URBANadventures by brett bourne The Slurpee Capital of the Universe A Cool Cruise Through the Heart of Winnipeg, Manitoba


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The Seine River in Winnipeg’s French Quarter photo courtesy PaddlingManitoba.com


A few kilometers from the longitudinal centre of Canada, Winnipeg may be far from the sea, but it has some surprisingly good kayaking. Two major rivers, the Red and the Assiniboine, meander through Winnipeg’s residential and business districts past great views of majestic skyline and stately houses that blend in with the shoreline foliage. There are over 100 kilometres of navigable waterway within the city limits. For a great full-day paddle through the heart of historic Winnipeg, you can put in on the smaller Seine River, follow its curves and riverbank forests to the confluence with the Red River, then paddle up the Red to the junction with the Assiniboine and back again. This route is a leisurely 12-kilometre round- trip that can be paddled in a day with ample time to explore the many historic sites along the way. To begin the route, drive to the intersection of Provencher and Des Meurons in St. Boniface, Winnipeg’s French Quarter. Park and launch from the Seine River Parkway, then paddle beneath Provencher Boulevard and a pedestrian walking bridge and discover the beauty of Lagimodiere–Gaboury Park. Lagimodiere was a Hudson’s Bay Company employee who was born in Lower Canada in 1778 and came west in 1800 as a voyageur. His wife, Marie-Anne Gaboury, was the first white woman to settle permanently in the West and was the grandmother of Louis Riel. You will see their homestead area on the left before you arrive at the Red and head upriver. Paddle past the ruins of the St. Boniface Cathedral, Louis Riel’s final resting place, and on to the junction of the Red and Assiniboine rivers. The land at the confluence, called The Forks, is the city’s past and present-day gathering place. It is where aboriginal ancestors camped, hunted and fished for centuries and where the rival fur trade companies, the Hudson’s Bay Company and North West Company, later built forts. The Forks today is Winnipeg’s tourist hub. It’s a great place to take out after the first few hours of paddling for a light lunch or to stretch your legs while visiting the Travel Manitoba Explore Centre.


As you retrace your paddle strokes back to the put-in, watch for a glimpse


of Fort Gibraltar in Whittier Park on the right bank of the Red River. This is a re-creation of the original North West Company fort built at The Forks in 1810. Fort Gibraltar had a colourful history including its destruction in 1816 by the Hudson’s Bay Company, its rebuilding in 1817, its name change to Fort Garry in 1822 and its ultimate demise by flood in 1826. In 1978, Fort Gibraltar was re-created on its new site for the Festival du


Voyageur, Winnipeg’s annual winter festival. Today, it too is recognized as a National Historic Site and a welcome stop for those interested in lunch or exploring the interpretive trails along the river.


Brett Bourne is the owner of Adventure Junkie Tours and the founder of PaddlingManitoba.com. 16 Summer 2004 Other Winnipeg Paddling


Other great places to paddle in the Winnipeg area include the Assiniboine River and the LaSalle River, The Fort Whyte Centre (www.FortWhyte.org) and the spectacular tunnel system of the Caddy Lake / South Cross Lake Route in Whiteshell Provincial Park (1.5 hours from Winnipeg). For information on self-guid- ed paddle routes on the Red River, visit www.RoutesOnTheRed.ca.


Outfitters and Tours


Adventure Junkie Tours: (204) 487-0004, www.DiscoverMB.com.


Heartland Canoe & Kayak Rentals: (204) 661-5670.


Mountain Equipment Co-op: (204) 943-4202, www.mec.ca.


Splash Dash Water Bus Service & Rentals: (204) 783-6633.


Wave Track Canoe and Kayak: (204) 231-8226, www.wilds.mb.ca/wavetrack.


Wilderness Supply Company: (204) 783-9555, www.WildernessSupply.ca.


For more information on rentals, dealers and outfit- ters, visit Manitoba’s provincial paddling directory: www.PaddlingManitoba.com.


The Forks photo courtesy Travel Manitoba


4things you didn’t know about Winnipeg


1. “Winnipeg” is derived from a Cree term meaning “muddy water,” which aptly describes the water at the confluence of the two rivers. 2. The Wilderness Supply Company is the largest retailer of kayaks between Lake Superior in Ontario and B.C.’s Okanagan. 3. Winnipeg enjoys over 2,300 hours of sun- shine per year, more than any other Canadian city. 4. Winnipeg is the Slurpee capital of world. Slurpee retailer 7-Eleven reports their highest Slurpee sales here. Locals assure us that this is what the cup holders in touring kayaks are really for.


Slurpee break. photo courtesy PaddlingManitoba.com


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