There is No Place Like Home

I recently came home from a trip to Ottawa and Montreal. While there, I visited with some people who are from Manitoba and, for various reasons, have decided to move out to Ontario and Quebec. The reasons vary and each person feels a little different about the home they left behind. It's a weird thing when people leave Manitoba. They either hate it with a passion (but insist on returning for vacations) or they remember it fondly. As for me, I LOVE Winnipeg and am not afraid to admit it in a crowd. Our passion for the city we live in is a pretty personal thing, so I try not to trash a person's hometown in front of them because there is really no place like home whether it is a place you were born in or have decided to move to of your own free will.



Granted, I have decided that Montreal is not my favorite place I've ever visited. I find it way too large and crowded. I felt scared, like the skunk my husband's cousin ran over with her bike on a family camping trip when they were kids. True story. I do get why people love it though and I wouldn't dream of telling a passionate French person that I feel like Winnipeg is definitely a superior city. I mean, I'm not THAT stupid! I just like knowing that in Winnipeg everything is about 20 minutes from my house. (This theory of mine drives my husband crazy because I'm always late due to this belief.) I will say that while there I really broke my vegan rule by eating a sandwich that I think 3 cows had to die for. Look at that thing! Anyhow...Montreal is lovely and people who live there have the right to feel very proud of their city...just like I do.

People ask Winnipeggers how can we stand living here. They look at us like we're crazy. We are the butt of constant jokes...but we're Winnipeggers so we can handle it. So here are my reasons why I live where I live and am very proud to do so.


*A family can actually afford to buy a house here without selling one of their children into slavery.

*I don't have to pay $10.00 for a cocktail at a lounge...that is just the craziest thing. Period.

*The Zoo...and I don't mean where they keep the wildlife. The Zoo is a Winnipeg institution. Who can resist the scary lure of the slightly funky smelling Osborne Village bar? For any Winnipeg teen, going to the Zoo is a right of passage. Just bring hand sanitizer. A lot!

*Which brings me to Osborne Village! That place has been around since hippies stopped washing. A mix of little stores, pubs, restaurants, and squeegee kids. It's right by my place and is the home of my favorite pub-the Toad! Which, just for your info, has hired a lovely new cook which makes it REALLY worth my trip.

*We have an incredible cultural mix in this city. As a result, the restaurant choices are endless. As a teacher, I benefit from the delicious goodies my students' parents send in. As I cross the room on potluck day, I take a side trip to India, the Philippines, and Portugal as I sample each lovingly prepared dish. As an extra bonus, this year my school hosted a cultural bake sale. I came to realize that the three most beautiful words in the English language are "cultural bake sale". I will never admit to how many samosas I ate. Safe to say that watching me eat wasn't a pretty sight.

*Due to our diverse culture, we host Folklorama every year in the city. We have about 40 different groups that set up pavilions where you can enjoy food, dancing, and music. On a good night, you can easily sample the wonderful things that 4 or 5 countries have to offer. Then, the next day, you get to do it all again. Other cities say they have this, but they don't....not on this scale.

*Fringe Festival...lots of great plays at great prices, lasts for days and days, and this year I get to watch my friend Lindsay perform.

*Hello!? Folk Fest! I don't go due to a strange and complex story involving a scary man with a beard (not Santa) that I don't like to talk about but the music festival allows lots of hippies to gather for days and dance around half naked and then spend the night camping out in beautiful Birds Hill Park. I say rock on hippies, rock on!

*We have fanfreakintastic beaches....deal with it.

*In winter we get snow. Lots of snow. White. Pure. Crisp. Perfect. On top of that, we get sun. The days are glorious.

*A fantastic opera and ballet company and so much live theatre, it would make your head spin. We have culture up the wazoo!

*The World Famous Palomino Club: giving hope to cougars for decades.

*Finally, we may have been the city that lost our NHL team but we took the loss with class, never gave up hope, chanted "GO JETS GO!" at every opportunity for any reason, and bought up those season tickets in minutes.

So, do I love my city? Hell yeah! Will I visit yours? If I can. Would I insult your city and point out all it's flaws? Never, because it's yours and you love it. That is good enough for me.