Here is a view of the Provencher Bridge and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, the city where I moved in2003.
Winnipeg is the capital of Manitoba in Canada. It was named after nearby Lake Winnipeg, which means "muddy waters" in Cree. Originally a trading centre for Aboriginal Peoples, French traders built a fort there in 1738. The Selkirk settlers of the Red River Colony then turned it into a settlement in 1812. The City of Winnipeg was incorporated in 1873.
Winnipeg is a railway and transportation hub and has a flourishing arts scene. It also hosts numerous cultural festivals, including the Festival du Voyageur, the Winnipeg Folk Festival, the Jazz Winnipeg Festival, the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival, and Folklorama.
This is one of my favorite views of downtown. It's also the typical architecture you will see here.
Now, let me show you a view of Saint Boniface, Winnipeg's French quarter.
To the right, Saint-Boniface Cathedral. Originally a small log chapel (1818), it became a cathedral in 1832. Fire consumed the bulding three decades later, which led to its rebuilding.
The cathedral was dedicated at the turn of the 20th century and subsequently grew into one of the most important ones in Western Canada. Another fire damaged it in 1968, leaving only the facade, sacristy, and walls standing.
The current cathedral is smaller and was built behind the 1906 façade.
This is a view of Downtown Winnipeg. I was standing near the Canadian Museum for Human Rights when I took it.
As you can see, on that afternoon, the weather and light were beautiful. There is a kind of dreamy atmosphere that really makes the photo stand out. It works well in black and white too!
In 2010, a statue of Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled near the upcoming Canadian Museum for Human Rights. It had been designed six years earlier by Ram Vanji Sutar and was a gift from the Indian Government to the Friends of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
In the background, you can see the Esplanade Riel bridge. I will tell you more about it in an upcoming post.
This photo is quite unique in the Winnipeg landscape. As such, it speaks to the incredible diversity of this city.
The Esplanade Riel bridge was opened in 2003. This pedestrian bridge was named in honor of the founder of the province of Manitoba (Louis Riel). It connects Downtown Winnipeg to St. Boniface, the largest French-speaking community in Western Canada; and is paired with a vehicular bridge (Provencher Bridge).
Did you know? It is the only bridge with a restaurant in North America.
Last year, as I was walking along the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, I noticed the reflection in the windows every time cars passed by. A super cool concept for a photo, don't you think?
The color version was nice but did not work as well. I wanted to convey a message of otherworldliness. I like how the side of the building blends with the sky.
