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SUMMER 2015 $7.95 BEST OF canadiangeographic.ca/travel

MANITOBAUP CLOSE WITH AN ULTIMATE GUIDE BELUGAS TO THE PROVINCE & POLAR BEARS IN CHURCHILL PLAYING IN RIDING MOUNTAIN CHASING NATIONAL MONSTER PARK FISH ON A FLY-IN

EXPLORING THE CANADIAN MUSEUM FOR THE HUMAN RIGHTS SECRETS OF MANITOBA’S SEAT OF POWER THE BEST TREASURE OF WINTER HUNTING FOR in WINNIPEG FASCINATING FOSSILS

THE BEST EATS, FESTS, CULTURE, ARTS, + WATERWAYS, WILDLIFE & MUCH MORE

Cover_May15.indd 1 2015-03-27 2:55 PM 54 Features A tale of two seasons 26 Riddles in stone 54 Churchill is world-renowned for its beluga whales and The number of the beast, sacrifi cial altars and a raging polar bears, and visitors can enjoy wildly different goddess with snakes for hair — what’s not to love about the experiences with the creatures in summer and fall. Manitoba legislature? By Remy Scalza and Michela Rosano By Jake MacDonald with photography by Ruth Bonneville with photography by Remy Scalza and Jessica Finn An oasis on the prairie 60 Remote. Unspoiled. Serene. And the Psst... don’t tell anyone, but Riding Mountain National Park promise of big fi sh. 39 might just be Manitoba’s best-kept secret A taste of Manitoba’s world-class fl y-in fi shing experience By Harry Wilson with photography by Robert Tinker By Shel Zolkewich Meet Bruce 66 Red River monsters 42 ... The world’s largest mosasaur, discovered in what was Chasing the continent’s biggest and best channel catfi sh once an ancient inland sea, where hundreds more like it a stone’s throw from Winnipeg may be buried By Nick Walker with photography by David Lipnowski By Leslie Anthony with photography by Thomas Fricke Winnipeg rules! 44 Magnifi cent Manitoba 72 Three tributes — from an outsider, a former resident and Presenting the winning images of the Canadian Geographic a life-long Winnipegger — to Manitoba’s capital Photo Club’s Click Here Manitoba Photo Contest By Noah Richler, Pay Chen and Jake MacDonald with illustrations by Tara Hardy Let it snow 76 A sampling of the best frosty fun Manitoba has to offer A museum of ideas 48 By Aaron Kylie with photography by Javier Frutos Winnipeg’s Canadian Museum for Human Rights sparks thoughtful refl ection By Harry Wilson On the cover: A 5.5-metre-long male beluga whale swims

near Churchill, Man., by Mike Macri. COVER: MIKE MACRI. THIS SPREAD, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: RUTH BONNEVILLE/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC; JESSICA FINN/CG STAFF; THOMAS FRICKE/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC

2 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

Contents_May15.indd 2 2015-03-27 2:04 PM COVER: MIKE MACRI. THIS SPREAD, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: RUTH BONNEVILLE/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC; JESSICA FINN/CG STAFF; THOMAS FRICKE/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC Contents_May15.indd 3 Departments

By CanadianGeographicTravelstaff A selectionofManitoba’scan’t-missfoodexperiences TenBest 82 By NickWalker aerospace facilityforcold-weathertestinginThompson rich innorthernheritageandlearnabouttheworld’slargest Embark onafly-in fi shing adventure,trekawolf-themedpath OneCity 22 waterways andwildlife Family fun,furtrade,FirstNations,diversity,culture,festivals, Gateway 7 By AaronKylie Secrets ofManitoba NoteBook 4 of othercountrieseveryday? 20 millionplatedcoinsforcirculation inCanadaanddozens know theRoyalCanadianMintin Winnipegproducesupto about Manitobainboxeslikethis.Forinstance,didyou Throughout thisissueyou’llfi nd curioustidbitsandtrivia MANITOBA FACTS AAINGORPI RVL CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL CONTENTS 2015-03-27 2:04 PM 26 66 3 NOTE B OOK

chief executive offi cer John G. Geiger chief operating offi cer and publisher Gilles Gagnier chief development offi cer André Préfontaine editor Aaron Kylie director, production Mike Elston new media manager Paul Politis senior editor Harry Wilson managing editor Nick Walker associate editor Michela Rosano new media editor Sabrina Doyle social media editor Carys Mills project editor Karan Smith art director Javier Frutos photo editor Jessica Finn graphic designers Jenny Chew, Ksenia Nigmanova (on leave) production coordinator Kendra Stieler cartographer Chris Brackley copy editor Stephanie Small proofreader Judy Yelon colour technician Glenn Campbell editorial interns Breanna Adams, Calvin Dao design intern Alissa Dicaire circulation manager Nathalie Cuerrier newsstand consultant Scott Bullock vice-president, fi nance and administration Catherine Frame senior accountant Christine Chatland accounting assistant Kim Mulloy executive assistant to the publisher Sandra Smith receptionist/offi ce coordinator Diane Séguin logistics coordinator Emma Viel Secrets of Manitoba project coordinator Rachel Jobson advertising sales vice-president, advertising sales Pamela MacKinnon MANITOBA SURPRISES ME. I suspect it nationally acclaimed deer + almond restau- Phone (416) 360-4151 ext. 378 email: [email protected] will surprise you, too, even if you live there, rant, combined to create the RAW: almond senior national accounts manager Valerie Hall Daigle or have lived there. While the province is project to celebrate food, art, architecture Phone (416) 360-4151 ext. 380 well known for its polar bears (Churchill is and the tenacity of Manitobans. (What bet- email: [email protected] adventures/classifi ed Lisa Duncan Brown Mconsidered the planet’s polar bear capital), ter way to do so than to break bread on a Phone (905) 702-0899 or toll-free (888) 445-0052 world-class fly-in fishing and winter frozen river in the heart of winter?) Fax (905) 702-0887 email: [email protected] weather (a blessing or a curse, depending Hitzer’s deer + almond is likewise dedi- 236 Lesmill Road, North York, ON M3B 2T5 Phone (416) 360-4151; fax (416) 360-1526 on your outlook), it’s also home to a wide cated to celebrating food, and its menu is Canadian Geographic Travel is published by Canadian Geographic range of under-the-radar travel adventures. partly inspired by the province. The sump- Enterprises on behalf of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society. We’ve dedicated this issue to exploring that tuous, home-cooking-style dinner offer- Subscriptions are $28.50 per year ($55.00 for two years or $79.50 for three years), plus applicable taxes. For addresses in the United States, spectrum. It’s the province’s hidden gems, ings, for example, include grilled pork with add $8 per year. For other international addresses, add $30 per year. however, that really show how dynamic basmati, lentils and yogurt, and Manitoba Subscriptions and all customer service inquiries: Canadian Geographic c/o CDS Global Manitoba is. pickerel with Hungarian sausage, green PO Box 923, Markham Station Main, Markham, ON L3P 0B8 Take Winnipeg’s burgeoning restaurant cabbage and lemon. It’s one of a number Toll-free (800) 267-0824; fax (905) 946-1679 Hours: Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-8 p.m. (EST); Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (EST) scene. Locals are likely familiar with Raw: of Winnipeg restaurants that put the city Editorial Offi ce almond (above), the temporary restaurant of around 700,000 on the national foodie 1155 Lola Street, Suite 200, Ottawa, ON K1K 4C1 Phone (613) 745-4629; fax (613) 744-0947 built in the city’s core on the ice at the map, perhaps somewhat unexpectedly. Website: canadiangeographic.ca Forks (the junction of the Red and There are many similar hot spots, each ISSN 0706-2168. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored Assiniboine rivers), which is sold out of which is relatively unknown outside the in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the publisher or a licence from The Canadian nightly for its near three-week run between province, from Winnipeg’s new Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). For an Access Copyright January and February. But how many out- Museum for Human Rights (see page 48), licence, visit accesscopyright.ca or call toll-free (800) 893-5777. Return undeliverable items to Canadian Geographic, P.O. Box 923, siders know that the city’s top chefs unite to the occult secrets of Manitoba’s legisla- Stn. Main, Markham, ON L3P 0B8 with counterparts from around the world tive building (see page 54) to the world- Date of issue: May 2015 Copyright ©2015. All rights reserved. We acknowledge the fi nancial support of the Government of Canada to host evenings, on a rotating basis, at the record-holding Canadian Fossil Discovery through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. stunning restaurant, which was designed Centre (see page 66) in Morden. Member: Alliance for Audited Media, Magazines Canada, Canadian Marketing by U.K.-based architects OS31? So read on. I’m certain there are Association, Print Measurement Bureau Manitoban architect Joe Kalturnyk, the amazing Manitoba experiences in this Canadian Geographic and design are registered trademarks. ® Marque déposée. founding director of Winnipeg’s RAW: issue that will surprise you — and that Gallery of Architecture and Design, and you won’t want to miss.

JACQUELINE YOUNG Mandel Hitzer, the chef-owner of the city’s Aaron Kylie

4 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

Notebook+CGMH_May15.indd 4 2015-03-26 1:42 PM The Royal Canadian Geographical Society Founded in 1929, the Society is a non-profit educational organization. Its object is to advance geographical knowl edge and, in particular, to stimulate awareness of the significance of geography in Canada’s development, well-being and culture. Primary fields of interest include our people, resources, environment, heritage and the evolution of our country. In short, the aim is to canadiangeographic.ca make Canada better known to Canadians and to the world. Canadian Geographic, the Society’s magazine, is dedicated to reporting on all aspects of Canada’s geography — physical, biological, historical, cultural and economic — and on major issues of concern to Canada in which geographical dimensions play a significant role.

patron His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D. Governor General of Canada president Paul Ruest, Winnipeg vice-presidents Gavin Fitch, Calgary Élisabeth Nadeau, Ottawa secretary Jim Lewis, Winnipeg Bear necessities treasurer Not everyone can visit Churchill to see polar bears in the wild. Luckily, the Keith Exelby, Ottawa Assiniboine Park Zoo has a family-friendly alternative. Watch the bears arrive counsel Andrew Pritchard, Ottawa at the zoo’s International Polar Bear Conservation Centre for the first time. governors mag.cangeo.ca/may15/bear James Boxall, Halifax Wendy Cecil, Toronto Allen B. Clarke, Toronto Ballet legacy Beth Dye, Kamloops, B.C. As its 75th anniversary season draws to a close, get a glimpse of what it’s Joseph Frey, Toronto Alison Gill, Burnaby, B.C. like to work for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the country’s oldest and most Brian Hodgson, Edmonton venerable company of dancers. David Mitchell, Ottawa Jim Murray, Montreal mag.cangeo.ca/may15/ballet Robert Page, Calgary Paul VanZant, Amaranth, Ont. Connie Wyatt Anderson, The Pas, Man. Reeling ’em in honourary vice-presidents Watch video footage of Nick Walker, Canadian Geographic Travel’s managing Pierre Camu, O.C., Ottawa editor, hitting the Red River in search of its famously massive channel catfish. Arthur E. Collin, Ottawa Alex Davidson, O.C., Ottawa mag.cangeo.ca/may15/catfish Gisèle Jacob, Gatineau, Que. Denis A. St-Onge, O.C., Ottawa chief executive officer John G. Geiger Churchill photo tour chief operating officer and publisher Gilles Gagnier Take a walk with photo editor Jessica Finn and associate editor Michela chief development officer André Préfontaine Rosano as they explore the town of Churchill during polar bear season. executive assistant to the ceo Sandra Smith mag.cangeo.ca/may15/churchill director, strategic partnerships Mary Jane Starr director of advancement Jason Muscant communications manager Deborah Chapman archivist Wendy Simpson-Lewis

Canadian Geographic Education education program manager Ellen Curtis Your privacy is important to us. Occasionally, we make education program coordinator Sara Black our subscriber list available to reputable companies whose products or services might be of interest to our readers. If you prefer to have your name removed from this list or wish to receive our complete privacy policy, please call (800) 267-0824 1155 Lola Street, Suite 200, Ottawa, ON K1K 4C1 or write us at Canadian Geographic Travel, c/o Privacy Officer, Phone: (613) 745-4629 1155 Lola Street, Suite 200, Ottawa, ON K1K 4C1 or Email: [email protected] Website: rcgs.org [email protected]. COURTESY ASSINIBOINE PARK CONSERVANCY

May 2015 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 5

OnlineTOC+RCGSMH_May15.indd 5 2015-03-27 3:03 PM Silence surrounds you. It’s only interrupted by the calls from far o loons and the splashing of your lure. You’ve found your escape in this remote wilderness. In an instant, the exhilaration of a sudden challenge strikes, giving you the most work you’ll do all week.

Travel ManitobaCDN - Fishing.indd GEO Magazine 6 2015 Full Page Colour Ad - 7.75 x 10.875 (FISHING) | Travel Manitoba 20152015-03-27 4:59 PM GATE AY

FAMILY WHAT IN THE WORLD, I think to Bears both wild and imaginary can myself, would George Champion make of be seen at Assiniboine Park, this? I’m standing in front of a four- whether in the zoo (above) or in the A park for metre-high by nearly 6.5-metre-wide wall Pavilion Gallery Museum (below). of crystal-clear acrylic, waiting for one or more of Assiniboine Park Zoo’s seven 19 different species; today there are the ages polar bears to plunge into a pool fi lled more than 1,500 specimens representing with 530,000 litres of saltwater, swim up close to 200 different species) and the to me and paw at the mere 15 centime- 445-hectare park of carefully, sensitively BY HARRY WILSON tres of polymer that separates its claws developed prairie and woodland in which

TOP TO BOTTOM: KEN GILLESPIE/ALL CANADA PHOTOS; HARRY WILSON/CG STAFF from my goggle-eyed face. it sits, it’s not unreasonable to guess that Like I do — heck, like almost every- Champion would conclude, as he did in one who visits Gateway to the Arctic, this 1911, that the park was still “the favourite hugely impressive part of the zoo’s year- resort of the wearied citizen.” old Journey to Churchill exhibit — I bet After all, like all great urban green Champion, the man who as Winnipeg’s spaces — and yes, Assiniboine Park superintendent of parks from 1907 to deserves to stand with the likes of 1935 oversaw the now 111-year-old Vancouver’s Stanley Park and Montreal’s park’s development, would have a hard Mount Royal Park — a public park has to time walking away. His mind might offer you more than the welcome shade have been permanently boggled had he cast by its trees and the tickle of its lush been able to stroll the Sea Ice Passage, a grass on your neck. Assiniboine Park does more than 10-metre-long transparent so, and in spades. Here’s a rundown of tunnel that runs along the bottom of the some of the best the park has to offer. pool and affords equally spectacular views of the bears. Journey to Churchill It may not be as big Still, were he given time to acclimatize as Toronto’s or Calgary’s zoo, but with to the rest of the 21st-century version of the 2014 addition of the aforementioned the zoo (in 1909, it held 116 animals of Journey to Churchill exhibit, the

CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 7

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Assiniboine Park Zoo punches well the latter’s free-form, idealized view of Summer sunlight washes over the above its weight. Billed as the “most nature. The Leo Mol Sculpture Garden, Lyric Theatre and the adjacent Pavilion comprehensive northern species exhibit meanwhile, pays tribute to the works of Gallery Museum as people wait for a of its kind in the world,” the four-hectare its namesake, a renowned Ukrainian- performance to begin (above). space is designed to mimic the tundra Canadian sculptor. Many of Mol’s landscape surrounding Canada’s polar bronzes are dotted around the verdant, bear capital, right down to the willows, well-shaded garden — an ideal spot to collection of Winnie the Pooh art and shrubs, wildflowers and grasses that will while away the afternoon with a book or memorabilia, including Winnie the Pooh be allowed to grow and evolve naturally, your own thoughts. and the Honey Pot, the only known oil not to mention the polar bears them- painting of the famous bear by Ernest H. selves, plus muskox, caribou, Arctic Summer entertainment Summer’s the Shepard, the original illustrator of foxes, snowy owls, wolves and ringed perfect time to catch the wide variety of A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh books. The seals. The exhibit also includes the entertainment that’s staged in the park, beloved bumbling bruin’s familiar mug is Aurora Borealis Theatre (where the short either at the rather grand open-air Lyric sure to raise a smile on everyone’s face, film Rhythms of the North plays on a Theatre — think Royal Winnipeg Ballet and there’s something particularly touch- 360-degree screen), the International performances, films such as The Hunger ing about seeing so much of his history in Polar Bear Conservation Centre and Games and Frozen, and various acts from the city for which he was named. Churchill Coast, a life-size diorama that Winnipeg’s many music festivals — or in resembles the town of Churchill, com- the Leo Mol Sculpture Garden, which Nature playground Good luck tearing your plete with a Bell 206B helicopter (an regularly hosts jazz performances. young kids away from this fantastic con- essential craft in the North), an inukshuk, glomeration of fun. Rubber mountains, a a CN Rail boxcar and a polar-bear trap. Art in the park The Pavilion Gallery giant robin’s nest, willow-tree tunnels, net Museum, in one form or another, has bridges, topiary frog musicians and a Gardens With no fewer than seven gar- been a mainstay in the park since 1908, Snakes and Ladders-inspired garden are dens, the park is an ideal place to seek when the first version was built. Destroyed just a few of the features that will have kids’ inspiration for your horticultural ambi- by fire in 1929, rebuilt by 1930 and imaginations firing on all cylinders. tions, marvel at sculpture or simply restored in 1998, it’s now home to an engage in some quiet contemplation. impressive collection of works by Watch videos of Assiniboine Park Zoo’s The formal and English gardens, for Manitoba artists Ivan Eyre, Clarence polar bears swimming and arriving for the instance, are classic examples of their Tillenius and Walter J. Phillips, and also first time at the facility’s state-of-the-art kind, with the former’s precise geometry features regular exhibitions. Of particular International Polar Bear Conservation Cen-

and symmetry as appealing to the eye as note is the museum’s superb permanent tre at mag.cangeo.ca/may15/polarbear. THIS SPREAD, LEFT: COURTESY ASSINIBOINE PARK CONSERVANCY; RIGHT: PARKS CANADA

8 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

Gateway-Family+FurTrade+FirstNations_May15.indd 8 2015-03-31 9:51 AM HISTORY Forts and furs

THIS COULD EASILY BE an overcast hard as the Canadian Shield they traversed, The grounds and 19th-century stone afternoon in August 1832. Inside the came to southern Manitoba from York buildings of Lower Fort Garry (above), limestone walls of Lower Fort Garry, 30 Factory and Prince of Wales Fort on which was a key conduit for the fur trade kilometres north of Winnipeg on the Red Hudson Bay, others from the Prairies or in Western Canada in the 1800s. River’s west bank, there aren’t many farther still. modern reference points beside visitors’ Exploring the spectacularly restored Hudson’s Bay Company’s main western vehicles back in the lot and our cameras post — the largest collection of original hub after 1835 (the lower fort’s position, a and jeans. We’re anachronisms. 19th-century stone buildings in the coun- paddle and portage downstream, had The lower fort is one of two Hudson’s try — we see river-ready York boats, which proved less ideal than The Forks, and it Bay Company bastions that ruled the river carried three tonnes of cargo at a time, and became a supplementary, though still cru- in the 1800s, the other being Upper Fort watch iron implements hiss as they’re cial post). The upper fort is now an artistic, Garry (near The Forks, now surrounded dunked by a blacksmith. We also learn that symbolism-rich provincial heritage park, by downtown Winnipeg). Together they Simpson was a fur-trade era Don Juan: to and of the original post, only Upper Fort marked the crossroads of trade and trans- his brood of fi ve with his wife, Frances, add Garry Gate, the north entrance, remains. port — and were the early military and at least fi ve illegitimate children. It’s almost meditative, and there’s no political core — for the entire western His home, the Big House, is as old- shortage of history to dwell on. Fur trade interior of British North America. I’ve country-elegant as one would expect of the flourished here for decades longer; come to see how the fur trade started it all. most powerful administrator in the West. European settlers, French Canadians, At the invitation of Parks Canada inter- Yet the soul of the place is the fur loft above Métis of the Red River colony and First preters, I tie around my waist the red sash the store. The large, dim room smells of Nations met and did business, mingled of the Métis voyageur, cornerstone of the lumber and pelts — the all-important and sometimes clashed. A new era began Hudson’s Bay Company. But my poor beaver, wolf, wolverine and other species when control of Rupert’s Land was trans- impersonation is soon outshone by a con- hang layered against the walls; bear and ferred to the young Government of vincing George Simpson (played by a bison skins are piled against posts and Canada in 1870, while a Métis uprising, Parks staffer), capable governor of the corners. Running my hands through all the Red River Rebellion led by Louis Riel, company’s Northern Department from these hairs and bristles, it occurs that I’m gave birth to the Province of Manitoba. 1822 to his death in 1860. From here he touching hides representing more than a —Nick Walker administrated Rupert’s Land, a fur-trade third of Canada’s wilderness. district larger than Europe that reached Simpson did his governing from the Read about Upper Fort Garry’s reinvention from Hudson Bay’s east coast to the Pacifi c comfort of Lachine, near Montreal, after as an ultra-modern interpretive heritage (down to Oregon), and across huge tracts 1833. As for me, I can’t resist a stop in park, complete with a 120-metre steel

THIS SPREAD, LEFT: COURTESY ASSINIBOINE PARK CONSERVANCY; RIGHT: PARKS CANADA of the northwest. Far-roaming fur traders, Winnipeg at Upper Fort Garry, the “smart” wall, at mag.cangeo.ca/may15/fort.

