Winnipeg
 

Anyone got any views on Winnipeg? Lived there? Worked there? Whats the culture like and so on?

Can't say as I have been there but I do know they call it Winterpeg!

Hiya, We're moving there next March. We chose Winnipeg on a personal basis as my grandmother was born there and I felt compelled to be near her birthtown but aside from that it is quite a good place to go with respect to housing (one of the cheapest places to live in all of Canada), jobs (one of the lowest unemployment rates), ethnic diversity etc. The disadvantages would include the less dramatic scenery with it being mainly flat (although there's a snow board run just North of the city) and also the flatness means high winds which makes it feel much colder. Manitoba is central to the whole of Canada and Winnipeg is not too far from the US border plus you can travel up to North Manitoba for polar bear and beluga whale spotting. I have a whole host of websites about Winnipeg if you wanted more info. for instance weather conditions (although it gets cold it is listed as more sun hours than most other places in Canada and has the sunniest Springs and Winters), neighbourhoods, job situations etc. so give me a nod if you wanted. For a starter you can read the Manitoba advantage report which compares the area to others to give you an idea http://www.gov.mb.ca/finance/reports/pdf/advantage.pdf :)

Hey E,

Although this is a British Expats site I am originally from Winnipeg, currently living in Toronto and about to move to Glasgow (which is why I am registered here).

Winter: yes, can get very cold - the coldest I've experienced was a record breaking -42°C. Due to dangerously cold temperatures, everyone over the age of 16 in Winnipeg drives a car. This has a strong impact on the urban design of the city resulting in lots of parking lots and poor public transit. Unlike Ontario, Manitoba has one of the lowest auto insurance rates in North America.

Yes, you also have to plug your car in at night (most cars have engine block heaters) but it's a myth that if you spit in February it will hit the ground as an ice cube.

Summer: 1 to 2 hours out of Winnipeg are some of the best beach and cottage areas in the world. Grand Beach and Victoria Beach are stunning, miles of white sand along the enormous Lake Winnipeg. The Lake of the Woods area is filled with interconnected lakes and islands and is ideal for boating and canoe trips. In either regions you can still buy a lake-front cottage for very little. Equally impressive is the never-ending farm land that surrounds the city.

Socially: there are a ton of bars – try the Red Cactus on Corydon or any in the Exchange District. Winnipeggers are usually very friendly and despite being a multicultural mix, the city is starving for international visitors. An accent will take you very far.

Culture: far more sophisticated (galleries, ballet, music, cafes, attitude) than the other Prairie cities (especially Calgary). When I was living there, the New Music Festival consecutively sold out the Centennial Concert Hall. 5000+ people watching a Finnish abstract sound artist perform by throwing steel balls on to the string of a Steinway, in February.

The Negative: it doesn’t seem to be handling urban Native Canadian poverty issues very well. Tends to be a 9 to 5 city. Car dominated. Lost it’s NHL franchise. And you do feel like you are living on an island during the winter.

The Positive: clean air, brilliant sunshine, beaches, incredibly cheap living (check out the online real estate listings), Royal Winnipeg Ballet & Opera and really friendly people.

If you are still interested, to get a flavour of the city (and find out the latest canola and wheat prices) listen to the local cbc broadcast between 12-2pm and 4-6pm Central time:
http://www.cbc.ca/audio.html

Good luck.

you forgot to mention the mozzies. it`s their world capital.

For anyone already living in Winnipeg - I read somewhere that there's an underground subway route but I've been searching everywhere for more details of their routes and costs or a map of the underground or something but can't find anything online - anyone have any ideas?

Cheers! :)

There isn't an underground / subway / metro although there are a lot of underground pathways connecting the downtown buildings. As mentioned the car is king in this Prairie town.

I found the real estate listing web site:
http://www.wreb.mb.ca/wren/index.htm
(click on 'This weeks MLS')
Expensive areas (£ 150,000+): Tuxedo, River Heights
Really affordable & nice neigbourhoods (£20,000+): Wolsely, Crescentwood.

Also,
http://www.webview360.com/index.jsp

Digital/Online News:
http://newwinnipeg.com/

Ah, je suis un idiot! No wonder I couldn't find anything on subway trains! Thanks for letting me know before I spend many more hours trying to find a route map! Wow - what a fab. idea - underground tunnels so you can avoid all that cold wind. :o

hi all! i have some questions about winnipeg too, im moving there next month to attend university as a international student from singapore.

