It’s hard to get excited about visiting a city that’s referred to as, “Winterpeg” by many of its citizens. And, the negative quips don't end there. Other comments include; “Winnipeg has two seasons, 10 months of winter and two months of mosquitoes.” or “’Winnipeg’ is Cree for muddy waters. The Cree don't have a word for horribly depressing city.” or “Winnipeg is the only city where you can switch from ‘heat’ to A/C and back again, all in one day.” or “In Winnipeg, there are 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction.” or “In Winnipeg, your snow blower will have more miles on it than your car.” Such self-deprecating humour may be a therapeutic way to cope with adverse conditions but, does little to encourage tourism, or so my wife Maureen and I thought when planning a recent trip. Had it not been for a good friend and former resident who extolled the virtues of the ‘Peg, we might have bypassed the city entirely. Instead, we decided stop, take a look and explore. In doing so, we discovered that Winnipeg was a wonderful city with much to offer.