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Gateway-Family+FurTrade+FirstNations_May15.indd 9 2015-03-31 9:51 AM GATEW AY 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 FIRST NATIONS AND MÉTIS 8 9 A storied heritage 10 11 12 FEEL THE DRUMBEAT at the country’s sculptural arcs that pinpoint 13 largest powwow. Order a slice of bannock various constellations and fea- 14 pizza. Just let yourself breathe at a sacred turing a ceremonial fire pit in 15 site. There are many paths into another’s the centre, it’s a place to relax 16 culture, and Manitoba’s First Nations and or, if you’re lucky, catch sight 17 Métis communities welcome travellers to of a dancer at one of the many 18 experience their rich heritage and culture events held there. 19 in many ways, including the five here. 20 Special events Winnipeg 21 Neechi Commons “Food is how we hosts a number of celebrations 22 gather,” says Frank Parkes, the [now for- where art, music and dance 23 mer] general manager of Neechi converge. Aboriginal Day Live 24 Commons, an aboriginal-focused grocery & Celebration (June 20) gath- 25 store in Winnipeg’s North End. “Food is ers performers and artists at 26 how we connect.” He’s sitting in the The Forks to mark Canada’s 27 bright, art-filled space of the co-op’s rest- National Aboriginal Day. Aboriginal Raleigh Flett, a member of the Peguis First 28 aurant in front of a plate of lightly bat- Music Week (Aug. 18-22), meanwhile, Nation, in traditional dress of the kind seen 29 tered pickerel on a crunchy bed of wild brings together the diversity of indige- at the International Competition Powwow. 30 rice. Outside there are pawnshops and nous artists from hip hop to country 31 boarded-up stores; the area suffers from music. And the Manito Ahbee Festival coordinator. “It’s a call to everybody. 32 high unemployment and poverty, and the includes a two-day powwow (see below), Everybody can relate. Music is a univer- 33 nearest grocery store was once kilometres but also a trade show, traditional food sal language.” 34 away. But inside is the smell of warm and a youth gathering. The festival cul- 35 bread from the bannock bakery below and minates with the Indigenous Music Traditional sacred sites In Whiteshell 36 a curated art shop across the way with Awards (Sept. 11). Broadcast live, it fea- Provincial Park, about two hours east of 37 carvings, star blankets and jewelry drawn tures the industry’s rising stars, and in Winnipeg, near Nutimik Lake, on the 38 from the community. Neechi means the past has included Winnipeg Boyz, smooth surface of tablerock, the shape 39 friend (or brother or sister) in Cree and Inez Jasper and Shy-Anne. of a turtle is laid out in stone. This place, 40 Ojibwa, and it is just that: providing fresh known as Bannock Point, also features 41 produce and staples to the North End, International Competition Powwow other ancient petroforms — snake, 42 and creating a way for travellers to share During the summer, many communi- human and abstract patterns — and is a 43 at the table. neechi.ca ties gather to celebrate through dance, sacred site for First Nation people who 44 but the biggest of them all is the two-day call it Manito Ahbee, which means 45 The Forks The Forks in downtown International Competition Powwow “where the creator sits.” (Guided tours 46 Winnipeg has been an aboriginal meet- during the Manito Ahbee Festival are available in the summer.) Other 47 ing place for thousands of years. So it’s (Sept. 9-13). It’s a spectacular spectacle sacred sites include Thunderbird 48 fitting that this top city attraction inte- where 1,000 dancers, from children to Nest, about two hours north of Winnipeg 49 grates First Nations culture — both in elders, compete in the country’s largest near Lake Manitoba Narrows. The site, 50 celebration and remembrance — powwow through traditional dancing, a circle of stones in a small clearing, was 51 among its walking trails, playgrounds hoop dancing, jigging and hand-drum constructed by the Anishinabe long ago 52 and shops. The Canadian Museum for singing. But behind the eagle feathers to attract this powerful guardian spirit, 53 Human Rights (also see “A museum and bright regalia is the heartbeat of and is still used today for a host of spiri- 54 of ideas,” page 48) shares the story the dance — the beat of the hide tual ceremonies. 55 of indigenous rights. The Oodena drum. “That’s the first sound you hear —Karan Smith 56 Celebration Circle, meanwhile, is a in your mother’s womb and that’s 57 striking amphitheatre honouring a long what the drum represents,” says Janell Learn how to make bannock the traditional

58 history of spirituality. Surrounded by Melenchuk, Manito Ahbee’s gala way at mag.cangeo.ca/may15/recipe. DAVID LIPNOWSKI

10 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

Gateway-Family+FurTrade+FirstNations_May15.indd 10 2015-03-31 9:51 AM Come experience the Canadian Museum for Human Rights

A visit to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg offers a memorable and meaningful experience for friends and family.

Take a guided tour. Be inspired by stories shared in the galleries. Shop with conscience and confi dence in the Museum Boutique.

Join us for a human rights journey in Canada’s new national museum.

85 Israel Asper Way Winnipeg, Manitoba

humanrights.ca

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PERFORMING ARTS Stage stars

CANADA’S OLDEST ballet company and its longest-running outdoor theatre com- pany can be found in Manitoba, but the province’s performing arts scene goes much deeper still. You can also check out non-traditional takes on Shakespeare, French-language theatre and opera, all of which and more are listed below, along Actors with Rainbow Stage, Canada’s with praise from Twitter ( ) users. longest continually running outdoor —Carys Mills theatre company, perform Mary Poppins.

Royal Winnipeg Ballet Canada’s oldest ballet company and the of St. Boniface, is Canada’s oldest per- @JanelleHoos says Loved longest continuously operating ballet manent theatre company with uninter- @ManitobaOpera performance of company in North America. rupted programming. #Fidelio last night! Great set; great Fact The federal government desig- @PascalDGautron says Léo [a 2014 costumes; great cast! nated the ballet as a “national historic show] was off the wall @CercleMoliere. event” in December 2014. Rainbow Stage @MichCalderwood says Thanks Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre Canada’s longest continually @RWBallet for #RWBGOING- Established in 1958, MTC is Canada’s running outdoor theatre company. HOMESTAR! Fantastic music, captivat- oldest English-language regional theatre. Fact The idea for Rainbow Stage ing symbolism and illuminating the Fact The centre presents more than began after the Second World War, important issue of residential schools. 250 performances each year for when the Winnipeg Musicians’ 150,000-plus attendees. Association organized performances Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra @danicadaisy says Back to see in parks during the summer. The WSO, which performs for more Cabaret for the second time this week at Construction began in 1951. than 100,000 people annually, puts on @MTCwinnipeg ... Yup, it’s that fantas- @linseycallaghan says Saw my fi rst shows that include classical master- tic! Such a great show! production at @rainbowstage last night. works, pops, family concerts and a new Magical! Thank you for an incredible music festival. Prairie Theatre Exchange closing night of The Little Mermaid. Fact The orchestra’s fi rst concert, for PTE produces works with a focus on an audience of 3,000, was performed in Manitoban and Canadian artists. Shakespeare in the Ruins 1948. In 1954, CBC started broadcast- Fact This company’s humble begin- This troupe presents contemporary ing parts of the concerts. nings go back to a rundown building plays and old plays in new ways, @JenicaWoitowicz says Went to the on Princess Street in 1972. usually in non-traditional settings. @WpgSymphony last night with Luke @Saganlives says So much Fact The company began in 1993, to see @EmilyBear Music ... Man, how fun seeing Munsch Upon a Time at when some of the original founders are humans so talented? Crazy stuff. @PrairieTheatre this afternoon! The put on an impromptu version of Romeo girls loved it. <3 #Munsch and Juliet in the ruins of a monastery. Le Cercle Molière @CarsonNattrass says Incredible This theatre company promotes Manitoba Opera indoor production of Comedy of French-language theatre and dramatic Manitoba’s only full-time professional Errors @SIR_Winnipeg yesterday. arts in Manitoba. Subtitle devices are opera company also performs in Loved the show. Congrats on your available for some performances. northwestern Ontario, Saskatchewan run. #Winnipeg Fact Le Cercle Molière, founded in and the Dakotas. 1925 by drama enthusiasts wanting to Fact The Manitoba Opera produces Get an inside look at life in the Royal Winni-

promote the francophone community two full-scale productions each year. peg Ballet at mag.cangeo.ca/may15/ballet. ROBERT TINKER

12 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

Gateway-Culture+Festivals_May15.indd 12 2015-03-31 11:03 AM CDEM.indd 13 2015-03-27 4:59 PM GATEW AY

FESTIVALS Party on!

MANITOBANS HAVE a proven track record when it comes to throwing festi- vals. Take Islendingadagurinn, the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba in Gimli, now in its 126th year. Or the Northern A gymnast performs with Manitoba Trappers’ Festival, which hula hoops at the Winnipeg began in 1916. Younger gatherings, such Fringe Theatre Festival. as Dauphin’s Countryfest (fi rst held in 1990), make up for shorter histories with star performers and huge crowds. Here’s a rundown of Manitoba’s best fests, Where Winnipeg When Aug. 2-15, 2015 along with praise from Twitter ( ) users. @jonessodafan says So sad fringe is Where Winnipeg —C.M. over — 14 shows, tons of laughs, can’t @monamayfair628 says wait till next year! #wpgfringe #bittersweet @Folklorama gives us all a chance Dauphin’s Countryfest to learn a little bit about each other, Canada’s longest-running country Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival remember who we are, eat some great music festival, which started in 1990, Celebrating its 50th anniversary this food and come together. Thank you. has attracted performers such as summer, this fest lets crowds decorate Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Ukrainian Easter eggs, try wheat weav- The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair Rascal Flatts. ing, eat traditional cuisine, see a parade One of Western Canada’s largest agri- When June 25-28, 2015 with traditional dancers and more. cultural events combines show jumping, Where Dauphin When July 31-Aug. 2, 2015 heavy horse competitions, livestock @BennyGX94Sports says Thanks Where Dauphin sales, agricultural exhibits, live entertain- @Country_Fest for once again a @Kristenfudd says Festival time ment and more. The fair received royal killer time! Let’s do it all again, again! Excited for food, dancing and patronage from Queen Elizabeth II same time, same place, different good times. #cnuf #ukrainiandance in 1970. weather next year? When Annually in late March/early April Icelandic Festival of Manitoba Where Brandon Winnipeg Folk Festival (Islendingadagurinn) @MBLonnieP says #RMWF day 1. This annual outdoor folk festival, now Manitoba’s Icelandic festival Watching horse jumping from the view- a four-day event, has been held since brings together the Nordic island ing lounge. Looking forward to the Winnipeg’s 100th anniversary in 1974. nation’s food, music, a parade barrel racing. When July 9-12, 2015 and a Viking village. Where Birds Hill Provincial Park When July 31-Aug. 3, 2015 Festival du Voyageur (north of Winnipeg) Where Gimli A French-Canadian winter festival (see @heather_goossen says Amazing @pamelaroz says A day spent more on page 79) that includes histori- time at folk fest. Met some awesome in Gimli is a day well spent. What cal interpretation, music, traditional singers and heard some of the a pretty place. One of the best! food, snow sculptures and shows. most amazing music. Until next Thanks @Icelandicfest! When Feb. 12-21, 2016 year @Winnipegfolk Where St. Boniface, Winnipeg Folklorama @drewbie_g says What a GREAT Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival This two-week event, which began night tonight! Thank you Winnipeg A festival that has hosted a mix of in 1970, is the world’s largest and for great food, beverages, people and independent theatre in Winnipeg longest-running multicultural festival awesome outdoor festivals! #HeHo since 1988, including 170 companies of its kind, says the International from across Canada and the world. Council of Organizations of Folklore See photos of the Festival du Voyageur at

When July 15-26, 2015 Festivals and Folk Arts. mag.cangeo.ca/may15/festival. JESSICA FINN

14 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

Gateway-Culture+Festivals_May15.indd 14 2015-03-31 11:03 AM Calm Air.indd 15 2015-03-27 4:59 PM GATEW AY

DIVERSITY Manitoba mosaic

GENERATIONS OF IMMIGRATION have made Manitoba a diverse province with a population that speaks more than 100 languages. From aboriginal communities to long-standing Ukrainian settlements and a recent wave of Filipino immigrants, residents and visitors alike can take in a range of traditions, his- A member of Winnipeg’s tory, architecture and cuisine across the province. Of course, this Filipino community performs is not a complete list of the cultural backgrounds that constitute a traditional singkil dance. Manitoba, but it showcases the most famous examples.

UKRAINIAN: DAUPHIN and Thanksgiving. The Filipino community is Winnipeg’s Known for the summertime National Ukrainian Festival, largest visible minority group, with a population that now Dauphin is also home to Canada’s oldest standing Ukrainian stands at nearly 57,000. Catholic church, constructed in 1898. Dauphin’s Ukrainian Heritage Village museum depicts settlement of the surrounding MÉTIS: WINNIPEG Prairies from 1896, and the city still has strong ties to the old Winnipeg has the highest Métis population of any Canadian country. In the 2011 National Household Survey, 38 per cent of metropolitan area. Of course, the city’s St. Boniface community Dauphin’s population reported Ukrainian ethnicity. is the birthplace (and burial place) of Louis Riel, the Métis leader regarded as the “Father of Manitoba.” Le Musée de RUSSIAN MENNONITE: STEINBACH St. Boniface Museum, originally a Grey Nuns’ convent, houses In 1874, land was scarce in southern Russia (now Ukraine) and collections documenting French-Canadian and Métis history there were government threats to discontinue Mennonite mili- in Western Canada. tary exemption, so 18 Mennonite families left their homes and sailed for Canada. After coming to shore where the Red and FRANCOPHONE: ST. BONIFACE, WINNIPEG Rat rivers meet (today’s Mennonite Memorial Landing Site), Manitoba has 17 municipalities recognized as officially the families travelled east on foot to what’s now Steinbach, a French-English bilingual. Over time, these communities city of about 14,000. Visitors can go to the Mennonite Heritage have gone from almost exclusively francophone to Village on the north side of the city to learn about this long welcoming anglophone newcomers. More than half of the migration and settlement. province’s francophones live in Winnipeg, in the city’s predominantly French communities of St. Boniface, St. Vital ICELANDIC: GIMLI and St. Norbert — all home to historical architecture, parks, The Canadian government granted land along Lake Winnipeg boutiques and markets. to Icelandic settlers in 1875. The area was even known as “New Iceland” before it was divided into townships, one of ABORIGINAL: WINNIPEG AND GILLAM which became Gimli. While immigrants from other nations To celebrate indigenous culture and heritage, the Manito also made Gimli their home, Icelandic was still the area’s Ahbee International Powwow will be held in the late summer third-most frequently reported ethnic origin in the 2011 in Winnipeg (see page 10). Similar events take place elsewhere National Household Survey. The Icelandic Festival of in the province, which is home to 63 First Nations, second only Manitoba is held here each summer, and visitors can tour the to Ontario in terms of total on-reserve population and First town’s New Iceland Heritage Museum and the Icelandic Nations population. Last summer, for example, the Fox Lake Pioneer Cemetery any time. Cree Nation in Gillam held its fi rst annual cultural festival, welcoming everyone to the free event, which included a tradi- FILIPINO: WINNIPEG tional outdoor powwow, cultural workshops and special per- The Manitoba Filipino Street Festival has been held each formances by the Aboriginal School of Dance. summer since 2012, bringing a colourful parade, traditional —Carys Mills dancing and Filipino cuisine to Winnipeg. Organizers aim to replicate summertime festivities in provinces in the See a photo essay showcasing Manitoba’s great diversity and the

Philippines, where street festivals celebrate a good harvest communities celebrated here at mag.cangeo.ca/may15/diversity. THIS SPREAD: RON CANTIVEROS/FILIPINO JOURNAL; MAP: CHRIS BRACKLEY/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC

16 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

Gateway-Diversity+Wildlife+Waterways_May15.indd 16 2015-03-31 10:19 AM MANITOBA FACT

In 1916, Manitoba became the fi rst province in Canada to grant women the right to vote. Women’s suffrage had fi rst been proposed in the province in the 1870s (by the Icelandic community) and the fi ght was eventually taken up by a team of women that included Dr. Mary Crawford and Nellie McClung.

7

1. UKRAINIAN

2. RUSSIAN MENNONITE

3. ICELANDIC

4. FILIPINO

5. MÉTIS

6. FRANCOPHONE

7. ABORIGINAL

1 3

4 5 6 7 THIS SPREAD: RON CANTIVEROS/FILIPINO JOURNAL; MAP: CHRIS BRACKLEY/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC 2

CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 17

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WILDLIFE The wild side

MANITOBA IS TEEMING WITH WILDLIFE, and there are A red-sided garter snake ample opportunities to observe its star species in their natural slithers through the grass habitat in the province’s many parks and wildlife management at the Narcisse snake pits. areas. Here are just a few.

POLAR BEARS SALAMANDERS The title “Polar Bear Capital of the World” belongs to none In its southernmost reaches, Manitoba is home to four kinds other than Churchill (also see “A tale of two seasons,” page 26). of salamanders. Three terrestrial species — blue-spotted, east- Located directly along the path of migrating polar bears from ern tiger and barred tiger salamanders (13, 33 and 33 centime- the Western Hudson Bay subpopulation, the small town is also tres, respectively) — can be found near wetlands, moist less than 50 kilometres from the world’s largest-known polar grassland and woodland areas beneath rocks and organic bear maternity denning site, in Wapusk National Park. That debris. The largest, however, is the mudpuppy (up to 50 centi- makes this the most accessible polar bear population on the metres), a wholly aquatic species that prefers rock-bottom lakes, planet. The best time to go is October through November. ponds and rivers. All are nocturnal, and can be seen in and around ponds from March to April. Be on the lookout for “mass BELUGA WHALES emergences” of tiger salamanders (major exoduses from The estuaries of western Hudson Bay are important calving and ponds) from late August to early September. feeding grounds for one of the largest beluga populations in the world (estimated at 57,000 animals). From mid-June to August, NORTHERN PRAIRIE SKINKS some 3,000 of those belugas visit Manitoba’s Churchill and Seal Manitoba’s only lizard is found in sparse grassland areas of rivers. That results in an unparalleled whale-watching opportunity: sandy soil, but is endangered because of habitat loss. The get close in kayaks or slip on a dry suit and snorkel and go belly to main population is found in the small Assiniboine Delta belly with the belugas in the water. Keep your ears open — the region (also known as the Carberry Desert or Spirit Sands), white whale has earned the nickname “canary of the sea.” completely isolated from other known populations in the United States. WOLVES Though they’re often diffi cult to fi nd, the grey (or timber) wolf BIRDS can be seen throughout boreal and tundra regions of the prov- Manitoba is chock full of birding hot spots year-round, with ince, and segregated populations extend into agricultural plenty of options near Winnipeg. Participate in migratory bird areas. Interpretive programs are available in Whiteshell banding or a warbler workshop at Oak Hammock Marsh (May), Provincial Park and Riding Mountain National Park, where observe waterfowl and songbirds at Delta Marsh (designated a visitors can howl with (or at) wolves. Watch for wolf prints wetland of international importance) or take in a sunset goose along the riverbank on the Pisew Falls-Kwasitchewan Falls fl ight at FortWhyte Alive (September to October). trail near Thompson (also see OneCity, page 22). BISON CARIBOU Plains bison no longer roam the Prairies en masse as they Woodland caribou and the smaller barren-ground caribou have once did, but in an effort to reintroduce and restore popula- habitat in northern Manitoba, but hunting pressure makes tions in the province, a small “display herd” of about 40 ani- them diffi cult to see. The best place to spot a herd is in the mals (descendants of Alberta’s plains bison in Elk Island north end of the Churchill Wildlife Management Area. National Park) resides at Lake Audy in Riding Mountain National Park (also see “An oasis on the prairie,” page 60). RED-SIDED GARTER SNAKES Another small captive herd can also be seen at FortWhyte The snake pits of the Narcisse Wildlife Management Area are Alive (also see page 80). home to the largest concentration of snakes in the world. Each —Jessica Finn spring (usually the fi rst warm days of May), tens of thousands of red-sided garter snakes emerge from hibernation to mate. Learn more about the red-sided garter snakes that make their home in

They return to the pits from late August through September. the Narcisse snake pits at mag.cangeo.ca/may15/snake. PROVIDED BY MANITOBA CONSERVATION AND WATER STEWARDSHIP THIS SPREAD: PAUL COLANGELO; MAP: CHRIS BRACKLEY/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC. WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA DATA

18 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

Gateway-Diversity+Wildlife+Waterways_May15.indd 18 2015-03-31 10:19 AM MANITOBA FACT

At 180 kilograms (about 400 pounds) and more than three metres long, the largest fish ever caught in Manitoba (and the largest of its species on record, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada), was a lake sturgeon hauled out of the Roseau River in the southern end of the province in 1903.

POLAR BEARS

BELUGA WHALES

WOLVES

CARIBOU

RED-SIDED GARTER SNAKES

SALAMANDERS

NORTHERN PRAIRIE SKINKS

BIRDS

BISON THIS SPREAD: PAUL COLANGELO; MAP: CHRIS BRACKLEY/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC. WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA DATA PROVIDED BY MANITOBA CONSERVATION AND WATER STEWARDSHIP THIS SPREAD: PAUL COLANGELO; MAP: CHRIS BRACKLEY/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC. WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA DATA

CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 19

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WATERWAYS Go with the fl ow

“LAND OF 100,000 LAKES” is more than a moniker: from tran- quil beaches to wild rapids, one-sixth of Manitoba’s surface is covered in water, remnants of glacial Lake Agassiz. The prov- ince’s network of rivers and streams served as conduits and opened the land to exploration. Today, water is the province’s most precious resource. It’s essential to communities and agri- A paddleboarder and a kayaker culture, represents 90 per cent of all hydro-electric potential for make their way across Clear Lake, the Prairie provinces and, as the following roundup shows, in Riding Mountain National Park. makes Manitoba a water recreationist’s wonderland.

