completely believe them. But its a testament to a city when people, even people without kids, can find their way to a wading pool. One that was as multi-racial as the folk festival had been white. We ended the day by making a big ol' bbq at our hostel, and hung out with a young lassie who had come to town for next week's Winnipeg Fringe fest. It seems its festival season!
Day four Mac and Sidney went to the Riel house by transit. I walked downtown to find Mondragon and the anarchist lands I had heard so much about. When I got there, I got kind of shy. I looked at the books, and then went to the second book store to find books that were more affordable. There are amazing second hand bookstores in this city - like North Bay and Halifax. There must be an economic algorhythm that predicts the likelihood of good second hand book stores. This was was crazy chaotic though. I unearthed an edited collection on Class and history, a book on Imperialism in the Victorian Mind and Africa, and a book on African independence movements. I'm thinking that I'm going to learn more about colonialism, economics, the nation state and African history. Just a few things, right? Also I want to learn more about this whole Hudson Bay Company stuff. I realize I zoned it out in high school - now I want to understand how Canadian colonialism had its own particularities.
After I got the books, I returned to Mondragon to order a coffee and read. Unfortunately, after I got my coffee I learned that the place was shutting for the day. So I perched outside on a railing and tried to read. Then I went upstairs to visit the Emma Goldman Centre. It was cool - but being people's office spaces, they wondered if I had questions. But my question was kind of - can I hang out here. And I didn't ask it. When i spend too much time alone, I get awkward. So I wandered the city for a couple of hours. I found reference to the infamous Winnipeg General Strike - Canada's biggest labour conflict, and saw some cool old buildings in the Exchange District. But finally Mac and Sid arrived and we ate some dinner and returned to the hostel.
The verdict. I want to know more. see more in this fair city. next time, winnipeg.
Must be awesome to be able to do this in the summer. All I've ever seen of Winnipeg was the inside of the Greyhound terminal - and this was in January. *shudder!*
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