My home town.

I started this topic mainly because I am sick and tired of hearing people put down my hometown.  Winnipeg seems to be the butt of many Canadian jokes, some even told by Winnipeggers themselves... shame on you!  Perhaps you who do this do not know how truly exceptional our little city is.  Check it out - you might learn a thing or two about the "Peg"!

I thought I'd share some facts about Winnipeg with you.  Some are quirky, and some are truly impressive, and I will admit, that many of these were unknown to me as well.   For a relatively small city - I believe we are pretty darn exceptional...and yes, I am proud to call Winnipeg my hometown.

Okay - here we go!


Winnipeg is located in the geographic center of North America.

Winnipeg receives over 2300 hours of sunlight annually, and has the most days of winter sunshine of ANY Canadian city.

Winnipeg is the coldest city in the WORLD, with a population of over 600,000 people!

We are the Slurpee capital of the WORLD.  Winnipeggers consume an estimated 400,000 Slurpees a month - even in the frigid winter months!

Winni the Pooh - is named after the City of Winnipeg.

All of Canada's circulating coinage is minted in the Royal Canadian Mint - located in Winnipeg.

Winnipeg is only 40 miles from the Earth's 11th largest freshwater lake - Lake Winnipeg!

There are more than 100 languages spoken in Winnipeg.

The Winnipeg Art Gallery is Canada's oldest public art gallery.

Folklorama is the largest and longest-running cultural celebration festival in the WORLD.

Winnipeg was the first Canadian city to ever host the Pan American Games and the second city in the WORLD  to host the event twice.

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet is Canada's oldest ballet company, and the longest continuously operating ballet company in North America.

Recording artist Neil Young attended Kelvin High school in Winnipeg, and was kicked out of the school for playing his guitar in the halls....side note: my son is a Kelvin High School grad ...

Monty Hall - the television celebrity from "Lets Make a Deal" came from Winnipeg.

The coldest temperature recorded in Winnipeg is -54.04 F   on Dec 24, 1879.

The warmest temperature recorded in Winnipeg is 108 F on July 11th 1936.

There are 230 neighbourhoods in Winnipeg.

The Winnipeg Fringe festival is the second largest alternative theatre festival in North America.

Manitoba Theatre Center located in Winnipeg, is Canada's oldest English- language regional theatre.

Winnipeg (St. Boniface) is home to Le Cercle Moliere the oldest theatre company in Canada.

Festival Du Voyageur - held every winter in Winnipeg is Western Canada's largest winter festival.

The Manitoba Legislature Building, seat of the Manitoba Government is topped by a 17 ft golden statue known as the Golden Boy.

Winnipeg is home to 4 major rivers.  The Red River;  The Assiniboine River; The La Salle River; and The Seine River.

The first movie ever made in Canada was made in Winnipeg.

The first A&W drive-in in Canada was in Winnipeg.

One of the world's most successful publishers was founded in Winnipeg in 1949 - Harlequin Enterprises!

Canola was developed in Winnipeg at the University of Manitoba.

Bob Hope played his first game of golf in Winnipeg.  He liked to tell people that this is where he caught the golfing bug!

Winnipeg was the first Canadian home of Coke.  Canada's first Coca-Cola bottling plant opened here.

Winnipeg is the birthplace of the 911 emergency phone number - now used world-wide.

The Winnipeg Falcons were the first hockey team to ever win the Olympics.

The inventor of the cell phone is a Winnipegger... Marty Cooper.

Winnipeg's Assiniboine Forrest - home to aspen, oak, white-tailed deer and 80 species of birds is the largest urban nature park in Canada.

Winnipeg is home to the first national Aboriginal television network in the world.

The Man called "Intrepid" was from Winnipeg.  William Stepenson - a Winnipeg boy, grew up to become Sir William Stepenson, master spy and personal advisor to Winston Churchill.  His code name was Intrepid.


Guess this breaks the myth - we are about more than snow, ice and cold weather after all!

Touche'  Jeff Foxworthy!