HUDSON BAY BLOODVEIN RIVER An inland sea covering roughly four million square kilometres, This river once bustled with activity, but the only evidence of Hudson Bay accounts for the province’s entire 645-kilometre those who came before are thousand-year-old red-ochre aborigi- coastline. The largest ocean watershed in Canada, the bay is fed nal pictographs. Most easily accessed by fl oat plane, the marshes, by 30 per cent of the country’s nutrient-rich freshwater run-off, lakes, gorges and rapids of the Bloodvein remain largely undis- which supports diverse aquatic ecosystems and bird life and turbed, providing some of Canada’s fi nest whitewater recreation contributes to a higher freezing point than other saltwater bodies. opportunities. A number of rare plant and animal species, such Longer-lasting ice provides critical polar bear hunting habitat. as the chestnut lamprey, can also be found here.

THE FORKS SEAL RIVER This meeting of the Red and Assiniboine rivers in the heart of Glacial features abound, but there’s nary a sign of human activ- Winnipeg has been popular for gatherings for more than 6,000 ity along the rugged shores of the Seal River. A truly wild years. Having hosted assemblies of early Aboriginal Peoples, waterway, the nearest road is 275 kilometres to the southwest. hunters, fur traders and settlers, The Forks is a national historic The river system’s cold lakes, boulder fi elds and rapids tend to site that now receives four million visitors a year. It’s no wonder: attract the hardiest adventurers, although the area’s rich boreal, year-round, you can stroll the Assiniboine Riverwalk, enjoy open- Arctic and marine wildlife are increasingly drawing visitors to air dining, shopping and myriad summer concerts and festivals, the river mouth. and in the winter skate up to 6.1 kilometres of ice trails. (You’ll see many sides of The Forks in this issue; see pages 4, 10 and BEACHES 76, for starters.) Fine, white sand, warm water, sand dunes up to 12 metres high and a popular boardwalk welcome thousands of visitors to Grand SEINE RIVER Beach on the shores of Lake Winnipeg. Across the lake, the waters This tributary of the Red — one of four rivers within Winnipeg off Winnipeg Beach are a hot spot for families and wind- and kite- city limits — has beautifully treed banks and provides rich ripar- surfers. Those who trek to Clear Lake will discover the ideal cottage ian habitat for around 380 wildlife species. Save Our Seine (SOS; and camping country of Riding Mountain National Park. saveourseine.com), an organization formed in a bid to reverse the effects of waterway pollution, celebrates its 25th anniversary CANADIAN HERITAGE RIVERS SYSTEM this year by exploring the river in 25 days, ways and places. Four Manitoba rivers — the Red, Bloodvein, Hayes and Seine — belong to the Canadian Heritage Rivers System, HAYES RIVER which was established in 1984 to encourage public apprecia- Many great explorers travelled the Hayes, as it was the only tion for Canadian rivers of exceptional natural, cultural and navigable route to the interior of western Canada. Largely unde- recreational signifi cance. veloped since those early days, its banks are steeped in history. —Jessica Finn Archeological sites, former fur trade posts and aboriginal com- munities line its banks. Experienced paddlers should be pre- Save Our Seine isn’t the only water conservation project in Manitoba. pared for extreme weather, remoteness, the possibility of polar Learn more about it and four other worthy water initiatives in the prov-

bears near the river’s northern reaches and incessant insects. ince at mag.cangeo.ca/may15/water. THIS SPREAD: ROBERT TINKER/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC; MAP: CHRIS BRACKLEY/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC

20 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

Gateway-Diversity+Wildlife+Waterways_May15.indd 20 2015-03-31 10:19 AM 1 6 MANITOBA FACT

When the Red River Floodway was constructed north of Winnipeg between 1962 and 1968 as a crucial flood- prevention measure, it was a larger earth-moving project than the Suez Canal, and second only to the Panama Canal as the world’s largest ever. It has since saved Manitoba’s capital more than $40 billion in fl ood damage.

4 8

1. HUDSON BAY

2. THE FORKS

3. SEINE RIVER

4. HAYES RIVER

5. BLOODVEIN RIVER

6. SEAL RIVER

7. BEACHES

8. CANADIAN HERITAGE RIVERS SYSTEM

7 7 5 8

2

3 8

8 THIS SPREAD: ROBERT TINKER/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC; MAP: CHRIS BRACKLEY/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC

CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 21

Gateway-Diversity+Wildlife+Waterways_May15.indd 21 2015-03-31 10:19 AM ONEC ITY

TWO VENUES Thompson

By Nick Walker

ADVENTURE Thompson is anchored in the subarctic Canadian Shield, with abundant forest and cold, fi sh-packed lakes stretching out for hundreds of kilometres on all sides. Think 1of it as the nerve centre for northern wilderness adventure in Manitoba. For three to seven days of unrivalled fl y-in fi shing, for instance, try Gods River Lodge, a 270-kilometre hop in a bush plane southeast of the city. About 40 infl owing rivers and streams make Gods Lake and Gods River — the lake’s single outlet — fertile habitat for big northern pike, lake trout, brook trout and walleye alike. Closer to Thompson, the beaches and campgrounds of Paint Lake Provincial Park are a half-hour drive south. Pisew Falls Provincial Park, 15 minutes farther, has a boardwalk to its thunderous namesake waterfall (right), or an 11-kilometre trek leads to Kwasitchewan Falls (Manitoba’s highest, at 14.2 metres).

FAMILY An estimated 4,000 wolves have their run of boreal Manitoba, so it’s no won- der Thompson, at the heart of this prime lupine territory, is unoffi cially 2known as the “wolf capital of the world.” To take in as much wolf culture as possible, spend an afternoon padding along two-kilometre Spirit Way. The southern starting point is the Heritage North Museum, a log-built treasury for the region’s aboriginal culture, its fur-trading, surveying and mining past and its rich natural history. Along the path is a rock face featuring huge carvings of howling wolves, as well as 35 brightly painted wolf statues (of 49 that appear between Winnipeg, Thompson and Churchill). The greatest tribute, however, is the 10-storey wall mural of Robert Bateman’s Wolf Sketch (left). For a larger orbit, hike or bike the 15-kilometre Millennium Trail, which circles Thompson, cutting along the Burntwood River and through stretches both urban and boreal.

MANITOBA FACT Ever wonder how aerospace engineers make absolutely sure jumbo passenger-jet engines can cope with freezing temperatures and potentially dangerous ice buildup? Enter Thompson, which at 55 degrees north is never short on subzero days (in fact, it’s zero or colder for nearly two-thirds of each year). That, and its accessibility, makes the city ideal for cold-weather and ice testing. In the 1980s, international car manufacturers started coming to Thompson to pit their engines against winter conditions, but since 2010, the city has hosted the world’s largest and most advanced cold-weather test and research facility for gas turbines. It’s called the Global Aerospace Centre for Icing and Environmental Research (GLACIER), and the open-air site subjects monster motors to weeks of extreme cold, among other trials. Picture six- Thompson volunteer group Spirit Way Inc. is trying to turn metre, seven-tonne, roaring Rolls-Royce jet engines sloughing off the city into the offi cial “wolf capital of the world.” Find out how

an artifi cial ice cloud (it’s aviation-nerd heaven). at mag.cangeo.ca/may15/wolf. 2.0); COURTESY MDS AEROTEST TOP TO BOTTOM: DAVE REEDE/ALLCANADAPHOTOS.COM; ROBYN HANSON/TRAVEL MANITOBA/FLICKR (CC BY-NC-ND

22 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

OneCity_May15.indd 22 2015-03-27 2:33 PM WINNIPEG Wild

Every Winnipeg adventure starts at Assiniboine Park and Zoo Nestled in the heart of the city, Assiniboine Park and Zoo is Winnipeg’s premiere destination for amazing animal encounters, wild adventures, and four seasons of fun.

Let the adventure begin!

assiniboinepark.ca • assiniboineparkzoo.ca

APC.indd 23 2015-03-27 5:00 PM Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries.indd 24 2015-03-26 3:35 PM Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries.indd 25 2015-03-26 3:36 PM A tale of Churchill is world-renowned for its beluga whales and polar bears, and visitors can enjoy wildly different experiences with the creatures in summer and fall. Remy Scalza hit town in July for a summer safari (page 28), while Michela Rosano and photo- grapher Jessica Finn arrived in October for the prime cold- weather season (page 33).

26 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

Belugas_May15.indd 26 2015-03-31 10:34 AM two seasons

CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 27

Belugas_May15.indd 27 2015-03-31 10:34 AM NLESS YOU HAVE A VERY GOOD HUDSON map, you probably won’t be able to locate BAY CHURCHILL Enlarged Hubbard Point. It’s a desolate spit of area r

e

v i

R

land that juts out into Hudson Bay, 80

l

l i Churchill

h Airport c

kilometres northwest of Churchill, Man., r u

h Churchill or roughly a two-hour boat ride across C Wildlife Management Winnipeg very choppy, very cold water. No one lives there. There are no 0 5 km Area houses,U roads or anything else. It does, however, have polar bears.

A few hundred metres offshore, the captain of the Sam Hearne, an open, 13.4-metre- long, 14-tonne bullnose boat, cuts the engine and edges the prow into a narrow inlet. Then a dozen of us, in identical orange survival suits to ward off the wind and chill even in summer, jump off. In front, Gerald Azure, who is in his 50s and has long black hair streaked with grey, carries a shotgun with several explosive charges called bear bangers in the magazine and a few one- ounce slugs, just in case. As we trudge up the sandy shoreline, packed into a tight group, Azure scans left and right. At the top of a low rise, he raises his hand and everyone stops. “If you look behind you, there’s a polar bear with her cub 75 metres away,” he says in a low voice. “Straight ahead is another bear, looking our bay. There the animals wait for the annual estuary each June. And for travellers of a way. Up on that rise there are three more freeze-up so they can stalk the ice for certain disposition, there’s something bears all walking. And I think I see a really seals, their prey of choice. more: the slower, quieter summer off-sea- big male out yonder.” Apart from a narrow But in the warmer summer months, son is a rare chance to glimpse the town path back to the water, we are surrounded when temperatures can climb to 20 C and and the people behind the Polar Bear by polar bears, which is exactly the point. higher, you can see polar bears scattered Capital of the World. Churchill, situated about 1,000 kilome- along the coast, lazing away the summer. With the perimeter at Hubbard Point tres north of Winnipeg on the southwest- For visitors, smaller crowds and fairer secure, Azure, who is of Métis heritage and ern side of Hudson Bay, is synonymous weather translate to a distinctly different guides with Lazy Bear Lodge, slings his gun with polar bears and, for most of the year, wildlife experience. Fewer buggies prowl over his shoulder. I take a few steps up a polar weather. Accessible only by rail or the tundra and tours to spots such as sandy hill covered with wild grasses and air, the tiny town of 800 swells each Hubbard Point, largely inaccessible in win- fireweed for a better view. “Keep close,” he October and November with thousands of ter, offer opportunities to see polar bears insists. “They can close this gap in seconds.” tourists, who don heavy parkas and crowd while on foot. Summer also sees the return But, just as I’d discover during other into specially designed tundra vehicles to of Churchill’s belugas — thousands of the encounters in the week ahead, the bears

watch bears congregate at the edge of the majestic white whales converge on the barely seem to notice us. Mom and cub raise THIS PAUL COLANGELO; JESSICA FINN/CG STAFF. PREVIOUS PAGES, LEFT TO RIGHT: SPREAD: REMY SCALZA/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC

28 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

Belugas_May15.indd 28 2015-03-31 10:34 AM SUMMER SAFARI

HUDSON

BAY

CHURCHILL Enlarged area

r

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h Churchill C Wildlife Management Winnipeg 0 5 km Area

their heads for a minute, sniffi ng the air The Hudson Bay shore (below) is prime with long white snouts, then flop back habitat for polar bears (opposite), even in down. The other bears melt off into the bar- warm weather. One of the many huskies ren, rocky coastline, neither bothered nor and husky-crosses (right) in Churchill especially curious about the intrusion. It is rests between pulls of the wheeled carts a far cry from the iconic tundra vehicle that replace dogsleds during the summer. encounter — bears sniffi ng at oversized tires or rising up on hind legs to peer into windows — and feels all the more wild and Daudrich, like many transplants, came natural for it. north seeking an escape from the grind. “In summer, this is paradise. Gorgeous But Churchill’s remoteness and famously weather. You’ve got the bears and the belu- harsh winters proved a challenge in their gas. And you have the place to yourself,” own right. With a preacher’s fl ourish, he says Wally Daudrich, speaking inside his motions upward to the gnarled beams sup- hotel, the Lazy Bear Lodge, back in porting the roof of his lodge. “You can see Churchill. Daudrich, who has a wiry frame how this wood suffered out there on the that seems to be in perpetual motion, fi rst tundra but became strong from it,” he says, came to Churchill in 1980 to work as a waiting a beat or two for the message to polar bear guide. Over the years, he’s sink in. “That’s Churchill.” expanded a modest log cabin, built with timber reclaimed from a forest fi re, into a sprawling lodge and restaurant. At lunch hour, a mix of locals and tourists are busy chowing down on cheeseburgers and homemade milkshakes. “The sense of freedom is what brought me here,” he says, dropping into a seat for a moment before springing back to his feet. “I don’t mind obeying rules. I just wish there were a few less of them.” A Bible college dropout and sometime builder,

Vancouver-based journalist Remy Scalza (@RemyScalza) is a writer and photographer whose work has appeared in numerous national and international publications. PREVIOUS PAGES, LEFT TO RIGHT: PAUL COLANGELO; JESSICA FINN/CG STAFF. THIS PAUL COLANGELO; JESSICA FINN/CG STAFF. PREVIOUS PAGES, LEFT TO RIGHT: SPREAD: REMY SCALZA/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC MAP: CHRIS BRACKLEY/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC. WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA DATA PROVIDED BY MANITOBA CONSERVATION AND WATER STEWARDSHIP. AND WATER PROVIDED BY MANITOBA CONSERVATION MAP: CHRIS BRACKLEY/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC. WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA DATA 8 IMAGERY PROVIDED BY U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. LANDSAT

CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 29

Belugas_May15.indd 29 2015-03-31 10:34 AM SUMMER SAFARI

Outside, ATVs — summer transportation surrounds it. On its northern edge, the mean the same here. Instead of worrying of choice in a town with few cars — buzz town ends abruptly at the rocky foreshore what kind of car you drive, it’s what kind down the median of Kelsey Boulevard, of Hudson Bay. To the west, the Churchill of parka you have. I was a pretty high- Churchill’s main drag and one of its only River estuary supports the largest popula- maintenance babe. But stuff like mascara paved streets. I take advantage of the warm tion of beluga whales in the Arctic. is utterly useless to me most of the year. It afternoon to do something that would be far Everywhere else is boreal forest, tundra and just freezes to your eyes.” more challenging in winter: take a leisurely taiga — marshes and scrappy patches of During winters, the couple races sled stroll through town. I walk past aging spruce stretching on and on. Wander more dogs and offers sledding tours for guests. motels that have seen better days and than a few feet from the safety of town and Faced with ever-shortening seasons (not to gift shops selling northern kitsch such you inevitably run into signs with a picture mention the complete lack of snow during as mukluks and mini inukshuks. Inside of a polar bear that say: “Stop, Don’t Walk the summer), they’ve come up with a novel The Northern — the town’s grocery in This Area.” solution: wheeled carts in lieu of traditional sleds, pulled chariot-style by their dogs. I watch as Gerald goes to work hooking up a With a surge, we rumbled out of six-dog team, three pairs strung along a central gang line. All around, the animals the yard, powered by 24 pounding paws. strain on their leashes and jump up on their houses, desperate to be chosen. With the dogs strapped in, I take a seat in store — milk is going for $11 a gallon “I remember going to Vancouver as a the cart while Gerald hops on a small plat- and red peppers for $13.75 a kilo, prices kid and seeing the belugas and polar bears form behind to handle braking and steering. that raise few eyebrows this far north. in Stanley Park,” says Jenafor Azure, who The gang line goes taut, and with a sudden At the edge of town, I poke into the Town raises sled dogs with her husband, Gerald, surge we rumble out of the yard, powered Centre Complex, a monolithic sheet-metal our polar bear guide, at a camp several by 24 pounding paws. Boreal forest and building that houses everything from kilometres outside of town. “What people ponds thick with sedge grass blur as we race Churchill’s health care centre and library to have to understand is that here the roles are along a one-mile track. Minutes later, a hockey rink and high school. Inside, little reversed. We’re the animals in the zoo.” As sharp turn brings us back home, where the kids in a drop-in daycare are racing around we approach her dog yard, in a clearing dogs flop to the ground, panting heavily in the halls on scooters and climbing into a down a long gravel road, 30 huskies and the summer heat. giant wooden polar bear with a slide coming husky-crossbreeds emerge from 30 tidy While polar bears and even dogsledding out of its mouth. They aren’t outside, I learn, doghouses. Hand-carved signs hanging are becoming year-round draws in partly because the real bears are never far above each house read Canon, Nikon, Churchill, one cute (if not quite cuddly) off. In fact, residents leave cars and houses Google, Yahoo, Sony — a reflection of white mammal has dominated the sum- unlocked year-round on the off — but not Jenafor’s other interests. mer agenda for decades. “It’s the incredible unheard of — chance that a quick escape An ultrasound tech by training, she came number of belugas that makes Churchill from a bear might be needed. to Churchill on what was supposed to be a special,” says Colin Frey, a Saskatchewan Indeed, like many northern communi- three-week contract in 2002 and is still here. native with a background in diesel trans- ties, Churchill feels dwarfed — daunted, “Psychologically, this is just such a different missions, who has spent parts of the past

even — by the scale and wildness of what place to be,” Jenafor says. “Money doesn’t four years as a wildlife guide for Lazy Bear THIS SPREAD: REMY SCALZA/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC

30 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

Belugas_May15.indd 30 2015-03-31 10:34 AM SUMMER SAFARI

Clockwise from near left: one of the more than 3,000 beluga whales that converge on the waters around Churchill each summer; Gerald and Jenafor Azure relax in their cabin with their dog Sony; the Lazy Bear Lodge dining room; a view of Hudson Bay from the window of an abandoned shack on the edge of town.

Lodge. “Plus, these whales are super- a stone’s throw from shore. “They’re doc- and out of the water; big bull males zoom friendly and super-curious, and they’re ile, playful, and I’d say even a little mis- up to the back of the boat and play in the intelligent. It’s obvious there’s something chievous,” Frey says. wash of bubbles left in our wake. Frey turns going on upstairs.” Most visitors jump in a jet boat to see the off the engine and we drift as more whales Each summer, up to 3,000 of the belugas up close or paddle alongside the approach in pods, then dive suddenly under whales, which can grow to 5.5-metres animals in kayaks. For those who don’t the vessel. Their metallic chirps echo faintly long and weigh up to 1,600 kilograms, mind the frosty, 5 C water, however, there’s through the hull. return to the Churchill River estuary in also the option of putting on a snorkel and I adjust my mask and take the plunge, pursuit of the capelin, a smelt-like fish, diving right in. Frey drives me down to the the shock of the cold instantly sucking the that are a staple of their diet. All season estuary at the edge of town and helps me air from my lungs. Frey throws out a tow- long, the beluga’s stark white backs can wriggle my way into a dry suit. Essentially a line and lets me drift a few metres behind be seen slicing out of the water, often just giant Hefty bag with tight seals at the neck the boat. For a minute or two, I stare into and sleeves, it isn’t very flattering, but it will the murky depths, head aching from the MANITOBA FACT help keep hypothermia at bay. chill, seeing nothing. Then, muffled We set out in a motorboat, and within shouts come from the direction of the Until 1912, Manitoba was called seconds dozens of sleek white backs are boat. I look down just in time to see a pod the “postage stamp” province, following us. Their ghostly bodies — so of belugas swish by below, dreamlike in because before then its borders did oddly proportioned, big bulbous heads the silty water. They turn their heads not include the northern 60 per cent of tapering down to such a dainty tail — flash upward as they pass, cocking one black the territory as we know it today. by, just beneath the surface. Mothers with eye in my direction. More pods approach

THIS SPREAD: REMY SCALZA/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC dark grey calves close at their sides slide in but veer off at the last minute. The wind

CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 31

Belugas_May15.indd 31 2015-03-31 10:34 AM SUMMER SAFARI Summer adventure options

From all-inclusive vacations to short day trips, a wide range of tour operators offer summer safari experiences in Churchill. Here’s a selection of the options.

