The Winnipeg Folk Festival was bang-on this year, wasn’t it? I have a funny vision of diehard fans lovingly folding their tie-dye muscle shirts and too-short, short-shorts and storing them at the back of the closet until next year. Why, I’m even contemplating shaving my legs. It’s always hard to say goodbye. But never fear, [...]

Children find it funny to stick their fingers in their noses, and funnier still if they can get their finger into your nose. And they ride teeny bicycles. Clowns tend to be the same. They both give me the shivers – and for most of my life I’ve made an art out of avoiding them. [...]

I’ve been writing this blog since January and if you’ve been following the stories, you’ll know that my passion is being active in the great outdoors. I’ve tried to introduce you to all kinds of interesting corners of Manitoba where you can hike, ski, cycle, whatever. I’m happy to tell you that Travel Manitoba has [...]

Manitoba has 4 distinct seasons. Imagine living somewhere where the seasons meld into one another all willy-nilly (I must be channeling Gomer Pyle. I’ve been wanting to use that in a sentence for a long time). I like a beginning and an end. For example, I like it to be very clear when winter is [...]

Something Unexpected has happened to me – it’s called Churchill, Manitoba. Two weeks ago I was at a meeting with Travel Manitoba’s Vice President of Advertising and Communications, Linda Whitfield. Linda casually inquired if I could clear my calendar to participate in the “Mush Ado About Aurora: Northern Lights & Winter Nights” media trip to Churchill. I [...]

It’s here! The Festival du Voyageur. 10 winter days and nights devoted to showcasing and celebrating the history of Franco-Manitoban and Métis culture. We’ve been eagerly anticipating the Festival’s arrival since, well, the Winter Solstice when Saison Voyageur launched an 8 week program packed full of winter activities and general fun. The kick-off of the 41st Festival [...]

If you want to embrace all that Manitoba has to offer then let me tell you that there’s no shortage of winter activities. You might want to spend a bit of time researching the Internet or scanning the papers to decide just what to do. Two of my ‘go to’ sites are Manitoba Homecoming 2010 [...]

It’s hard to believe that I’ve lived in Winnipeg for most of my life, yet there are so many traditions I’ve never participated in. I’ve never skated along the river path by the Forks. I’ve never won a prize at a wedding social. And I’ve never been to CanadInns Winter Wonderland. Until last night, that is. My [...]

Dressing properly for cold weather requires only common sense. Right? Yet look at the folks around you: no gloves, no hat, a bomber jacket, runners, I’m thinking maybe a review wouldn’t hurt. If your outdoor experience is going to be memorable we want it to be so because of the fun, not because of the [...]

As a kid, I took violin lessons. My mother made me, and sometimes I loved them. More often than not, I hated them. Now, as an adult, I wish I had kept up the lessons more frequently. I can still play, but not like I used to. Maybe if I kept it up, I would [...]