Winnipeg is the capital of Manitoba, and one of Canada's largest cities. It is Canada's main grain market and one of the nation's leading centers of culture, finance, and trade. More than half of Manitoba's people live in the city.

Winnipeg lies about 60 miles (97 kilometers) north of the Canadian-United States border and almost midway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Its central location makes the city the chief transportation center linking eastern and western Canada. It is also a principal distribution point for goods traveling west from eastern Canada. It has the nickname Gateway to the West. It was named after Lake Winnipeg, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) to the north. The word Winnipeg comes from the Cree Indian words win-nipi, meaning muddy water.

History

The Assiniboine and Cree Indians lived in what is now the Winnipeg area before the first whites arrived. In 1738, Sieur de La Verendrye, a French-Canadian fur trader, became the first white person to reach what is now Winnipeg. He built Fort Rouge at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine rivers and traded for furs with the Indians.

During the early 1800's, the Winnipeg area became the center of fur-trade rivalry between the North West Company and the Hudson's Bay Company. In 1812, Scottish and Irish farmers set up the area's first permanent settlement along the Red River. The Hudson's Bay Company absorbed its chief rival in 1821. That year, the company enlarged Fort Gibraltar, a post at the site of present-day Winnipeg, and renamed it Fort Garry. It rebuilt the fort in 1835 and called it Upper Fort Garry. A trading post north of Winnipeg was known as Lower Fort Garry. Upper Fort Garry became the center of the Red River settlement.

An E.H. Shepard painting of "Winnie the Pooh" is the only known oil painting of Winnipeg’s famous bear cub. It was purchased at an auction for $285,000 in London, England late in 2000. The painting is displayed in the Pavilion Gallery in Assiniboine Park.

The people

More than 80 percent of Winnipeg's people were born in Canada, and most are of mixed European ancestry. About one-third of the city's people have British ancestors. The next largest ethnic groups are French people, Germans, and Ukrainians. The city also has a large number of Indians and metis (people of mixed Indian and white ancestry).

Culture

Winnipeg is one of the chief cultural centers of Canada. The world-famous Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and the Manitoba Opera Association perform in the Centennial Concert Hall. The hall is part of the Manitoba Centennial Centre, which also includes the Manitoba Theatre Centre, the Museum of Man and Nature, and a planetarium. The Winnipeg Art Gallery attracts many visitors. The city is also home to the Mennonite Heritage Centre and the Ukrainian Museum of Canada.

A public library system operates branches throughout the city. The Winnipeg Centennial Library is the main branch. The city has two daily newspapers, the Winnipeg Free Press and The Winnipeg Sun. About 5 television stations and about 10 radio stations serve Winnipeg, including one French-language television station and one multilanguage radio station.

Winnipeg has about 900 parks, squares, and athletic fields. Assiniboine Park, covering 375 acres (152 hectares), is the largest park. It includes beautiful gardens and a zoo. The Assiniboine Forest, a 692-acre (280-hectare) nature preserve, lies south of the park. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League play their home games in Winnipeg Stadium.

Ross House, western Canada's first post office, is in downtown Winnipeg. It opened in 1855. Lower Fort Garry National Historic Park, north of Winnipeg, has the only stone fur-trading post still standing in North America. The post dates from the 1830's.