BY MICHELA ROSANO suddenly picks up, turning the water grey and choppy. Shivering with cold, I swim back to the boat, am hoisted over the side CHURCHILL NATURE TOURS and flop down to the deck. 1-877-636-2968 Back in town that night, Mike Macri, who churchillnaturetours.com started a whale-watching operation here Offers visitors a seven-day, six-night all- more than 30 years ago and has perhaps inclusive whale-watching vacation on the The Best of the Arctic is an eight-day seen more belugas than anyone on the Churchill River estuary, as well as tundra adventure that gives travellers time in planet, is getting ready for a photo exhibi- tours and birdwatching excursions. Churchill for beluga watching, with two tion in his studio. Retired now, he lives with nights in Repulse Bay, Nunavut. his wife in a remote cabin on the opposite CHURCHILL WILD side of the river, built on stilts to keep the 1-866-846-9453 The Churchill Summer Escape includes a bears out, with a door barred with three churchillwild.com Winnipeg-to-Churchill train ride and beluga is a watching, all stretched over five days. centimetres of solid steel. There he photo- The Birds, Bears and Belugas Safari seven-night stay at the luxury Seal River graphs polar bears, black bears, wolves, griz- Heritage Lodge, with daily hikes to view GREAT WHITE BEAR TOURS zlies, eagles and the other wildlife that turn polar bears and numerous bird species in 1-866-765-8344 up in his yard. their summer tundra habitat, as well as greatwhitebeartours.com Macri does a dry run of his photo slide- swimming (in a dry suit) with belugas in Churchill: An Arctic Summer is offered in show for me on his computer, clicking one the Seal River estuary. a seven- or nine-day package that sees by one through images taken over decades guests get up close with belugas in on the water and out on the tundra. I ask The Hudson Bay Odyssey, a nine-day Zodiacs, and see a variety of other wildlife him if he ever plans to return permanently vacation split between Seal River Heritage on the tundra, including caribou, polar to life farther south. He shakes his head. Lodge and Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge, bears, Arctic foxes and more. “Don’t get me wrong. We’ve got our prob- offers a wildlife experience similar to the Seal River trip (above). LAZY BEAR LODGE lems,” he says, echoing a refrain I heard 1-866-687-2327 throughout the week: climate changes were Arctic Discovery is a nine-day trip starting in lazybearlodge.com affecting Churchill; tourists created jobs but Winnipeg with stays in Churchill and Nanuk The Beluga Whale Dream Tour is a two- changed the culture; animals were admired, Polar Bear Lodge before the return trip night journey that includes a three-hour revered even, yet also exploited. “But there’s south. Kayak and swim with belugas, go on cruise on Hudson Bay to view belugas, as something about the freedom and the con- wildlife hikes and view the northern lights. well as snorkelling and kayaking with them. nection with the wildlife here that draws people back.” Then he told me a story about FRONTIERS NORTH ADVENTURES RAIL TRAVEL TOURS a whale stuck in a fishing net. 1-800-663-9832 1-866-704-3528 “He was drowning. I called a friend in to frontiersnorth.com railtraveltours.com help and asked him to bring a gun, just in Belugas, Bears & Blooms is a guided, The Belugas & Heritage of Hudson Bay & three-night adventure, and includes Churchill, Manitoba Rail Tour is a seven- case we had to put it down. We held the snorkelling and kayaking with belugas as day group tour vacation on the rails from whale up so he could breathe and he breathed well as touring the Churchill River by Winnipeg to Churchill, with a two-day stop for quite a while. Then my friend held the Zodiac and seeing polar bears in their in Churchill for sightseeing and a beluga- whale while I cut through the mesh. This is summer habitat in the Churchill Wildlife watching boat tour. heavy Arctic monofilament. It would have Management Area. cut right through our fingers if that whale The Hudson Bay, Boats & Belugas tour is had thrashed. But the whale knew what we The Churchill Summer Explorer trip is a similar seven-day experience for indepen- were doing. He just let us help him. Some a six-day, all-inclusive vacation offering hik- dent travellers. of those meshes I had to lift right out of his ing, kayaking with belugas and tundra tours. skin, bleeding. But he never moved. When SEA NORTH TOURS we finally freed his tail, he just floated for a THE GREAT CANADIAN TRAVEL 1-888-348-7591 seanorthtours.com few seconds, like he was giving us a chance COMPANY 1-800-661-3830 The Floe Ice Tour, the Churchill River to clear out. Then he was gone.” greatcanadiantravel.com Estuary Beluga Whale-Watching Tour, the The Beluga Encounter tour introduces Beluga and Fort Tour and the Zodiac Read more about riding in the wheeled visitors to the town of Churchill, and Inflatable Boat Charter are all daily carts used for summer dogsledding at includes beluga watching and a tundra cruises of varying lengths focused on

mag.cangeo.ca/may15/dogsled. buggy excursion. beluga watching. PAUL COLANGELO

Belugas_May15.indd 32 2015-03-31 10:34 AM POLAR BEARS

lory, glory hallelujah! We’re out there on the trails again today. “ We’re out there looking for the polar bears, GAnd we just keep rolling on! ”CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 33

PolarBears_May15.indd 33 2015-03-27 4:04 PM POLAR BEARS

ILL MCPHERSON (or Ol’ Bill, as he’s more commonly sprawling chunk of conserved land exists to preserve fragile tundra known to his passengers) is belting this tune out over and tidal-fl at ecosystems and provide bears with protected sum- B the radio of the Polar Rover, a six-wheeled, 15-tonne mer resting areas and denning habitat. Each year when the bay polar bear-watching machine, which is bucking across subarc- has frozen over, about 300 bears migrate through the manage- tic tundra 25 kilometres east of Churchill. It’s a bumpier ride ment area on their way to hunt seals. For now, the big carnivores than I had anticipated, but that might have more to do with the are abundant and waiting for the ice to form, a prime opportunity late night I had at the Tundra Inn, a hotel and watering hole for local operators to run wildlife-viewing excursions. back in town. It’s certainly not Ol’ Bill’s fault; he’s expertly The fi rst polar bear we see is at a spot called First Tower, a navigating the vehicle over rocks and around boulders on the derelict military lookout, and the animal, a juvenile, is chew- trail, former roads that haven’t been maintained since there ing on an old beer can that might well be from the same era. was a military base and then research centre here from the Even though it’s late October, the tundra is still showing its 1940s through the 1970s. fall colours — the inevitable heavy snowfall hasn’t yet As I sink deeper into the plush bus-style seat and fi x my gaze on the open water of Hudson Bay, however, the ride seems to let Michela Rosano is Canadian Geographic Travel’s associate editor. up, and I take stock of where I am — a few kilometres into the Jessica Finn (@jesiannoutdoors), the magazine’s photo editor, has spent 850,000-hectare Churchill Wildlife Management Area, on the the last two autumns working as a guide in the region. Polar Bear Photo Safari run by Great White Bear Tours. This

Tara Ryan, a guide with Churchill Wild, keeps an eye on Bob, an adult male polar bear, as he approaches a group of visitors

near Seal River (this image). PREVIOUS PAGE AND THIS SPREAD: JESSICA FINN/CG STAFF

34 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

PolarBears_May15.indd 34 2015-03-27 4:04 PM Animal species in and around POLAR BEARS Churchill include the polar bear (opposite), red fox (below), ptarmigan (near right and top right), Arctic fox (top middle), Arctic hare (bottom right) and gyrfalcon (Bottom middle).

blanketed it — so white bears are easier to spot. A gust off the Germany. Churchill’s economy is so tourism-driven that many bay blows the empty can 30 metres over to the rover and, curious businesses are open only for this late-fall high season and the and playful, the bear chases it. I zip my parka, grab my camera beluga season in the summer (see page 28). and scramble out onto the rover’s rear viewing balcony for a For Churchill residents, the bears are as much a constant better look. I can see the bear’s wet, black nose through the steel- as the wind off Hudson Bay. During the fall migration, pro- mesh fl oor of the balcony as it snuffl es and searches for my vincial conservation offi cers patrol the community regularly, boots. The animal takes a few and locals keep their eyes seconds to study me through and ears open as they pass the grate, and I get a glimpse I can see the bear’s wet, black down alleys or near the short of her characteristically blood- willow shrubs behind which shot eyes before she starts nose through the steel-mesh bears are known to hunker. inspecting the vehicle’s The beach on the north side 300-kilogram tires. The bear fl oor of the balcony as it snuffl es of town is off limits too, as continues back down the trail, the rocky landscape offers and I head inside to warm up and searches for my boots. perfect hiding places for (the weather is relatively mild, hungry bears. but the wind is wickedly cold). The only bear I see in I joke with Ol’ Bill that I can go home now. He chuckles, fi res Churchill is a monstrous, nearly 600-kilogram male, wandering up the engine and continues on; he’s careful not to promise one of the side roads on the outskirts of town. At this point in anything, but he knows the bears are out. its migration, it’s probably been about four months since its last substantial meal — a potentially dangerous situation for the bear and anyone who encounters it. Conservation offi cers are quick to the scene once they’ve received a tip through the Polar Bear Alert Program (residents have a hotline for bear CHURCHILL IS THE POLAR BEAR CAPITAL of the world — the sightings), and after the animal is tranquillized, it takes seven most accessible place on the planet for coming within inches of men to hoist it onto the bed of a truck. The trespasser is then these “sea bears,” and the community has built a formidable tour- delivered to what is affectionately known as “polar bear jail,” ism industry around them. From early October to mid-November, located in a large hangar just outside of Churchill. Here, in particular, the town explodes with thousands of visitors, from delinquent bears that have come into the control zone, which places as close as Winnipeg and as far as Taiwan, Australia and includes the Churchill townsite as well as the nearby old dump, are either kept in individual cells until the sea ice has MANITOBA FACT covered the bay or airlifted by helicopter far from town, the latter option being one of the most expensive wildlife release In 1619, nine years after Henry Hudson sailed into Hudson Bay, programs in the world. Later that day, I see a shabby old male Danish explorer Jens Munck brought his ships Unicorn and airlifted out of the holding facility. It had been caught wander- Lamprey into a harbour near Churchill for the winter. Only he and ing around some cottages in the area, but because it was two crewmembers survived, and returned to Europe on Lamprey. already starving and in distress, it’s fl own far northwest of

PREVIOUS PAGE AND THIS SPREAD: JESSICA FINN/CG STAFF Churchill to live out its days in the wild.

CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 35

PolarBears_May15.indd 35 2015-03-27 4:04 PM POLAR BEARS Seal River encounters

THE MORNING LIGHT ON THE TUNDRA is heavenly the next time I go out tracking bears, this time on Frontiers North’s Churchill Wild’s Seal River Heritage Lodge offers Churchill Town & Tundra Enthusiast tour. Blues, golds, pinks extraordinarily up-close, feet-on-the-ground polar bear and purples paint the landscape, which is now covered in snow, watching. Set on the shores of Hudson Bay near the and pink piles of clouds fi ll the sky. Twelve of us load into a Seal River estuary, 60 kilometres north of Churchill, Tundra Buggy, a tank-like vehicle similar to the Polar Rover, and this luxury eco-lodge with fi ve-star cuisine and accom- head for a new segment of the wildlife management area. modations for up to 14 guests is surrounded by practi- cally untouched coastline, tundra and boreal forest. The following is a typical day on Churchill Wild’s Polar For now, the big carnivores Bear Photo Safari — four days of expeditions to see big bears and other subarctic wildlife. are abundant and waiting for the ice to form. Bear Point 2.

Snowdrifts have piled up on parts of the trail, and as driver Caribou Lake Bear Alex Mueller weaves around one, we spot a mother bear 9 a.m. Point 1. asleep in the shelter of the snow with a pair of small cubs, After a hearty breakfast that came with a sunrise both about 10 months old. Two sets of small black eyes poke over Hudson Bay — but no sign of the Arctic fox that Swan out above the ridge of the mother’s back to study the massive darted across the rocks in front of the large dining Lake SEAL RIVER HERITAGE buggy that’s parked about 10 metres from their daybed, and room windows the evening before — the lodge’s 14 LODGE then they snuggle back into mom’s fur. We stay for about 30 guests and guides Tara Ryan and Andy MacPherson minutes, snapping as many photos of the three white balls as suit up for the morning hike. It’s a three-pairs-of- we can before leaving them to their rest. socks type of day. When we regroup in the complex’s There’s a fl urry of excitement at the trail’s turnaround point, fenced yard, the guides have already spotted two Lodge tour route next to Tundra Buggy Lodge — which can accommodate up to male bears inland, one dubbed Bob and the other 40 guests eating and sleeping right on the tundra overlooking Grubby, for his dirty coat. Hudson Bay. A mother bear watches as her cub inspects one of the buggies parked nearby. The mother doesn’t appear con- 10:15 a.m. cerned or frightened, and guide David Reid tells us she’s prob- A fi ve-minute walk on the other side of those fences

ably been coming through this area for a few seasons and has and we get very close: the roughly 450-kilogram 0 2 km learned to trust us. At the same time, a mammoth male sud- animals are no more than 10 metres away. Then the denly stands up on his haunches — almost three metres tall in bears begin to spar, a playful behaviour that helps that position — startling a Frontiers North employee who has reinforce relationships and practises muscle move- stepped onto one of the lodge’s viewing balconies. The mother ments they may use out on the ice. They stand up bear, meanwhile, is keeping a watchful eye on the male: they’re on their hind legs to box, wrestle and bite. We have sometimes known to snap up cubs in their powerful jaws. The ringside seats. cub, completely oblivious, runs playfully between our buggy and another. Though it’s just a cub, it scares me a little when 11:30 a.m. it hops up on its hind legs, coming within a ruler’s length of Looking like a furry, white basketball, an Arctic hare my face while I point my camera lens at it through one of the sits boldly within a few metres of the bears, but Bob buggy’s wide front windows. notices his audience of Seal River lodgers instead As we venture back to the launch site, we pause to watch and, curious, begins to approach. Ryan and our last two polar bears of the day, resting 50 metres apart on MacPherson immediately announce their presence the shore of Hudson Bay. They lie with their eyes open, qui- to usher the bear back. First they talk to him quietly, etly, patiently — a direct contrast to our excitement. This then louder and louder, but Bob is not dissuaded. morning, the fi rst thin layer of ice appeared on the water; very MacPherson takes two rocks from his pocket — part soon, the bears will get what they’ve been waiting for. of his bear deterrent kit, along with a rifl e that he’s never had to use — and smashes them together. Bob You’ve read about Churchill’s wildlife, but what does the town itself look startles and backs off. like? Find out by taking a photo tour at mag.cangeo.ca/may15/churchill.

36 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

PolarBears_May15.indd 36 2015-03-27 4:04 PM POLAR BEARS

Locator Hubbard Map Point

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Bear Point 2.

Caribou Lake Bear Point 1. 12 p.m. After fi lling up on a meaty chili made with moose har- vested by lodge owner Mike Reimer, the party heads to a Swan Lake SEAL RIVER nearby cove with a promising name: Bear Point 1. Peter HERITAGE LODGE Wilshaw, a guest from Perth, Australia, spots a gyrfalcon on a bank of rocks at the end of the point. We walk slowly in the bird’s direction, and through binoculars and cam- era lenses can see blood on its head and body from a Lodge recent kill. It fl ies around us once — offering a better tour route look — before returning to its perch. Wilshaw has also spotted a snowy owl in a distant spruce tree. We move closer, but just as MacPherson reminds us that these owls are notoriously cautious, it disappears.

0 2 km 3:30 p.m. The afternoon light shines gold and blue on the ice along Hudson Bay’s shore as our group nears the lodge from the north. Grubby, still in the area, stands up as we approach, and after Ryan and MacPherson have moved us well out of his path, the bear crosses, again within 10 metres, and heads off along the coast. Soon guests are chattering about the day’s encounters over a dinner of snow goose with coconut couscous and broccoli aman- dine. Many are trying this northern game bird for the fi rst time; it’s succulent with a mild gamey fl avour.

1:30 a.m. Ryan comes around knocking on doors to say that the northern lights are out. From the fenced-in yard we see thin ribbons of green and white light that soon begin dancing, swirling into thicker, fl icker- ing bands. Most of us return to our warm beds as the aurora fades and the wind picks up. We can’t

wait for tomorrow. STEWARDSHIP. AND WATER PROVIDED BY MANITOBA CONSERVATION MAPS: CHRIS BRACKLEY/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC. WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA DATA 8 IMAGERY PROVIDED BY U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. LANDSAT

CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 37

PolarBears_May15.indd 37 2015-03-27 4:04 PM parkscanada.gc.ca/riding parcscanada.gc.ca/riding www .facebook.com/RidingNPSuivez-nous! @RidingNP www .facebook.com/RidingNP #RidingMountainNP @RidingNP #RidingMountainNP

Riding Mountain National Park.indd 38 2015-03-31 11:06 AM REMOTE TK SLUG UNSPOILED SERENE And the promise of

BIGA taste of Manitoba’s world-class FISH fl y-in fi shing experience

BY SHEL ZOLKEWICH

UIDE NORMAN DENECHEZHE that length and you’ve got a bookie in Gangler’s main camp and the various holds a tape measure next to the the boat, as we anglers say. nearby lakes that anglers visit by bush Gnorthern pike’s snout and lets it Norman’s thumb runs across the num- plane straddle the 59th parallel. The land- unfurl from his fi st. He stretches it tight bers on the tape — 38, 39, 40. Then the tail scape showcases all the boreal-forest against the length of this massive fish, stops at 40.5 inches (1.03 metres). “Wait, beauties: deep, clear lakes, towering heading for the tail. wait,” he says, adjusting the tape so it’s black spruce and a forest fl oor purple “Hurry up! She’s a 20-pounder at right at the nose and the tail, hoping for an with blueberries. As a bonus, features of least,” I say, struggling to hoist this extra half-inch. But it’s not to be. This fi sh the subarctic sneak in at this altitude, chunky female to shoulder level so my does not meet the 41 inches (1.04 metres) including majestic granite plateaus, guide can get the offi cial measure. required to be a Master Angler pike. She snaking eskers and fi sh species such as The length of a fi sh is all-important goes back into the drink, like all hefty fi sh, the elusive Arctic grayling. So really, it’s here in the northern reaches of thanks to Manitoba’s catch-and-release the best of two worlds. Manitoba. Anglers who drop a line in edict. Heartbroken? Hardly. Like all of Manitoba’s fl y-in fi shing the province always have a chance of lodges, Gangler’s delivers on three prom- catching a really big fi sh — and since AS THE NINE-SEAT Cessna Caravan ises: remote serenity, unspoiled lakes 1960 have been adding their names to aims for the gravel runway at Gangler’s and abundant resources. Of course, there the record books of the province’s pres- North Seal River Lodge — about 1,000 are other benefi ts, too. Loosen your belt tigious Master Angler Program (see kilometres north of Winnipeg — becom- at least a notch because you’ll never, ever “Angling masters,” page 41). There are ing a Master Angler might be top of mind. go hungry at a Manitoba fi shing lodge. 30 qualifying species and each has a But that goal quickly begins to slide down And if you ask nicely, lodge owner minimum-length requirement. Meet the priority scale on arrival. Ken Gangler might pick up his bass guitar

CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 39

FlyFishing_May15.indd 39 2015-03-27 3:14 PM FLY-IN FISHING

North Seal River Lodge

and get a jam session going in front of the potatoes, onions and an ever-changing line- fireplace to close out the evening. up of sides are the headliners. But it’s the You can ditch your alarm clock each supporting cast — being outside in the morning, and be awoken instead by the wild beauty and eating a meal you’ve had a aroma of fresh coffee delivered to your hand in catching — that creates the magic. lakefront cabin. Besides, you wouldn’t With full bellies, it’d be all too easy to want to sleep in and miss the call of the drift away under the warm sunshine, loons or that 5 a.m. sunrise. Once in the watching the fireweed wave in the wind boat, the first order of business is to catch and the gulls swoop in for the scraps. But

lunch. Walleye is the fish of choice in these Norman reminds me that I have a goal for PREVIOUS PAGE: SHEL ZOLKEWICH/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC. THIS PAGE, MAP: CHRIS BRACKLEY/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC this trip. I want to catch an Arctic grayling. It’s a spe- There’s something big and mad cies native to Manitoba, but one that’s eluded me at the end of my rod, and I know for nearly five decades. It’s it can only be a northern pike. not a big fish like a north- ern pike or a fat fish like a lake trout, but it is one of parts, prized for its white fillets and buttery the prettiest. Arctic grayling sport a purple- taste. But you wouldn’t be disappointed to pink iridescence and an oversized dorsal have the coral-fleshed lake trout or the fla- fin — it’s the stuff of flying fish fairy tales. vourful northern pike either. WE MOTOR TO THE TOP of the lake NORMAN YELLS OUT a hearty hello to where the North Seal River spills in on its his uncle and fellow guide, Napoleon way to Hudson Bay. It’s a beautiful spot with Denechezhe, when we coast onto the calm rapids that swirl into a pool before the beach at Egenolf Lake. At least I think it’s river carries on east. Because grayling are a hearty hello. They’re speaking Dene. small, I’ve grabbed my ultra-light rod and Nap, as he’s called, immediately wants to attached a tiny Mepps lure to a light line. know if his nephew has treated us well during a morning of fishing. I hold up a MANITOBA FACT lake trout that will soon be our shore lunch. Anglers keep only what they eat for Manitoba is renowned for caviar. Each lunch on these trips. year it produces more than 11,000 kilo- Norman takes all of 90 seconds to grams of the famously crisp, delicately remove the fish’s fillets. It’s a skill he’s flavoured Golden Caviar (lake whitefish perfected over three decades of guiding and roe harvested in northern Manitoba) a lifetime of angling. Nap makes a tower of and distributes it worldwide. tinder and kindling in a sandy depression. Soon it’s a blazing fire. In an often- rehearsed show, the pair chop potatoes and onions, pry open cans of beans and slide Be prepared breaded fish into hot canola oil. • During the summer fishing • Running shoes with good • Always bring raingear. If there’s anything that is more than the season, temperatures can support or hikers are best • Tipping your guide is sum of its parts, it’s shore lunch. Fried fish, dip to freezing and soar as for long days of casting customary, and cash high as 30 C, so layers of from the boat deck. is appreciated. It’s also Shel Zolkewich (@shelzolkewich) is a clothing are ideal. • While meals and accommo- a nice touch to leave Winnipeg-based freelancer whose writing has • Keep it casual. There’s no dations are typically included a little something for appeared in Canadian Gardening, Outdoor such thing as dressing for in the price of your fishing the kitchen and Canada, Western Living and enRoute, dinner at a lodge. trip, alcohol usually is not. cleaning staff. among other magazines.

40 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

FlyFishing_May15.indd 40 2015-03-27 3:14 PM Choose your adventure For over 30 years we’ve been offering amazing wildlife adventures in Canada’s north. PREVIOUS PAGE: SHEL ZOLKEWICH/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC. THIS PAGE, MAP: CHRIS BRACKLEY/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC

Clockwise from above: The North Seal River Lodge; the writer keeps a tight grip on a grayling; a shore lunch side

of fried potatoes and onions ©ERICLINDBERG cooks over a fi re; a lodge guest shows off a 49-inch northern pike he caught and released on one of the area’s lakes. ©DANHARPERPHOTO.COM

I let my lure dip into the water just to she’s a bookie. But today is supposed to make sure my gear is in order and get, be all about the grayling, so we celebrate instead, the surprise of the day. My little briefl y, then get back to the task at hand. rod bends in half, threatening to snap. “Try this one. Tie it right to your line,” There’s something big and mad at the instructs Norman as he hands me the tini- other end, and I know it can only be a est lure I’ve ever seen. It’s a golden northern pike. It’s a fi ght to land the fi sh Panther Martin and it could hide behind while the tackle is still in one piece. a dime. He points to a seam in the rapids. Norman grabs the net and scoops the “Cast right there.” I cast. I miss. I cast beast up as soon as she surfaces. At that again. And miss again. “Again,” he says. moment, the line snaps, sending my “I just saw one jump.” This time I hit the Mepps into the boreal forest behind us. mark, and all of a sudden, electric zigzags In the boat, Norman unfurls the measur- are pulling my line across the water. This

THIS SPREAD, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: FIRST TWO, COURTESY GANGLER’S THIS SPREAD, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: NORTH SEAL RIVER LODGE; LAST TWO, SHEL ZOLKEWICH/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC ing tape again and, wouldn’t you know it, grayling is a feisty fi sh, never playing dead or swimming toward me. Once again, Norman is ready with the net, scooping up Angling masters a big-fi nned beauty. As my heart rate slowly ticks back to Manitoba’s Master Angler pro- normal, I have time to refl ect on the day. gram began in 1960 and remains I’ve inadvertently caught a Master Angler extremely popular. Last year alone, pike on light tackle. I’ve eaten freshly Explore Manitoba with Frontiers North Adventures, more than 10,000 big fi sh were caught lake trout for lunch. And I’ve where polar bears roam, beluga whales sing and added to its record books. For fi nally landed my fi rst Arctic grayling. swim by the hundreds, and the tundra surrounds more information and to see a list you as far as the eye can see. of the top 100 Master Anglers, Read an interview about what it’s like to visit: anglers.travelmanitoba.com. manage a back-country lodge in Manitoba is is not just a vacation. at mag.cangeo.ca/may15/lodge. is is an adventure.

CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 41 PHONE US FOR INFORMATION VISIT US ONLINE 1 204 949 2050 frontiersnorth.com

FlyFishing_May15.indd 41 2015-03-27 3:14 PM Chasing the continent’s biggest and best channel catfi sh a stone’s throw from Winnipeg

BY NICK WALKER PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID LIPNOWSKI

ITY CATS fishing guide and Maybe the muddy and mighty the “channel” species. The provincial founder Todd Longley has a tat- Mississippi comes to mind when you record, pulled from the Red River in 1992, C too of a channel catfi sh on his left think of catfish: enormous, smooth- was a whopping 118 centimetres. So far, bicep and a greenback walleye on his swimming things with rigid forearm- the biggest caught in Slayer, Longley’s right calf. He also has an angel on one length whiskers; muck-loving carnivores six-metre Kingfi sher 1925 Flex Sport boat, forearm, “because,” he jokes, “I set the that yokels sometimes yank out using was nearly 107 centimetres. hook with biblical proportions.” only their fi ngers as bait (an ill-advised Longley guarantees a four-fi sh mini- The Rock ’n’ Roll Fisherman, as he’s tactic called “noodling”). You’d be for- mum when he takes you out. “If you known in Winnipeg, has brought me to given for thinking all that. It’s classic don’t catch at least that many, your next the boat launch at Selkirk, half an hour catfi sh culture. trip is free. I don’t want your money if I north of the big city on the Red can’t produce.” River, for a half-day of hooking Cocksure talk, but produce he monstrous catfi sh. It’s not even We watch the rods in the does. Catfi sh are quick to chomp 6 a.m. on this chilly Friday morn- at the bait: fermenting grocery ing in August, but “we need time gunwales twitch, then store tiger prawns and dead leop- to fi sh out the obvious spots fi rst, slowly , tips sinking ard frogs (collected by kids from before the weekend warriors show bend the local Hutterite community), up.” Then we’ll motor downriver toward the water. both of which produce an irresist- to a couple of Longley’s little- ible stink. We watch the black, known hot spots, which he’s dubbed The Red River could be mistaken for saltwater-fi sh-strength rods mounted in “Rock Pile Number Two” and “The a waterway in the Deep South. It’s wide Slayer’s gunwales twitch, then slowly bend, Barking Dog” — high-producing proprie- and muddy, with lush greenery draping tips sinking toward the water. “Oh! There’s tary secrets on a few miles of Red River its banks and squadrons of white peli- shrimp on sale!” shouts Longley, shaking famous for growing more huge channel cans and solitary bald eagles fl ying about. his blond rocker hair out of his face as he cats than anywhere else on the continent. The fat catfi sh skulking beneath its sur- leaps up. “Take it! Take it! Fish on!” The last place I fi shed was a small pond face just add to the kinship. With a controlled fl ick of the rod and at a trout farm near Ottawa. I was fi ve. Unlike those Dixie rivers, though, some quick reeling, the hook, razor- “You are a piece of dough,” says the Rock which are also prowling grounds for blue sharp and barbless (as all hooks must be ’n’ Roll Fisherman. “I will mould you.” and white catfi sh, Manitoba cats are all of in Manitoba) is set deep.

42 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

CatFishing_May15.indd 42 2015-03-24 9:40 AM Sunrise on the Red River (left), home to some of North America’s biggest channel catfish. Clockwise from near right: tools of the cat- fishing trade; hooks are baited with dead tiger prawns and leopard frogs; Guide Todd Longley (left) and author Nick Walker show off their catches.

Selkirk

The next few minutes are physical, a bit technical, and some of the greatest fun I’ve had on or off water. For a time it’s just angler and fish, a much-abridged Hemingway-esque struggle (or that’s what I tell myself; The Old Man and the Sea this isn’t) that can end with the animal swallowing its prize and swimming off triumphant, or with it netted and heaved into the boat. There it thrashes, briefly, in centimetres in length are worthy of that and snapped the 30-pound line as I a wet Tupperware bin before lying provincial designation) and lost three to hauled too eagerly against the current; a resigned to being measured, admired and broken lines. By Master Angler program record-sized fish, I’m sure of it. There’s gawked at, picked up, photographed and standards, five makes you a “Specialist.” no proof, of course — just the powerful then slipped back into the murk. Proud of my new title and arms limp from kicks that I felt on the end of the line long-drawn-out poses with the slippery, combined with my imagination. JUST TWO HOURS, one Monster nearly 16-kilogram creatures, all I wanted I would catch and release four more energy drink and four pepperettes into the was to catch another. And another. Master Anglers that day. Driving out of day, I had wrestled in five brawny Master But part of catfishing, it turns out, is Selkirk, we stop to see the 11-metre Anglers (channel catfish exceeding 86.5 controlling your enthusiasm. Jerk back statue of Chuck the Channel Cat, with its on the rod too soon, or too hard, and a plaque touting the town as “Catfish MANITOBA FACT personal best could end up swimming Capital of the World.” And while looking back into the shadows. Longley coaches up at Chuck’s smug fibreglass smile, I In the 1870s, steamboats were a com- from the stern while he jams a hook into vow to come back some day to chase the mon sight on the Red River, transporting another shrimp-frog combo: “Just relax, record-setter that outwitted me. goods and people between Winnipeg tire him out. Enjoy the fight, keep your and the United States. The growth of rail line tight and you’ll do all right. Hey, that Watch a video about the art of angling for soon brought about the downfall of this rhymes! I should remember that one.” catfish on the Red River, with scenes of Todd mode of transportation in the region. Months later, I would still relive the Longley and Nick Walker hooking some big

MAP: CHRIS BRACKLEY/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC moment one monster expertly twisted ones, at mag.cangeo.ca/may15/catfish.

CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 43

CatFishing_May15.indd 43 2015-03-24 9:40 AM WINNIPEG

Three tributesRules! — from an outsider, a former resident and a life-long Winnipegger — to Manitoba’s capital

ILLUSTRATIONS BY TARA HARDY

44 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

WinnipegEssays_May15.indd 44 2015-03-31 3:12 PM THE CITY OF THE FUTURE

BY NOAH RICHLER

INNIPEG IS Canada’s old have cited when, in his novel Austerlitz, putting a shoulder to the rest of Canada soul, but also its future. A published short weeks after 9/11, he with their own very particular ideas about Wcentury ago, the people of wrote, “outsize buildings cast the shadow love. It is the seat of the brilliant fi lm Winnipeg looked upon home and saw a of their own destruction before them, and director Guy Maddin’s My Winnipeg, ode city that was at once the breadbasket are designed from the fi rst with an eye to to a city he imagined to be sleepwalking. of North America and at the crossroads of their later existence as ruins.” But this is not a geography of failure: railways surely destined, in the dawn Places have a memory, said Sebald, the magnifi cent skyscrapers of Winnipeg’s of the new technological age, to be as because “they activate memory in those loftily aspiring 1920s core are not ruins, vital to the continent’s booming economy who look at them.” For decades, the mem- and today they and the city’s warehouses as “The Forks” of the Red and Assiniboine ories that Winnipeg prompted were diffi - are home to the liveliest First Nations rivers had been to the fur trade. cult. Prosperity was evasive, and the desire cultural scene in the country and to artists Drought had not yet turned the North for the city that Winnipeg might be was and craftspeople and filmmakers and American Midwest into a dust bowl. The unrequited and a constant, the yearning musicians whose energy and spirit is giv- stock market had not yet crashed. that defi ned it. Wi-nipe-k, Cree settlement ing the city around the sleeping towers a Winnipeg was not yet a city that airplanes of the “muddy waters,” had been, before new direction. In studios and spaces they leapt over, making the railways redundant. the advent of the Grand Trunk Railway, can afford (this, too, is geography) they are The swaggering skyscrapers of Winnipeg’s the last stop of migrants pushing on to making a new Forks — of ideas, rooted in Exchange District, with their high expecta- work the prairie fi elds; looking back at history and looking, as ever, to the future. tions carved in brash doors and decorative what was then Fort Garry, they knew the friezes of engineers, labourers, miners anxious love that a fresh start and fear of Noah Richler (@knowwhereyouare) is the and surveyors, were not yet relics. The an uncertain future brought upon them. author of This Is My Country, What’s Weakerthans’ ironically named One Great Later, it was home to Mennonites such as Yours? A Literary Atlas of Canada and What City!, “leaning into the sky,” was not yet those Canadian novelist Miriam Toews We Talk About When We Talk About War. one of those places W.G. Sebald might exposed, setting up utopian communities

CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 45

WinnipegEssays_May15.indd 45 2015-03-31 3:12 PM A COMMUNITY WELCOMED ME

BY PAY CHEN

EOPLE MOVE to Manitoba?” comfortable Goldilocks temperature that was bison and tobogganed down a hill made That was the tongue-in-cheek reac- neither too hot nor too cold, and sunshine of garbage (Garbage Hill is a former trash Ption I received when I announced that would kiss your face until well into the dump that is now a reclaimed space, and I was moving to Winnipeg. Single, in my evening. I would sit on a sunny patio at locals are fond of sharing its story). “mid-30s, and having made a modest living 9 p.m. and marvel that it was … 9 p.m. I developed an appreciation for local in Canadian media, I told myself I was With the beautiful summers also food during the years I lived in Winnipeg. heading on an adventure. A job offer took comes the famously cold Manitoba win- A strong and supportive food community me to Manitoba. A community welcomed ters. The winters that people warned me made up of farmers, producers and chefs me and made it my home. about. “Plug in your car.” “Get a remote works hard to make Manitoba stand out Winnipeggers are known for being car starter.” “Don’t worry, it’s a dry cold,” with interesting ingredients and innova- kind. Take it from this Maritimer who they told me. But winter is winter, and in tive dishes. I became the person who believes East Coast friendliness can’t be Manitoba it doesn’t keep anyone from would wake up early on Saturday morn- beat: Winnipeggers are friendly. What I getting out and enjoying every type of ings to drive out to St. Norbert Farmers’ found during the years I lived in Manitoba winter activity imaginable. Not only did Market and buy flats of fresh eggs, is that Manitobans really want you to like people deal with winter, they celebrated smoked goldeye, freshly made perogies, it there. They want you to see and experi- it. The popular province-wide Festival du Mennonite breads and pastries, and bags ence the best of what they have. They are Voyageur is essentially a winter festival of local vegetables. proud, they are loyal and they hope you with a long list of outdoor activities and Yes, people do move to Manitoba. And will feel the same. events. RAW: almond is a stunning din- even if they move away again, they look It wasn’t until I lived in Winnipeg that I ing experience that brings people forward to returning. realized how many talented people lived together and warms your belly while you there, too. There was never a lack of music, feast on the frozen river. If you are will- Pay Chen (@PayChen) was co-host of cultural performances, theatre or art. It’s a ing to embrace it, winter in Manitoba will Breakfast Television Winnipeg between 2009 city where people love to create, love to show you the beauty of winter, period. and 2011. A broadcaster and writer, Chen entertain and love to share. I saw sprawling bright yellow canola now hosts The Pay Chen Show on Toronto It was in Winnipeg that I learned to love fi elds for the fi rst time in Manitoba, ate radio station Newstalk 1010. summer weather again. The kind of bannock, came face-to-face with wild

46 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

WinnipegEssays_May15.indd 46 2015-03-31 3:12 PM A DICKENSIAN CITY OF OPPOSITES

BY JAKE MACDONALD

ITH ITS Manichean reputa- along the banks courting, cycling, play- How does anyone end up where they tion for extreme cold and ing music and strolling the pathways. In live? My great-grandfather grew up in the Wheat, beauty and ugliness and the winter, the rivers freeze and become Highlands, crossed the Atlantic on a sail- internationally renowned arts scene, one of the longest skating rinks in the ing ship and settled in Nova Scotia. His Winnipeg is a Dickensian city of opposites. world. FortWhyte Alive is another son tumbled west like a wind-blown seed Visiting entertainers can’t resist musing extreme — a swath of wild habitat that’s and eventually sprouted a son — my about the reasons for living here. Merle probably the best nature education facil- father, who went to grad school at the Haggard remarked, “I’ve been to Winnipeg ity in North America. University of Toronto, then built a career three times and haven’t won a pig yet.” The city is well known, too, for the mas- in Winnipeg. I attended primary school Homer Simpson drove up to Winnipeg sive arching trees that add a storybook in south Winnipeg, and spent my after- with the family in search of cheap prescrip- proscenium to even the rawest streets. noons feeling that the inexorable drive tion drugs, and the sign outside the city Over a century ago, far-sighted founders wheels of Catholicism were going to read, “Welcome to Winnipeg! We were planted American elms throughout the crush my brain like a patty. My only ref- born here, what’s your excuse?” city, and they’ve grown up into a canopy so uge was looking out the window at the Despite the gags, Winnipeg is one of dense that from a high vantage Winnipeg snow sifting down through the uplifted the best cities in Canada. Great old homes, looks more like a forest than a city. During fingers of the beautiful elms in the low prices, and lots of jobs if you want hot summers, the elms become giant schoolyard. As I grew up, I travelled back them. Writers have to travel, incessantly, spritzers, ingesting carbon dioxide and and forth across the country, lived in and I fi nd it convenient being in the cen- exhaling thousands of tonnes of oxygen and many of Canada’s cities, and loved all of tre of the continent. High on my list too is water vapour. Elm trees are such good leafy them. Each year added a growth ring of the natural landscape — drive for an hour citizens that most of the cities along the appreciation for the place I call home, and you’re in the lake country. But you East Coast of North America chose them and nowadays, I’m living in a classy old don’t need to leave the city to enjoy nature. long ago as boulevard trees. But all those apartment only a few blocks away from On a summer day, the tree-lined rivers are urban forests have been razed by Dutch the elm trees that still stand outside that busy with people canoeing and fi shing or elm disease. According to legend, the guilty classroom window. beetle hitched a ride into Winnipeg with an Winnipeg-based writer Jake MacDonald also Airstream trailer convoy in 1975. But city Love Winnipeg? Share your passion for the wrote this issue’s feature story on the secrets of arborists and volunteers fought back, and city in words or pictures with Canadian Manitoba’s legislative building (see page 54). today Winnipeg still has 140,000 elms, the Geographic on Twitter (@CanGeo) or largest urban elm forest in North America. Facebook (facebook.com/cangeo).

CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 47

WinnipegEssays_May15.indd 47 2015-03-31 3:12 PM A MUSEUM OF IDEAS

A Museum of idées mga ideya Ideen רעיונות ideeën hugmyndir

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights sparks thoughtful refl ection

BY HARRY WILSON

48 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

CMHR_May15.indd 48 2015-04-02 9:56 AM A MUSEUM OF IDEAS

CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 49

CMHR_May15.indd 49 2015-04-02 9:56 AM A MUSEUM OF IDEAS

IT MIGHT COME as a surprise that the Yes, yes, the learned and impatient through the museum’s 10 permanent ceremonial cornerstone of the Canadian among you might say after barely glanc- galleries and into its airy, light-filled apex. Museum for Human Rights is a slab from ing at the stone and wandering deeper While that stone is certainly no substitute a historic riverside meadow more than into the museum’s subterranean entry for the real Magna Carta (a 1225 version I6,000 kilometres away. hall, where a giant screen welcomes visi- of which museum visitors actually will be But while it is by no means a highlight tors in 27 different languages. I get it. I able to see when it comes to Winnipeg of the $351-million behemoth that rises know that the “Great Charter” is widely con- from Aug. 15 to Sept. 18 as part of a four- from the clayey earth near the confluence sidered to be a seminal human rights docu- city Canadian tour), it does represent the of the Red and Assiniboine rivers in giant ment, the echoes of which can be found in charter. And in doing so, it lays the blocks of honey-coloured Tyndall lime- modern-day equivalents such as the groundwork for what this building, the stone and vast, overlapping sheaths of American Bill of Rights and the United first national museum built outside the undulating glass before topping out with Nations Universal Declaration of Human National Capital Region, really is: a place a 100-metre observation tower, the pres- Rights. Can we get to the artifacts, please? that is not so much a repository of relics ence of the rock from Runnymede, the But wait. Slow down. There’s some- as it is one of ideas. site in southeast England where in 1215 thing you need to know, something you King John affixed his seal to the Magna need to think about before you start your Exhibits in the museum’s galleries (below Carta, makes perfect sense in a building journey from this dim cavern with the and left) are as striking as the building’s that’s fraught with symbolism. floor that looks like dried Red River clay, exterior (bottom and previous pages). PREVIOUS SPREAD: COURTESY CMHR. THIS SPREAD, FAR LEFT AND BOTTOM: COURTESY CMHR; TOP LEFT: HARRY WILSON/CG STAFF; TOP RIGHT: MIKE GRANDMAISON TOP RIGHT: HARRY WILSON/CG STAFF; PREVIOUS SPREAD: COURTESY CMHR. THIS SPREAD, FAR LEFT AND BOTTOM: CMHR; TOP LEFT:

50 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

CMHR_May15.indd 50 2015-04-02 9:57 AM A MUSEUM OF IDEAS

Walkways clad in backlit Spanish alabaster criss-cross the museum’s interior, leading visitors from gallery to gallery (right).

“WE ARE THE ONLY MUSEUM in the world that looks at human rights itself, as a concept and aspiration, and we take an educational approach,” says Maureen Fitzhenry, the museum’s media rela- Despite the controversy of what it may that plays silent mini-documentary films tions manager, raising her voice over the or may not focus on, however, it’s difficult on Canadian human rights stories such as musical babble of other voices that are to find fault with the quality (superb, and the internment of Japanese-Canadian citi- part of the sound installation on the often artistic) and quantity (voluminous, zens during the Second World War. Below ramp leading up to the “What are and with a strong digital focus) of the the screen are 18 exhibit alcoves, each delv- Human Rights?” gallery. “And just as museum’s exhibits, the tone for which is ing more deeply, and often in a much more we’re not a collections-based museum, set in the “What are Human Rights?” gal- personal way, into similar topics. Here, the we’re also not a collection of all the sto- lery. Here you’ll find a timeline of 100 key essence of the misguided and barbarous ries that are worth telling about human moments in human rights history, artifacts ideas of the residential schools system is rights. Instead, we look at human rights such as a ballot box from South Africa’s summed up in the words of Nora Bernard, themes and pull up examples of viola- first democratic election and a set of iron a Mi’kmaq residential school survivor: “The tions, of successes, of defenders, to illu- manacles used to shackle slaves in the goal was to take our culture and our lan- minate those themes.” United States, and a fantastical multimedia guage away from us.” Over there, a black- Fitzhenry’s explanation addresses the show featuring shimmering silver man- and-white photo of a smiling Chris Vogel damned-if-it-does, damned-if-it-doesn’t nequins ghosting to and fro behind a and Rich North taken on Feb. 11, 1974, criticism the museum has the day of their wedding — the received since before it opened The quality and quantity second same-sex ceremony per- about including particular stories formed in Canada, and one that (the Holocaust) while not treating of the museum’s Manitoba has yet to recognize. others as prominently or even exhibits is superb. Farther over still, the story of Viola properly, whatever that means Desmond, a black woman who in (First Nations, residential schools, room-length translucent screen upon 1946 took a stand against racial discrimina- Ukraine’s Holodomor famine, Palestine, which play video clips of Manitobans shar- tion when she refused to move to a balcony the Japanese; the list is, as you can imagine ing their perspective on human rights. seat in a segregated New Glasgow, N.S., with a subject as emotive as human It’s fascinating, heart-wrenching, inspir- movie theatre. She was arrested and even- rights, lengthy). “The perception of ing stuff that all combines, as Corey tually convicted of failing to pay one cent what we were going to be before we Timpson, the museum’s director of exhibi- in tax (the difference in price between a opened was almost impossible to dis- tions and digital media, told the Edmonton balcony and main-floor ticket) for her trou- lodge,” she sighs. Journal the day the museum opened, “to ble. Nova Scotia pardoned Desmond in get everyone on the same starting page.” 2010, 45 years after she died and 64 years MANITOBA FACT Having examined the genesis and after her “crime.” importance of human rights, the Winnipeg’s Union Station, completed museum promptly (and perhaps pur- in 1911, was also built out of local posefully) proceeds to show in the Tyndall limestone. Many marine fossils “Canadian Journeys” gallery how those STORIES SUCH AS those contained in are visible in the walls of this Beaux- same rights have been ignored, violated, the “Canadian Journeys” gallery are Arts-style railway station, including tri- fought for, attained and celebrated in this meant to spark discussion, to make you lobites, nautiluses and coral. country. It’s the largest gallery in the think — remember, this is an ideas

PREVIOUS SPREAD: COURTESY CMHR. THIS SPREAD, FAR LEFT AND BOTTOM: COURTESY CMHR; TOP LEFT: HARRY WILSON/CG STAFF; TOP RIGHT: MIKE GRANDMAISON TOP RIGHT: HARRY WILSON/CG STAFF; PREVIOUS SPREAD: COURTESY CMHR. THIS SPREAD, FAR LEFT AND BOTTOM: CMHR; TOP LEFT: building, with a 29-metre-long screen museum — and you’ll find you do so as

CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 51

CMHR_May15.indd 51 2015-04-02 9:57 AM FEEL YOUR HEART BEAT IN EASTERN MANITOBA LOCAL CULTURE AND OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES COME TOGETHER FOR A TRIP YOU WON’T SOON FORGET. TAKE A HIKE IN THE BOREAL FOREST, TRAVEL A HISTORIC TRAIL AND FIND YOURSELF IN THE SPIRITED WILDS OF EASTERN MANITOBA.

Feel the exhilaration as you bike or hike on your back country trail adventure. Turn the next corner to awe- inspiring vistas overlooking lakes and Canadian Shield. Following the 370km Border to Beaches trail you feel it – your connection with nature. trailsmanitoba.ca you rise through the building, walking Clockwise from above: the REDress Project up long ramps clad in backlit Spanish represents missing and murdered aboriginal alabaster that zigzag, Escher-like, across women in Canada; a digital exhibit on a cavernous interior. atrocities; masks created by former You can skip these walkways and zip captives of the Lord’s Resistance Army. from floor to floor via elevator, of course, but doing so will rob you of of two things: the sheer awe that comes with the incred- ible, neck-craning views they offer and the among the Allied nations during that time to absorb what you’ve seen. While period. Or not to feel shocked after walk- many likely won’t need ing away from a Imagine, stepping back in time, battling the elements to process seeing such remarkable digital for the survival of a developing country. Take a journey Stories such as those artifacts as handwritten study table and display on the Crow Wing Trail and see what our Metis culture would have seen in the early 1800’s, feel the elements notes from Canada’s contained in the that examines in great on your skin and know that you are following a path to 1981 “Kitchen Accord” ‘Canadian Journeys’ depth the secrecy and one great country. (which broke a 1981 denial involved in so crowwingtrail.ca deadlock between the gallery are meant to many atrocities, provinces and the fed- spark discussion, including the five eral government over genocides that Canada patriating the constitu- to make you think. officially recognizes: tion) with more than a the Holodomor, the “neat,” other exhibits are more challeng- Holocaust, the 1915 Armenian genocide ing. It’s difficult, for instance, to not leave in Turkey, the 1994 massacres in Rwanda the “Examining the Holocaust” gallery and the ethnic cleansing that occurred in without feeling ashamed to learn that Srebrenica from 1992 to 1995. between 1933 and 1948 Canada accepted Upward, then, along those glowing only 5,000 Jews, the lowest number ramps, and toward the light of the muse- um’s top levels, home to stories that help For more than half a century, over a quarter reaffirm your faith in humanity — per- million visitors experienced the natural forests, Harry Wilson (@mrwilsonh) is Canadian nature trails, and educational programs at Geographic Travel’s senior editor. haps because so many of them involve

Sandilands Forest Discovery Centre. Discover young people. COURTESY CMHR TOP RIGHT: HARRY WILSON/CG STAFF; THIS SPREAD, LEFT AND BOTTOM RIGHT: the beauty and diversity of the boreal forest. THINK TREES....WE DO. thinktrees.org/Sandilands_Forest_Discovery_Centre

CMHR_May15.indd 52 2015-04-02 9:57 AM REVITALISED

REFRESHED

REFURBISHED In the “Inspiring Change” gallery, you But perhaps the most powerful ideas Introducing our newly discover that young Ugandan girls who and inspirations in this gallery come from escaped from the Lord’s Resistance Army museum visitors themselves, who have left renovated coped with the trauma and ensuing stigma more than 5,000 messages on sheets of Fairmont Gold floor. of their capture by painting masks. “The paper topped with the words “I imagine ….” black represents the bad memories that we They range from the crossed-out red- Experience exclusive still hold in our minds and hearts,” one lettered word “FEAR” to words — drawn amenities and privileges, from survivor is quoted as saying. “The yellow is in a child’s scrawling hand — that are no a private lounge and check-in, for the sun,” another adds. “We see that we less powerful an idea than the one symbol- have freedom now and can use our voice to ized by that stone from Runnymede several to a dedicated concierge team, speak for our children.” Here too is the storeys below: “I imagine … that one day all delicious evening canapés and bejewelled red dress that Mareshia Rucker people will be equal.” daily breakfast service. wore to her Georgia high school’s first racially integrated prom, an event that she Read more about the Canadian Museum After you immerse yourself in the helped organize — in 2013. Change, it for Human Rights’ architecture in an inter- Fairmont Gold experience once, turns out, can look like anything — even a view with one of the building’s tour guides you’ll never want to stay any- THIS SPREAD, LEFT AND BOTTOM RIGHT: HARRY WILSON/CG STAFF; TOP RIGHT: COURTESY CMHR TOP RIGHT: HARRY WILSON/CG STAFF; THIS SPREAD, LEFT AND BOTTOM RIGHT: prom dress. at mag.cangeo.ca/may15/cmhr. where else.

For reservationsCANADIAN or moreGEOGRAPHIC information, callTRAVEL 1-866-540-4467 53 or visit www.fairmont.com/winnipeg.

CMHR_May15.indd 53 2015-04-02 9:57 AM RIDDLES IN STONE

A stone fi gure watches over the Grand Staircase Hall in Manitoba’s legislative building.

54 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

HermeticCode_May15.indd 54 2015-03-26 2:04 PM Riddles in stone The number of the beast, sacrifi cial altars and a raging goddess with snakes for hair – what’s not to love about the Manitoba legislature?

BY JAKE MACDONALD PHOTOGRAPHY BY RUTH BONNEVILLE

RANK ALBO was driving pondered the head of Medusa above who knew me would think it was just home from university one the great southern arch and tape- another one of my crackpot theories. But sunny spring afternoon in measured the grand staircase hall, I wasn’t making these things up. The 2002 when he saw some- determining that each side was exactly evidence was obvious. All these years the Fthing that made him veer to the side of 66.6 feet, which echoed the fact that the building’s latent purpose had been hid- the road. He was a young undergraduate length and width of the building’s exte- ing in plain sight.” student at the University of Winnipeg, rior add up to 666 feet. Surely these and his eye had been caught by a pair of ancient references weren’t accidents. stone sphinxes glinting in the setting What did they mean? sun. As a scholar of architecture and With each new clue, Albo became THE PAGAN SYMBOLS were so con- ancient symbolism, he wondered why more certain that he’d uncovered a hid- spicuous that Albo was surprised they two icons of ancient Egypt were den purpose to the building. For almost hadn’t attracted more attention. Why had ensconced above the entrance of the a century the legislative building had no one ever questioned the presence of a Manitoba legislative building. been functioning as an ordinary seat of snake-haired Gorgon presiding over the It wasn’t unusual for early-20th-cen- government. Countless citizens, bureau- south entrance of the legislature? What tury buildings to use Egyptian iconog- crats and politicians had walked through about the presence of the number 13 raphy, but something about the precise its cavernous hallways, never once real- throughout the building? Why were east-west positioning of the sphinxes izing that it had a hidden identity as an there 13 steps in each fl ight of stairs, 13 seemed deliberate, almost as if they immense pagan temple. lights in each of the rotunda’s light fi x- were intended to send a message. Over Albo knew his “discovery” would get a tures and 13 seats behind the Speaker’s the next few days, Albo wandered skeptical reception. “I expected that chair? Totemic cattle skulls (ancient sym- through the halls of the palatial build- everyone would think I was nuts,” he bols to ward off evil) lined the perimeter of ing, studying the odd symbols, mysteri- admits years later. “I’ve always been the grand staircase hall and in the centre ously patterned marble floors and interested in solving mysteries. In fact, I of the building, directly beneath a statue of curiously proportioned meeting rooms. started a ghost-hunting club when I was the Greek god Hermes, was the Pool of the He gazed up at the massive bronze a kid, long before the movie Ghostbusters Black Star. The pool was a large, circular, bison bulls guarding the staircase, came out, so I suspected that anyone empty marble chamber with a marble

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Clockwise from right: Frank Albo, who unlocked the secrets of Manitoba’s legislature; Hermes atop the building’s dome; a mural with a coded illustration of the Passion of Christ and a Masonic initiation; a classically detailed brass hoop.

starburst in the floor — a centrepiece that on his findings for his University of resembled an ancient sacrificial altar and Winnipeg program, and the paper was a the emblem of Venus, or at least Frank hit with his teachers and fellow students. Albo thought so. Luckily, he found an old, A year later, in 2004, he was halfway discontinued guidebook to the building, through a graduate program at the written in 1925, that described the sym- University of Toronto when Gary Doer, bolic purpose of the pool: then premier of Manitoba, called and asked him to pay a visit the next time he There should be an Altar here, and a Priest, was in Winnipeg. and the image of a god, and a victim and a When Albo walked into the premier’s Albo took his permit seriously and curved knife, and a circle of white-robed wor- office later that year, Doer opened the was sometimes so obsessed with his shippers around the outer edge of the Pool, conversation by saying, “So, I hear you work he couldn’t sleep. (One night at and the victim should be on the Altar and the think our building is haunted!” Albo, a 3 a.m., security guards detained him curved knife should flash; the floor is stained; charming zealot who is untroubled by when they spotted him in his pajamas, dull red stains are trickling through the black shyness, launched into his pitch. “I basi- climbing a statue of Major General veins of the marble. cally told him that I didn’t think it was James Wolfe with a flashlight.) The ongo- haunted, but that it was certainly a ing research strengthened his conviction Albo determined the guidebook was treasure house of mysteries superior to that the legislative building had an occult written by Thomas Leslie, a member of the White House or any other place of purpose. “Occult” in the classical mean- the secret society known as Freemasons government in North America.” Doer ing, as in, hidden. But what was it? that traces its origins to 14th-century listened intently, with a curious smile, stonemasons, “presumably under the and offered Albo a grant to continue his direction of the architect Frank Simon.” research, plus a “letter of safe passage” But Simon’s reasons for placing a sacri- that would allow him to conduct ALBO’S RESEARCH led him back ficial altar in the centre of the building research on the property as required, to Frank W. Simon, the English architect remained a mystery. Albo wrote an essay day or night. whose design for the legislative building

56 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

HermeticCode_May15.indd 56 2015-03-26 2:05 PM RIDDLES IN STONE

had been selected over 66 rival submis- so-called “Chicago of the North,” would Clockwise from above: the main entrance sions. (That number again!) At the time, soon become one of the biggest and most of the building, completed in 1920; the designing Manitoba’s house of govern- important cities in North America. In carved tympanum of Lady Manitoba from ment would have been one of the most 1911, Rodmond Roblin, premier of the the front pediment; the Pool of the Black sought-after architectural commissions in province, announced the decision to build Star, a mysterious altar on the main floor. the world. Before the Panama Canal a legislature appropriate to the city’s glow- opened in 1914, freight was mostly ing future. Roblin was a Freemason, as design inspiration from the icons of shipped by rail, and thanks to its location was Simon. ancient Egypt and Greco-Roman mythol- in the centre of the continent, Winnipeg Simon was a highly educated man ogy, and the Freemasons advanced the was growing exponentially. Developers who had studied at the École des Beaux- notion that knowledge of geometry was and investors believed that Winnipeg, the Arts in Paris during the 1880s, when a gift from God. Simon, as a follower of mysticism and spiritualism were still in these movements, believed that a perfectly Jake MacDonald has won numerous National the air, and he no doubt was influenced proportioned building echoed the perfec- Magazine Awards. Ruth Bonneville is an by unconventional secret society move- tion of nature and enhanced the spiritual accomplished photojournalist at the Winnipeg ments such as Hermetic philosophy, development of the building’s occupants. Free Press. Both live in Winnipeg. Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry. The Other architects in Europe and the United school of Beaux-Arts drew much of its States tinkered with the principles of

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Freemasonry, but Simon was the first to “And powerful numbers like 13 and 666 above, left to right: the Grand Staircase create an entire seat of government as may also have positive connotations. Hall with its protective statuary; the an expression of Masonic ideals. His Medieval occult philosophers assigned second-floor rotunda that mimics belief was that the legislators would be the number 666 to the sun, which ruled the cycles of the stars; carved figures on so enchanted by the physical perfection over all the gods of heaven and Earth.” the third floor of the Grand Staircase Hall. of the building that their basest Alchemy is another recurrent theme opposite: A west-facing sphinx on instincts would be transmuted, as if by throughout Simon’s design. At the crown the building’s roof. alchemy, into sweet impulses of altru- of the building, 242 feet (74 metres) above ism and co-operation. ground level, the copper dome is sur- had accounted for almost $8 million (compared with $1.8 million for the Saskatchewan legislative building and Simon’s belief was that the legislators would be so $2.1 million for the one in Alberta), and Premier Roblin and his cabinet blamed enchanted by the physical perfection of the building the ballooning costs on Simon and his that their basest instincts would be transmuted. perfectionistic tinkering. But a suspicious lieutenant-governor, Douglas Colin Cameron, launched an investigation and If the intent of the building was to rounded by stone sculptures representing learned that the building’s contractor, elevate and purify, then why the macabre the four elements of alchemy — water, Thomas Kelly, had embezzled as much as symbols such as the Gorgon and the sac- fire, earth and air. When harmoniously $1.2 million from the project and may rificial altar? Frank Albo says the architect combined, these are thought to create the have passed some of it to his patrons in was fighting fire with fire, so to speak, by purest substance, gold. And fittingly, the the Conservative government, including, employing these powerful icons to ward crown is topped by a gold-plated statue allegedly, the premier himself. Roblin off even more evil influences. of the Greek god Hermes (known locally resigned and Kelly was sent to Stony “You’ll often see gargoyles mounted as the “Golden Boy”) triumphantly jog- on Gothic churches, public buildings ging into the future without a stitch of MANITOBA FACT and grand hotels for the same reason,” underwear to protect him from says Albo, who is now an architectural Winnipeg’s legendary north wind. About 150 terracotta and cut-stone consultant and professor of architectural heritage buildings, including early sky- history at the University of Winnipeg. scrapers, make Winnipeg’s Exchange District (the original core of the city and Tours of the legislative building run daily CONSTRUCTION OF the building a national historic site) one of the larg- from mid-April to the end of September. For began in 1913, but was soon stalled by est and best-preserved collections of more details on tours and the building, visit the onset of the First World War and this architecture in North America. gov.mb.ca/mit/legtour/index.html. gross cost overruns. By 1915, the project

58 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

HermeticCode_May15.indd 58 2015-03-26 2:05 PM Mountain Penitentiary, where he served A bestselling book entitled The Hermetic nine months of a 2½-year sentence, Code has popularized Frank Albo’s research Great White much of it, according to a relative, spent on the legislative building, and although he living in the warden’s house, where on is sometimes described as “Canada’s Dan Saturday nights “his friends would go Brown” (author of The Da Vinci Code), he Bear Tours Inc. and they would play poker.” cringes at the comparison. “This is not fic- Canada’s premier Although Simon was cleared of any tion,” he says. Still, he has developed a flair wrongdoing in the scandal, the public was as a lecturer and showman, and over the polar bear tour company fed up with the cost of the building, and past several years has been conducting the new Liberal provincial government tours, entertaining and educating visitors elected in the spring of 1915 refused to about the occult significance of the build- provide any more cash for the project. ing’s statues, ornaments and numerologi- Simon offered to forgo his $100,000 fee if cal proportions. the province agreed to finish the building The Manitoba legislative building will to specification. And the labourers, who mark its 100th birthday in 2020. So far, had fallen in love with the monumental more than 15,000 visitors have showed project, also offered to work for less if the up to listen to Albo explain its myriad building was completed, but the govern- odd symbols and statues — all of which ment stood firm and Simon was forced to might have been overlooked and lost to wrap up the job before it was finished. history if he hadn’t driven by that spring Today, niches in the long, echoing hall- afternoon, and puzzled at those sun- ways designed to contain statues of Zeus gilded sphinxes. and other pagan gods are empty, the high dome is covered with copper instead of Hear more about the Manitoba legislative stone, and some of the interior walls are building’s secrets on a virtual tour narrated finished with plaster instead of marble. by Frank Albo at mag.cangeo.ca/may15/tour. Come and explore the realm of the polar bear and make memories to last a lifetime.

Churchill, Manitoba Phone: 1-866-765-8344 Email: [email protected] greatwhitebeartours.comCANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 59

HermeticCode_May15.indd 59 2015-03-26 2:05 PM oasisAn on the prairie

60 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

RMNP_May15.indd 60 2015-03-31 3:59 PM RIDING MOUNTAIN

Psst … don’t tell anyone, but Riding Mountain National Park might just be Manitoba’s best-kept secret

BY HARRY WILSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT TINKER

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T IS STILL a hell of a thing to bridge must have beckoned, too, much as approach Riding Mountain they do today. National Park from the east, along The gate remains a working entrance the gravel and dirt of arrow- to this 3,000-square-kilometre patchwork straight Highway 19, with the sun of boreal forest, aspen parkland, fescue of high summer beating down on prairie, wetlands and lakes that, when Riding Mountain Iyou and a boiling cloud of dust in your seen on a map, resembles a .38-calibre National Park rear-view mirror. revolver, its barrel pointing west. Stick I say “still” because it also must have ’em up, Banff, it could be saying. I’ve got been a hell of a thing back in July and you beat! And for my money, it has.

August of 1933, when visitors from places Here’s why. Despite its mountainous 5 Dauphin such as Winnipeg, some 265 kilometres muscularity, surreally cerulean glacial to the southeast, crunched along the then lakes and in-your-face elk, a park such as newly built road in their Studebakers and Banff can sometimes feel like too much Riding Mountain Packards toward the then newly opened of a known quantity. Perhaps that’s inevi- National Park national park, watching the Manitoba table when you’re Canada’s oldest and East 19 Gate Escarpment lurch up from the prairie as most celebrated national park. Riding Wasagaming Kelwood they drew closer to and fi nally stopped at Mountain, on the other hand, retains an something you can still see today: the air of the unknown, the unexplored (or, 16

magnifi cent East Gate. at least, the underexplored). Perhaps 0 40 km Car touring was a nascent pastime in that’s inevitable in Manitoba, a province Minnedosa the early 1930s, and the gate was that too many Canadians probably don’t designed not only as a place from which know well enough. attendants could register visitors and dispense information but also as a land- “WE HAVE THE MOST accessible wild- whether I’d see wildlife are echoing in mark that symbolized to motorists that life in North America.” my head as an enormous plains bison they had arrived at the park’s boundary. It’s not much past 7:30 a.m. and the stands in the road and stares balefully at It guarded the park, but its grandly rustic words of the park staffer who the day us. This is, perhaps, a little too accessible, I twin log-and-stone kiosks linked by a before had answered my query about think, given the bison is fewer than

Pat Rousseau (above) is a guide in Riding Mountain National Park, the home of bison (left), Bald Hill (opposite) and Clear and

South lakes (previous pages, left to right). MAPS: CHRIS BRACKLEY/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC

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5 Dauphin

Riding Mountain National Park East 19 Gate Wasagaming Kelwood

16

0 40 km Minnedosa MAPS: CHRIS BRACKLEY/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC

CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 63

RMNP_May15.indd 63 2015-03-31 3:59 PM RIDING MOUNTAIN

10 metres away and looks like it could tip treeline, but keep our eyes peeled for signs We pull over and Davar leads the way over our shuttle bus with a flick of its of the park’s other wild inhabitants, which out of the bus and deeper into the great shaggy head. include great horned owls, red-tailed hawks, meadow, which is bursting with colour I’ve journeyed out to the bison range a host of songbirds and waterfowl, wolves, from bergamots and purple asters as the near Lake Audy from Wasagaming, the coyotes, lynx, cougars, pine martens, fish- flowers slowly open in the morning heat. park’s charming townsite on the south ers, moose, elk, white-tailed deer and black “To me,” he says, “mid-August is the most shore of Clear Lake, for some wild- magical time of the year on the life watching with Celes Davar, prairie in the park.” who runs Earth Rhythms, a bou- The bison looks like it He’s right. It is magical. tique experiential tour operator Dragonflies flit through the based in nearby Onanole. Davar, could tip over our shuttle thigh-high grass. Bees ride gentle bearded and bright-eyed, has an drafts blowing through the aspen infectious oh-my-gosh! sort of bus with a flick of its great and spruce and settle on blue enthusiasm, and it’s easy to imag- giant hyssop plants. Cuthbert ine that he’s not changed a whit shaggy head. encourages me to pluck a bright since arriving in Riding Mountain green weed, hold it under my from Halifax in 1979 to work as the park’s bears. “We probably have more bears here nose and squeeze its compact yellow chief naturalist, the first of many roles he than the Rocky Mountain national parks flower. I do, and am rewarded with the held during his 17-year career here. With put together; they’re just harder to see,” scent of what smells like … “Pineapple,” him are Cal Cuthbert, one of Manitoba’s top Rousseau says. “These animals are all wear- he says, grinning. And I start to think, just expert birdwatchers, who despite having the ing fur coats when its 30 C, so they’re not for a moment anyway, that I could live look of a hard-as-nails U.S. Marine Corps going to be out at high noon. People think here, in this meadow, a place that Stan colonel about him is genial and gentle, and it’s going to be that big bang [of a wildlife Rowe, the noted Canadian ecologist and Pat Rousseau, a gravel-voiced wildlife biolo- sighting] right away, but it takes time. You writer, called in his book Home Place, “a gist and former park warden in Riding have to invest in it. It’s subtle.” wonderful prairie island in the forest.” Mountain who spent the last two decades of Davar spots lumps of something on the his 34-year Parks Canada career here and road. “Is that bear scat?” he asks Cuthbert. knows its wildlife as well as anyone. “Yeah,” Cuthbert replies, deadpan. The park’s famed East Gate (below left) is a The 40-odd bison we see scattered “And it looks like there are some clothes must-see, as is the The Greens lawn bowling across their native fescue prairie habitat are in it too.” In the driver’s seat of the bus, pitch, run by Dawn Goss and Brian Milne part of a captive herd, but they’re still Rousseau smiles. Subtle indeed. (below), and sunset on Clear Lake (opposite). plenty wild and liable to spook, so Rousseau (who was once gored in his right leg and tossed nearly four metres into the air by a bison bull) keeps us partially sheltered behind the bus, from where we watch the beasts wander from the meadow to the shaded wetland across the road. “We used to have millions of these animals,” says Davar, sounding wistful. “Not anymore. There are seven billion people on Earth now. In 26 years, there will be nine billion. What are we going to lose by then?” We trundle away from the bison, over a Texas gate and into another meadow. There, we spot an elk and its calf at the distant

Harry Wilson is Canadian Geographic Travel’s senior editor. Robert Tinker’s pho- tography has appeared in The Globe and Mail, Canadian Living and Utne Reader.

64 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

RMNP_May15.indd 64 2015-03-31 3:59 PM your adventure starts here

THE NONSUCH IS BOARDING NOW! Stroll the waterfront of 17th century England, where the Nonsuch ketch awaits high tide. In 1668, the original Nonsuch sailed into Hudson Bay in search of furs and now you can board the life-sized replica, one of the nest in the world, at The Manitoba Museum.

“THERE’S A MAGNETIC DRAW to the ability to leave your cabin unlocked, park,” says Dawn Goss. “There always has the openness and friendliness of every- been, and people are changed when they body, which is so Manitoba, and the fact come here. It sounds corny, but it’s true.” that it’s not so overpopulated that no one We’re sitting in the clubhouse of The matters anymore.” Greens on Lily Street — known simply as Goss says she hopes the park continues The Greens to locals — Wasagaming’s to fl y somewhat under the radar. “We hope lawn bowling clubhouse-cum-café-cum-art it doesn’t become too popular, because if gallery, which Goss, a writer and photogra- it does it will spoil it here. That sounds pher, runs with her partner, Brian Milne, selfi sh, but you have to be able to appreci- also a photographer. Their pictures, many ate what’s here, especially in terms of the featuring astounding shots of the park’s wildlife quality. If you start industrializing AND WHILE wildlife, hang from every wood-panelled it to the size of Banff or other parks, you’ll YOU’RE HERE! wall of the building, which has since the lose that connection with nature, and then Visit The Hudson’s Bay Company 1940s hosted matches both serious and nature just becomes a menace.” Museum Collection, Canada’s lighthearted; under Goss and Milne’s ten- So bears wandering past unsuspecting National Treasure that ure, the latter category has included games lawn bowlers aren’t a menace? She laughs, spans three centuries of played under the sprinkler on hot days and and tells me how she nearly walked into the Company’s colourful zombie-themed contests near Halloween. one of the animals last night on her way history and contains Over the splutter of Milne’s battered out the door. “I love that everything isn’t more than Elektra espresso machine (The Greens pushed away, that we still have some inter- 26,000 artefacts. serves knockout organic coffee and killer action. Isn’t that what parks are supposed saskatoon berry pie), Goss explains the to be?” park’s appeal for everyone from artists to wildlife lovers. “It has a quality of how Looking for a bit of culture to go with your things used to be in a national park dose of Riding Mountain National Park before everything got so commercial,” nature? Read a story about the Harvest Sun she says. “It has a little bit of that, sure, music festival in Kelwood, just outside the

TOP: HARRY WILSON/CG STAFF but it’s still a lot of the old style — that park, at mag.cangeo.ca/may15/music. 190 Rupert Avenue at Main Street Infoline: (204) 943-3139 CANADIANwww.manitobamuseum.ca GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 65 manitobamuseum

RMNP_May15.indd 65 2015-03-31 3:59 PM 66 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

CFDC_May15.indd 66 2015-03-31 1:06 PM ... THE WORLD’S LARGEST MOSASAUR, discovered in what was once an ancient inland sea, where hundreds more like it may be buried

BY LESLIE ANTHONY PHOTOGRAPHY BY THOMAS FRICKE

T’S LATE August in south- “Mosasaur” can be traced to a 1774 central Manitoba. Mustard waves fossil find near the Netherlands’ Meuse of canola that typically light up River. And while recent discoveries call summer horizons here are long the term’s taxonomic validity into ques- gone. The remaining fields are tion, Michael Caldwell, mosasaur Istriped by grains laid flat to dry between expert and president of the Canadian rows of severed, bleaching stalks, leaving Society of Vertebrate Palaeontology, vast zebra-like patterns framed by tall remains bullish on the evolutionary blocks of corn. It looks like a good harvest, significance of this group of early squa- and farmers are already talking up the mates — the lineage that gave rise to coming weather — for January. The future, our more familiar lizards and snakes. as defined by next year’s crop (and her- According to Caldwell, mosasaurs radi- alded by the occasional whiff of a manure- ated quickly, following the same geo- spreader), is what matters here. Yet for logic pace (under 10 million years) to Matt Duda, kneel- extreme aquatic ing to delicately adaptations as brush a block of more familiar exposed shale stud- WE’VE JUST EXPERIENCED aquatic titans such ded with ancient the simple gratification as ichthyosaurs bones in this same of fossil-hunting: when and whales. “We fertile landscape, recognizable shapes of now also have [fos- it’s the past that organic life emerge from sils of] freshwater holds sway. a matrix of dirt and rock. mosasaurs, some Duda is curator without paddle- of the Canadian like limbs, and Fossil Discovery good evidence of Centre in the city of Morden, a city about [forked] tails. A pan-global distribution 90 minutes southwest of Winnipeg possibly suggests they were more than [Duda has since left the centre. — Ed.] lazy coastline migrators, and probably Lodged on a side street in the basement [ocean-going]. It all points to unex- of a multi-use sports and community pected diversity.” centre, the CFDC seems an unlikely Caldwell, who is also chair of biological home to the country’s largest collection sciences at the University of Alberta, of marine reptile fossils (see “Skeletons draws attention to the roughly 9,000 spe- in a closet,” page 71). That surprising cies of living squamates and how few — a bounty includes an array of fishes, handful of sea snakes and one marine sharks, crocodiles, turtles, seabirds and iguana — have re-entered the ocean. various plesiosaurs (think Ogopogo or “Mosasaur ancestors did so, diversifying Nessie), as well as the centre’s signature spectacularly and attaining sizes far cabal, a diversity of the giant aquatic liz- exceeding those of modern squamates,” ards known as mosasaurs — toothy, ter- he notes. “So the ferocious sea monster rifying kings of Mesozoic seas. prize is still held by mosasaurs.”

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CFDC_May15.indd 67 2015-03-31 1:06 PM FOSSIL HUNTING

soft-bristled brush. Behind him, the lighter bands of bentonite — the alternating dark-and-light of the quar- Pembina Escarpment, rising some 100 ry’s wall, reminiscent of the surround- metres above the prairie. Settlers ing fields, tells another geological story. mined the layers containing bentonite During the mid- to late-Cretaceous, for use in products ranging from lubri- 90 million to 65 million years ago, this cants to steel to toothpaste, but ama- area was under the Western Interior teur paleontologists mined the fossils Seaway, a vast, shallow ocean connect- revealed in the shales between them. ing the Arctic Ocean and Hudson Bay Although the first mosasaur finds to the Gulf of Mexico. The seaway date back to 1934, little was made of thronged with large marine vertebrates, them until the early 1970s, when word whose dead bodies were often captured spread that bentonite miners were rou- Canadian Fossil after death by the rapid sedimentation tinely uncovering large skeletons. Discovery Centre in near-shore basins. Over this same Aided by Pembina Mountain Clays time span, ash plumes from volcanic bulldozer operator Roy Friesen, local To get a feel for these creatures, I’d joined Duda and executive director HERE, WHERE HE GOT HIS OWN START as a summer Peter Cantelon at one of the CFDC’s several ongoing dig sites. Here, where student, Duda now supervises summer students and he got his own start as a summer stu- tourist volunteers keen on an authentic experience. dent, Duda now supervises other sum- mer students and tourist volunteers activity accompanying the rise of the schoolteachers Don Bell and Henry keen on an authentic experience. In Rocky Mountains periodically settled Isaak would show up at night after the 2011, a scene worthy of a Japanese mon- over the area, sinking to the ocean floor mine shut down to plaster-jacket and ster film had been uncovered in this to form a slurry that would become remove fossils by the light of their auto- small quarry — a large mosasaur seem- bentonite, a mineralized clay. Between mobiles. In only two years, they accu- ingly locked in battle with a five-metre eruptions, the ash was layered over by mulated 30 mosasaur and 20 plesiosaur predatory fish. While digging down to regular sediment. Long after the sea- skeletons. The struggle to house these where they thought this 83-million-year- way disappeared, these deposits were would lead to the establishment of the old cage match extended into the bank, cut through by an ancestral Red River, CFDC and its current stock of 1,000- technicians encountered another mosa- then further scoured by continental plus specimens. That piece of informa- saur in a different layer. It is this creature glaciers and melt waters to expose grey, tion alone seems a discovery unto

that’s now being cleaned by Duda’s fossil-bearing shales shot through with itself; are we really in Manitoba? MAP: CHRIS BRACKLEY/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC

68 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

CFDC_May15.indd 68 2015-03-31 1:06 PM FOSSIL HUNTING

Unearthing fossils (left), including mosasaur rib fragments (below) and fish vertebrae (bottom), and then putting the pieces together is akin to working on an 80-million- year-old jigsaw puzzle for Matt Duda (opposite), curator of the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre.

And now, with Duda, I’m seeing what Bell and Isaak saw. Close against the quarry wall lie smallish vertebrae and fin bones, a shoulder blade, and ribs arching over stomach contents (a mess of fish and bird bits). The skeleton scat- ters toward the far wall in the form of more ribs and several large vertebrae recently uncovered by a father-daughter team of tourist volunteers. The animal is spectacular. Even before Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum — a it’s completely out of the ground, you can co-tenant in the community centre with sense it’s large — though not quite as the CFDC — can appreciate. enormous as Bruce, the CFDC’s star mosasaur whose 13-metre skeletal replica fills an entire room. Mounted at face-level, Bruce’s conical dagger teeth and enor- mous skull — with expandable jaws that TO GET TO THE NEXT SITE, we follow could engulf massive prey — explain why the northwest-undulating escarpment mosasaurs are often called “T. rex of the via the squarer geometry of concession seas.” Furthermore, Bruce (actually later roads. Our final turn is onto an off-road discovered to be female) was recently track that rises into the hills where forest into a mix of pasture and large declared the world’s largest mosasaur by Duda, Cantelon and I have to get out wedge-shaped shale mounds up to Guinness World Records. Add that to and hoof it. Ascending through waist- 30-metres high — a landscape unex- Manitoba’s previous Guinness record of high weeds amid a conversation about pected for Manitoba. world’s largest trilobite, and it’s the kind wood ticks (“My record is 135,” says Duda, Past an open quarry where several of double-header even the Manitoba sending us all into silent paroxysms), we years ago a Scottish family on a CFDC duck an electrified fence into a hydro dig uncovered a mosasaur they named Leslie Anthony is a National Magazine cut with a sweeping view over the prai- Angus, we skirt a pond where Duda Award-winning writer based in Whistler, B.C. rie, and I imagine standing here 10,000 turns up a mosasaur vertebrae along the Photographer Thomas Fricke, also a National years ago with the greatest of Canada’s drying shore. On a shale mound I find Magazine Award winner, lives in Winnipeg. post-glacial lakes — Agassiz — pooling a large fish vertebrae, from an animal

MAP: CHRIS BRACKLEY/CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC at our feet. Finally, we cross a band of Duda reckons was a few metres long.

CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 69

CFDC_May15.indd 69 2015-03-31 1:06 PM On another, Cantelon scoops up a tooth- Peter Cantelon (above), the executive director bearing fish jaw, while I spot what I of the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre, think is petrified wood near the base of investigates a shale exposure in hope of a rose bush. On closer inspection, it discovering another Bruce, the mosasaur, turns out to be a chunk of rib. While whose replica skeleton visitors can see at Duda marks its position with GPS, I the centre (below). Matt Duda inspects a find another piece four metres away, section of a mosasaur’s spine (opposite). joking about the remoteness of it being from the same animal. But when Duda absently pushes the two pieces together leathery smooth greensnake eggshell, they’re a perfect fit; we can’t believe our recently breached by either a hatchling luck or the incalculable odds of this in or a predator, an interesting juxtaposi- such a fossiliferous, 83-million-year-old tion given the shared origins of snakes trash heap. On the way out, I toe a and mosasaurs among basal squamates. Beyond such connections, however, we MANITOBA FACT all agree we’ve just experienced the simple gratification of fossil-hunting: The rocks of the Precambrian shield tell when recognizable shapes of organic us that at one point in its geological life emerge from what otherwise seem history, the area that is now Manitoba a random matrix of dirt and rock to was likely mountainous, with soaring offer simultaneous mystery, intrigue ranges much like the Rockies. and knowledge. “Plus, it’s addictive,” smiles Cantelon.

CFDC_May15.indd 70 2015-03-31 1:06 PM Where the World SKELETONS comes to see IN A CLOSET Polar Bears and Beluga Whales! Given its professional displays, important In his opinion, Manitoba’s paleontological Gcollections, educational outreach and the wealth means it should buy into fossils to diversity of creatures found within a boost tourism. The region would benefi t 40-minute radius, the Canadian Fossil from any investment in the CFDC, whose Discovery Centre might be the most under- draw stretches across Manitoba and into appreciated science attraction in Canada. eastern Saskatchewan, western Ontario and And while aspiring to the kind of recognition North Dakota. “We’re also an educational enjoyed by Prairie paleo-celebs such facility that hosts thousands of school kids as Alberta’s Royal Tyrrell Museum, in a year, so the beyond-dollar value we bring Drumheller, and the T. rex Discovery Centre to the community is immeasurable.” in Eastend, Sask., is warranted, these are The ability of the public to participate in owned by their respective provincial govern- digs is perhaps the CFDC’s greatest appeal, ments and benefi t from concomitant fund- not to mention a useful way to augment the ing, research gravitas and marketing muscle. thousands of hours of labour required to They’re as While the city of Morden has always been the uncover and remove a specimen. “You can’t CFDC’s most generous benefactor, yearly go to a zoo and start taking care of the lions, Curious as funding cuts since 2012 have increased reli- but even a fi ve-year-old can make an impor- ance on fundraising and in-kind donations. tant paleontological discovery. All you need Fortunately, new executive director Peter is good eyes and curiosity,” says Cantelon, You are! Cantelon’s experience in business develop- who sees similar enthusiasm and wonder ment has been about building such relation- from politicians courted on digs. “If we can ships. “The CFDC is market ready, but not get people in the doors and out in the fi eld, market aware,” says Cantelon. they’re convinced.”

Our fi nal site, a cattle range fringed in forest and riven by wetland, features expo- sures similar to yesterday that likewise quickly produce a rib poking from beneath WE’RE JOINED THE NEXT DAY by a large cow pie. Frogs shelter from the sun ULTIMATE Mary Anne Cram and her 14-year-old in wet mud cracks and red-sided garter son, William. Though William is as snakes dart through the grass, but further ARCTIC SUMMER quiet as his mother is loquacious, fossils prove elusive. After two hours in ADVENTURE they’re both well on their way to fossil the hot sun with little to show, we declare July 8- Aug 22 addiction after less than a year volun- fossil-hunting yang to yesterday’s yin. It’s Combines 5 days of unforgettable wildlife teering in the fi eld and working in the disappointing, but Duda reminds us that with the cozy comfort of the CFDC prep room with delicate tools erosion springs eternal, and amazing Lazy Bear Lodge. and compressed-air scribes. “Not only material regularly surfaces in fi elds such BOOK EARLY TO SAVE YOUR PLACE! have we both learned a lot, but it has as this one — including Bruce, who was been a great activity for us to do discovered when her massive jaw was together,” says Cram. thrust straight up from the mud by the We start at the site of the museum’s foot of a passing cow. fi rst mosasaur fi nds, a half-hour from That’s a hopeful thought: one solid town and accessed by a trail through a rain or some good old bovi-turbation and grove of towering birch. Walking in, things could change here, the past rising farm fi elds appear to run along a plateau to the surface like mosasaurs breaching 10 metres above us. But it’s actually we for air in an ancient sea. who have descended: the shale pans pocked with small, ongoing digs are the Want to dig deeper into Manitoba’s remains of mining operations begun in ancient history? Check out an infographic those same fi elds, the trees grown since of 10 amazing fossil facts from the prov- operations ceased decades ago. ince at mag.cangeo.ca/may15/fossil. 1-866-OUR-BEAR 1-204-663-9377 (North America) (International)

CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 71 [email protected] lazybearlodge.com

CFDC_May15.indd 71 2015-03-31 1:06 PM MagnificentMANITOBA

GRAND PRIZE WINNER

Jay Siemens A fisherman fights a brook trout while fly fishing on It may be somewhat unexpected, but Manitoba is a photographer’s paradise. the Limestone River in northern Manitoba. From waterscapes to community culture, Canadian Geographic Travel’s Photo Club members captured some of the Land of 100,000 Lakes’ many great highlights. In celebration of this all-Manitoba edition, here are the winners of the Click Here Manitoba Photo Contest.

72 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

ManitobaPhotoContest_May15.indd 72 2015-03-24 2:51 PM LANDSCAPE AND SKIES WINNER

Nebojsa Novakovic Rainbow Falls, in Whiteshell Provincial Park.

WILDLIFE AND WILDERNESS WINNER

Robert Postma A polar bear lounges on a rock along the coast of Hudson Bay.

CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 73

ManitobaPhotoContest_May15.indd 73 2015-03-24 2:51 PM FISHING AND CAMPING WINNER

Jay Siemens Three boys hold up their biggest catch — a northern pike — from a day of ice fi shing on Lake of the Prairies.

Engaging 5 to 7 day learning vacations offer the chance to learn about the sub-arctic and support research Stay at an active research facility and learn from professional scientists and expert guides Develop a deeper understanding of Churchill’s culture, history and wildlife

WINTER AND ICE WINNER

Alan Scarth Two springer spaniels dash down a path near St. Adolphe, just south of Winnipeg.

churchillscience.ca

ManitobaPhotoContest_May15.indd 74 2015-03-24 2:51 PM CULTURE AND FESTIVALS WINNER

Alex Tolton A steam traction engine at the Manitoba Agricultural Museum gets a tuneup during the annual Threshermen’s Reunion Stampede in Austin.

YOU R INNER CHILD IS CALLING

WELCOME TO MORDEN, MANITOBA. Nestled in the scenic Pembina Valley Hills, Morden, Manitoba, is home to the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre and some of the largest world’ s marine reptile fossils.

Join trained professionals on an authentic, active fossil dig as you trek through rolling hills and fertile farmlands on the hunt for echos of creatures who lived over 80 million years ago.

Unleash the palaeontologist within — you never know what you'll uncover. A word about our prize sponsors It took more than the talents of our readers to make the Click Here Manitoba Photo Contest a success. We appreci- Discover nature. ate the generous support of our prize sponsor and thank Discover history. them for their participation. Discover Morden.

See the top photos in each of the Click Here Manitoba Photo Contest’s fi ve categories at manitoba.canadiangeographic.ca.

you'll really dig our secrets.

CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 75 mordenmb.ca

ManitobaPhotoContest_May15.indd 75 2015-03-27 3:39 PM TK SLUG Let it snow A sampling of the best frosty fun Manitoba has to offer

BY AARON KYLIE PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAVIER FRUTOS

MANITOBA’S CAPITAL comes by its “Winterpeg” nickname honestly. It’s the coldest major city in the country, with an average daily temperature through December, January and February of -15.3 C. It also holds the national record for large cities with an average number of days (117) when the temperature doesn’t get above freezing. So if you’re a cold-weather-activity enthusiast, then Winnipeg, and all of Manitoba by extension, will thrill you — not only because of the temperatures but also because of the huge range of fantastic win- ter events, from Festival du Voyageur, the largest winter festival in Western Canada, to ice fi shing for huge walleye. Here’s a sampling of the best of winter in Winnipeg and beyond.

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ICE FISHING

VEN WITH an Environment Canada extreme cold warning and E a -33 C (without the wind chill) temperature, the hottest place in Manitoba last February (and likely throughout the entire winter, for that matter) may have been just east of the cottage community of Matlock, on the ice of Lake Winnipeg. The area, about 70 kilometres north of Winnipeg, has become increasingly popular in recent years as the continent’s top ice-fi shing destination for catching trophy walleye, which can measure in the neighbour- hood of 60-plus centimetres long. Here, top-notch ice-fishing guides such as Jason Hamilton help tourists and locals alike haul in once-in-a-lifetime- sized specimens of the region’s famed greenback walleye, so named for their unique colouring. Hamilton hosts ice- fi shing excursions to an area that the average sport angler doesn’t tend to visit in the open-water season, making winter Lake Winnipeg ice-fi shing guide Jason the time to hit the lake. But because the Hamilton heads to a hot spot (opposite), area sees brutal cold and fi erce winds where he sets up a portable hut (top) and (local anglers call the lake Big Windy), drills holes (left). A short time later, anglers Hamilton typically sets up a portable ice- start catching walleye averaging about 60 fi shing hut and keeps the temperature centimetres in length (middle and above). inside comfortable with a propane- fuelled heater. (with the added benefi t of built-in fi sh- walleye was being pulled up through a Once holes are drilled through the ice, attracting rattles). The screens on the hole, and not much longer before a which in mid-February is about a metre fl asher units make the fi shing pretty 74-centimetre trophy beast had been thick, Hamilton sets up sonar-like easy, because you can tell when a lure landed. As Hamilton put it then, devices called fl ashers and drops lipless is on the same plane as a fi sh. On one “That’s why people come to Lake crankbait lures, which look like live bait- such trip this February, it took just fi ve Winnipeg. That’s it in a nutshell.” fi sh and are coated to taste like them too minutes before a 63.5-centimetre MORE INFO: huntfi shmanitoba.ca

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THE FORKS

OW COULD ANY cold-loving Canadian not want to visit the H“site of the offi cial celebration of winter”? The Arctic Glacier Winter Park at The Forks, the junction of the Assiniboine and Red rivers in downtown Winnipeg and home to an urban play- ground of parks, trails and a shopping and entertainment hub, hosts a range of activi- ties. There’s the toboggan hill behind the Inn at The Forks, the snowboard park, complete with rails, table tops, jumps and boxes, and the Great-West Life Snow Lounge (think couches and chairs made of snow), where visitors can kick back and take fi ve from the fun in the winter sun. The Forks also boasts a number of other cold-weather hot spots, including a canopy-covered skating rink and the Red River Mutual Trail, a 6.1-kilometre net- work of skating trails and rinks on the Red and Assiniboine rivers. (In 2015, the skateway, which ranges in size from year to year depending on ice conditions, stretched from The Forks south on the Red to the St. Vital Bridge.) The trail is home to other activities, too, including hockey, broomball, curling, bike races and rides in the open snow bucket of the have their designs selected for inclusion Olympia Ice Resurfacer (a Zamboni com- in the growing number of sheltered rest petitor) that’s used to clean the ice. points along the trail (the huts are con- The trail’s most notable highlight, structed on sleds that can be pulled on however, might just be the warming and off the ice each year). The result: a huts that are scattered along it. Each continually growing outdoor art gallery In winter, The Forks boasts a 6.1-kilometre- year, architects from around the world you can skate through. What better way long skating trail on the Red River (top), compete in the Warming Huts: An Art to celebrate winter? warming huts (middle and above) and

+ Architecture Competition on Ice, to MORE INFO: theforks.com rides on the Olympia Ice Resurfacer (left). JANZEN/CG PHOTO CLUB TOP: CAROLYN

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FESTIVAL DU VOYAGEUR

É HO! This “rah, rah, rah” rally cry is a common sound dur- H ing the Festival du Voyageur, a celebration of Franco-Manitoban cul- ture and history held annually in mid- February since 1970, and it won’t take long before you fi nd yourself bellowing it amid the festival’s fun and frivolity. Winnipeg’s traditional French neigh- bourhood, St. Boniface, hosts this 10-day event, which is the largest win- ter festival in Western Canada, or the self-proclaimed “world’s largest kitchen party.” True to that promise, generous help- The 10-day Festival du Voyageur showcases ings of traditional eats — mashed pota- snow sculptures (top), traditional Franco- toes topped with pulled pork, gravy, Manitoban food, music — including cheddar cheese and green onions, pea historical re-enactments (above) — and soup, tourtière, crème brûlée and maple many other cool activities. taffy — are served up alongside more than 100 musical acts (local and interna- Folks, hosted a lively singalong of his tional, French and English) in huge tents Winnipeg anthem “Peg City.” dotting the city’s Voyageur Park. Festival du Voyageur is more than just A taste of the sounds from one eve- music and munchies, of course. There ning during last year’s festival: local are marvellous snow sculptures, a popu- French singer-songwriter Edouard lar beard competition, a snowshoe trail, Lamontagne warmed up the crowd at sleigh rides, toboggan slides, a kids’ win- the Snow Bar (where the traditional ter playground and a central “campfi re.” THE GARRY FORT Caribou drink, a fortifi ed wine inspired The event’s host grounds are also home HOTEL, SPA + CONFERENCE CENTRE

by the legendary trapper beverage to Fort Gibraltar, a re-creation of the DowntownWinnipeg-close to major at- of caribou blood mixed with alcohol, original fort at The Forks in Winnipeg, tractions. Premier facilities: 4 grand ball- is offered in an ice glass); bilingual replete with re-enactments of fur trading, rooms+16 conference/meeting rooms. Winnipeg-native Rayannah wowed lis- blacksmithing and even a traditional teners in an adjacent tent with her kitchen party. Bottom line: Festival du Björk-like wall of sound; and in yet Voyageur is a can’t-miss taste of Franco- another venue, Congo-transplant Trésor Manitoban culture. Hé ho! 1.800.665.8088 204.942.8251

TOP: CAROLYN JANZEN/CG PHOTO CLUB TOP: CAROLYN Ezoman, along with his band Namwira MORE INFO: festivalvoyageur.mb.ca www.fortgarryhotel.com

ftCANADIANgarry@ GEOGRAPHICfortgarry TRAVELhotel .com79

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FORTWHYTE ALIVE

BISON HERD. Five lakes. Seven kilometres of trails. A family A tree house. A replica pioneer sod house. A three-storey-high wooden toboggan chute. It’s all found in south- west Winnipeg at FortWhyte Alive, a reclaimed clay and gravel mine that closed in the 1950s and is now an urban wildlife oasis dedicated to year-round environmental education. Winter naturally offers special oppor- tunities at FortWhyte for individuals and school and business groups, from snow- shoeing and cross-country skiing to bird- watching and making traditional bannock over a campfi re, all while taking in Prairie history. (The site’s moniker, for instance, was inspired by the local neigh- bourhood, which was named after William Whyte, a late-19th-century vice- president of the Canadian Pacific Railway, who’d battled area residents try- ing to break his railway’s monopoly.) The activities are run from the interpre- with an atlatl (a spear-thrower used by tive centre, which includes a touchable early bison hunters). display of taxidermied local wildlife spe- Many of these activities can be cies, a prairie dog and burrowing owl nurs- enjoyed in the summer, too, along with ery and the largest aerial map of Winnipeg, biking the trails, navigating the fl oating as well as a café. Outside, visitors can boardwalks, investigating the biodiver- explore local heritage by touring the sity garden and fi shing or paddling the replica sod house (an example of an early waters on site. But the warmer months settler’s typical fi rst home), checking out don’t offer the highlight of a visit to a Red River cart (the traditional wooden FortWhyte: sledding down the towering FortWhyte offers a taste of winter Prairie workhorse wagon known as the fi ddle of Richardson Rrrun toboggan track out history through (clockwise from top) the Prairies for the noise it made), visit- onto a frozen lake. For that, of course, the interior and exterior of a replica sod ing the teepee encampment (to discover winter is essential. house, cooking banock over a campfi re, the secrets of the fur trade) and playing MORE INFO: fortwhyte.org snowshoeing and teepee encampments.

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THERMËA

ELAX. NO, really relaaaaax. That’s the main if not the only goal of R Winnipeg’s Thermëa by Nordik Spa-Nature. The thermal relaxation spa, which opened in January 2015, is located beside the city’s Crescent Drive Golf Heli-Sightseeing Tours Course, a 20-minute drive south of downtown, and offers traditional mas- See all that Churchill has to offer sage and body treatments year-round. from the safety and comfort of But mid-winter, when temperatures our helicopters. range from -10 C to -30 C, makes for a memorable time to visit, especially when snowfl akes are spiralling to the ground around the spa’s outdoor pools and you’re about to experience a “thermal As part of Thermëa’s relaxation technique, cycle” treatment. guests enjoy a sauna or steam bath, a dip The treatment, based on traditional in a cool-temperature outdoor pool (top) Nordic techniques, starts with 10 to 15 then a visit to a resting station (above). minutes in a Finnish sauna, where tem- peratures range from 74 C to 79 C, or one It’s recommended that this process be of two slightly cooler steam saunas. This repeated at least three times, as it can raises your body temperature and helps also relax muscles, improve sleep quality eliminate toxins. The sauna session is and boost the immune system. You’re followed by a few seconds in a temperate sure to feel so relaxed after the treatment (21 C) or cold (10 C) pool, which increases that kicking back at the spa’s guest-only your heart rate and releases adrenaline. restaurant — which features a suitably The last stage calls for unwinding for healthful gourmet menu — in a bath- about 15 minutes in one of Thermëa’s rest robe and fl ip-fl ops will feel entirely nor- areas, where the adrenaline in the body is mal. Indeed, a visit to Thermëa can be naturally replaced by endorphins, which the perfect ending to a cold-weather visit Specializing in 60-90 minute create that much-sought sensation of to Canada’s winter heart. deep relaxation. MORE INFO: thermea.ca tours customized to meet your every expectation and desire! Aaron Kylie is the editor of Canadian Read more about Aaron Kylie and Javier Geographic Travel and Javier Frutos is the Frutos’s eventful day of ice fi shing for 290 Kelsey Blvd. magazine’s art director. greenback walleye on Lake Winnipeg at Churchill MB ROB 0E0

TOP: COURTESY THERMËA BY NORDIK SPA-NATURE mag.cangeo.ca/may15/icefi sh. Located in Downtown Churchill

CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL 81 hudsonbayheli.com

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Eat, drink, love From perogies to a legendary steak house, Canadian Geographic Travel staff pick the best of Manitoba’s gastronomic delights

LET YOUR TASTE BUDS lead you on a Shore lunch What a traditional shore lunch Farmery Estate Brewery Brothers Chris culinary tour of Manitoba, a province may lack in highfalutin style, it more than and Lawrence Warwaruk (pictured above), that’s fast becoming a must-visit destina- makes up for in pure deliciousness and former farmers turned beer barons, com- tion for gourmands, gourmets and greasy- ambience. Most Manitoba fly-in fishing bined their agricultural know-how with spoon lovers alike. adventures include a customary midday an appreciation for craft beer to create meal of freshly caught fish (likely walleye or Farmery Premium Lager. The clean- Rae and Jerry’s “Do one thing really well,” trout), hand-breaded, fried over an open fire tasting beer, made entirely with natural the saying goes. Rae and Jerry’s steak house and served along the shoreline with a beau- ingredients, including three strains of hops ignores that advice and does everything really tiful boreal-forest backdrop. Add sides of and Prairie-grown barley, is perfect for the well. What would you expect from a place baked beans and fried potatoes, and you’ve patio or accompanying dinner. It’s widely that has had nearly six decades to perfect its got savoury sustenance as satisfying as any available on tap and in stores across reputation? Not much has changed since homemade meal. huntfishmanitoba.ca Manitoba and Saskatchewan. farmery.ca the restaurant opened in 1957. It’s still all dark wood and red leatherette seats, and RAW: almond For nearly three weeks Tall Grass Prairie Bread Company whether you’re cutting into a succulent, through January and February each year, Manitobans love their cinnamon buns. So 16-ounce charcoal-broiled rib steak in the this temporary restaurant, a paean to art much so, in fact, that there’s a province- dining room or eyeing a “roast Manitoba and architecture, is built on the iced-over spanning Cinnamon Bun Trail, along hot turkey sandwich” (Mondays only!) at the river at The Forks in downtown Winnipeg. which you can get your fill of the sweet bar, you’ll feel like you’re on the set of Mad The city’s best chefs (including Mandel treats. An ideal place to start is at Men. Retro never looked — or tasted — so Hitzer, the event’s co-founder), along with Winnipeg’s Tall Grass Prairie Bread good. raeandjerrys.com compatriots from around the world, host Company, where the intoxicating scent of evenings on a rotating basis to sellout mammoth cinnamon buns wafts through Fat Boy burger The debate over who crowds. The point? Celebrate the tenacity The Forks Market. There are locations makes the best Fat Boy — a hamburger of of Manitobans through food, art and throughout the city. tallgrassbakery.ca Prairie-sized proportions that’s (typically) architecture. raw-almond.com loaded with onion, mustard, lettuce, Skinner’s & Half Moon Drive In hot dogs tomato, mayo and chili — in Winnipeg is Deseo Bistro Deseo is one of Winnipeg’s What is it about Lockport and hotdogs? The long running. Is it V.J.’s Drive Inn? Can’t (if not one of Canada’s) finest restaurants. community just to the northeast of miss it. Superboy’s? A must-visit. The Beyond traditional Spanish-inspired tapas Winnipeg has not one but two legendary White Top Drive-In? A surefire option. dishes such as the delectable chorizo and hotdog joints. Skinner’s, the oldest hotdog You see where we’re going with this? V.J.’s, figs, there are hints of Asian (curried cau- restaurant in continuous operation in 170 Main St. Superboy’s, 1480 Main St. liflower soup), Italian (chef-recommended Canada, opened in 1929, and stopping in for White Top, 409 Manitoba Ave. gnocchi) and French (oh-so-tender veal the likes of a triple bacon cheese dog has cheeks) cuisines. It’s comfort food at its become a rite of passage for many Fall suppers When you sit down to a fall finest. deseobistro.com Manitobans. The Half Moon Drive In, supper in Manitoba, you’re not only pulling meanwhile, which opened in 1938, occupies up a chair to a steaming plate of turkey or Mordens’ of Winnipeg Since 1959, a 1950s-themed diner, and its two-wiener ham with sides of mashed potatoes, corn and Mordens’ has been the place in Winnipeg deluxe dog has long been a summer tradi- gravy plus a bevy of salads and pies, you’re for sweet treats, and their handcrafted, tion, too. skinners.ca; halfmoondrivein.com becoming part of a Prairie tradition. These made-in-house candies and chocolates are hearty community dinners occur across the almost too pretty to eat — almost. Don’t You’ve hit the 10 best, now plan the rest of province, usually from mid-September to leave without some of the renowned your culinary tour of Manitoba with an inter-

mid-November. travelmanitoba.com/events Russian mints. mordenschocolate.com active map at mag.cangeo.ca/may15/food. COURTESY FARMERY ESTATE BREWERY

82 CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL SUMMER 2015

TenBest_May15.indd 82 2015-03-31 1:11 PM The local HOSPITALITY EXTENDS WELL BEYOND the shoreline.

Here, your welcoming party can number in the thousands. It’s an open water invitation to gather with one of nature’s most elegant creatures. Jump in and hear the call of a world you can only visit, and one you’ll never forget.

Travel ManitobaCDN - Beluga.indd GEO Magazine83 2015 Full Page Colour Ad - 7.75 x 10.875 (BELUGA) | Travel Manitoba 20152015-03-26 3:36 PM 115 Thorncliffe Park Drive Docket: 64356 Toronto Ontario Client: 247 - Air Canada M4H 1M1 Job Name: National Mag Tel 416•696•2853 Production Contact: Lara Vanderheide

B:8” T:7.75” S:6.75”

BRINGING THE WORLD TO WINNIPEG. Experience Air Canada’s award-winning service.

Air Canada offers the most flights to Winnipeg. Not to mention the seamless, conveniently timed connections and access from over 180 destinations worldwide. Plus you’ll earn Aeroplan® Miles with every flight. Experience why Air Canada has been voted the Best Airline in North America five years in a row by Skytrax.* Book now at aircanada.com. B:11.125” S:9.5625” T:10.875”

*The survey was conducted by independent research firm Skytrax on over 18 million global travellers, using over 40 different aspects of passenger satisfaction to rank airlines’ product and service standards. This annual survey is regarded in the air transportation industry as a primary benchmarking tool for passenger satisfaction levels of airlines throughout the world. Details at aircanada.com/awards. ®Aeroplan is a registered trademark of Aimia Canada Inc.

Air Canada.indd 84 2015-03-26 3:37 PM AC15-NA-M10_CAN_Geo_Man_OBC_EN.indd 1 2015-03-02 3:42 PM

Photographers name: None Studio #: FILE: PP: Maria Goss Created: 2-27-2015 11:40 AM COLOURS: Usage info: None 1113101 AC15-NA-M10_CAN_Geo_Man_OBC_EN.indd JWT #: 1108624 Sauce Designer: Lorin SD: Lorin Saved: 3-2-2015 3:10 PM Cyan AD: Leah Vlemmiks Printed: 2-27-2015 4:52 PM Magenta Client: Air Canada Mech Size: 7.75” x 10.875” Yellow Job Name: Your World Awaits CW: None Print Scale: 100% Black Version/Item: English, OBC Safety: 6.75” x 9.5625” Gutter: None AE: Jess Fredericks Printer: Xerox 700 Color EX Campaign: None Trim: 7.75” x 10.875” Pub Date: None AS: None Server Rev: 1 No of Pages: 1 Bleed: 8” x 11.125” Publication: Canadian Geographic ACD: None Media: Print Ad#: AC15-NA-M09 CLIENT: Air Canada Type: Magazine Vendor: None DOC PATH: Studio:CLIENT:AC:1113101_NA_Blanket_MAG_1:DOC:AC15-NA-M10_CAN_Geo_Man_OBC_EN.indd FONTS: Bliss 2 (Regular, ExtraLight, Medium; OpenType) IMAGES: Emily_Fall_V2_JWT_4C_MAG_EXT.tif CMYK 518 ppi 57.81% Studio:CLIENT:AC:AC_Images:JWT_Files:Your_World_Awaits_Launch:Emily_Fall:Emily_Fall_V2_JWT_4C_MAG_EXT.tif Cloud_Mag.psd Gray 556 ppi 53.91% Studio:CLIENT:AC:AC_Images:JWT_Files:Your_World_Awaits_Launch:Clouds:Cloud_Mag.psd Star_Alliance_En_BW.ai 51.86% Studio:LOGOS:Air_Canada:Air_Canada_Star_Alliance:Star_Alliance_En_BW.ai Skytrax_Metallic_Winner_2014_w_Tag_Blk_E.eps 10.74% Studio:LOGOS:Air_Canada:Air_Canada_Skytrax:Skytrax_Metallic_Winner_2014_w_Tag_Blk_E.eps TravelMB_sponsorlogo_fullcolour.eps 18.52%, 34.39% Studio:CLIENT:AC:1113101_NA_Blanket_MAG_1:SUPPLIED:HR:TravelMB_sponsorlogo_fullcolour.eps IMAGE USED IN PREVIOUS JWT DOCKET #’S: AC_Emblem_CMYK.ai 51.26% Studio:LOGOS:Air_Canada:Air_Canada_Logos:AC_Emblem_CMYK.ai None AC_Your_World_Awaits_ENG_CMYK_Print.ai 42% Studio:LOGOS:Air_Canada:Air_Canada_Your_World_Awaits:AC_Your_World_Awaits_ENG_CMYK_Print.ai

YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN BLACK