1. whats the procedure to apply for a cellphone and cable connection, what are the rates like and which service providers shd i be looking at?

2. i intend to bring 1k CAD cash and 2k CAD travellers cheque. i am thinking of using the 2k travellers cheque for opening a bank account. do u guys think its a good idea? which are the banks i shd consider and is it possible to get a credit/debit card?

3. i took gce o'levels and a'levels, do u think i shd bring my original certs there? i dunno if i may need there..

4. what winter clothes must i get to combat the winter? never bought winter clothes before, any websites i can look at? hehee, dun wanna buy the wrong type of clothes.


thanks for the help! :0)

we had cable connected this week, its $44 month for premium package, jut phone hem up answer the questions and someone comes out to hook you up, thez did our high speed internet the same time,
same with mobiles, simple, its cold here at the moment so be prepared.

we had cable connected this week, its $44 month for premium package, jut phone hem up answer the questions and someone comes out to hook you up, thez did our high speed internet the same time,shaw is the best to use.
same with mobiles, simple, its cold here at the moment so be prepared. very thick clothes, waterproofs.

Hi just down loaded your link thanks


:) :) ;) martin

Hi CJ - been thinking about you. How did it all go? Settling in OK? Keep in touch! :)

We're having problems finding somewhere to rent that'll take our pet Lab. How're you finding places to rent with your dog?

Best wishes,

Daisy

easy to find somewhere that took the dog, we are renting with the view to purchase the property from the owner which is good, make sure you gosouth of the river, everyone will tell you its the best place to live with kids, we are in river heights, it was so simple at the airport, they are more concerned for the dog from the travel they quickly stamped the passports to hurry us through, its cold here at the mo.
will gather some info on places for dogs and send them over to you on private im ok crazydaisy.

Hi there - I've been looking at areas like St.Vital, Fort Garry and Riverheights so may end close by! South Winnipeg looks good for us as I'm considering temping for Univ. of Manitoba. (I worked as a temp. at Cambridge University in the UK so will ask them for a reference ahead of time to take with me.) We've had a breakthough sorting out accomodation - a housing co-op close to St.Vital centre has said they'll take our dog if they have something available next Spring. They've got 2, 3 & 4 bedroom townhouses so hopefully something will come up. I've been talking to a realtor and mortgage broker too just in case we can manage to raise enough for a house. :)

I just finished being an international student at the University of Calgary. Let's see:


Already answered, couldn't help with specifics anyway since I'm in Alberta.

You'll have no problem opening a bank account and you'll be given a debit card. Shop around, some banks have better student plans than others. Bank of Montreal has a free banking plan for students - and yes, international students are eligible.

Check out these web sites:
www.cibc.com
www.bmo.com
www.td.com
www.rbc.com
www.scotiabank.com

Credit cards are difficult - very difficult - but by the time I finished school I'd acquired four of them! Generally speaking unless you get very lucky you'll only be able to get a credit card by giving them the money up front for the value of the credit limit. So, go into the bank, give them $500 and get a credit card with a $500 limit. Then, after 6 months - 1 year you have a credit rating and boom, you're all set.

By the way, speaking of deposits, expect to have to pay a deposit on just about everything - cell phone, regular phone, electricity etcetera. They usually refund the deposit after a year.

DEFINITELY. You will need them to get waived from the TOEL (English language test) and you may even get of few junior course credits for your a-levels. Why take courses when you can get them credited!

Buy them when you get here. Basically you need a good jacket, which will cost you a few hundred dollars.

Thanks for the help :-)

Hiya - my hubby found this site the other day which I thought you'd find useful as it's written by and targeted at University of Winnipeg alumni ;) http://www.pathcom.com/~omega/winnipeg.html

GREAT
 

I am from MAnchester, been in Winnipeg for 7 months.
It is great. Not massive but very friendly.
What are you after?
Excitment, maybe not the livlest place in the world though.
This summer got as high a 40 degrees, but can be as low as -35 degrees so if you need any info drop me a line

Re: GREAT
 

Have you checked out all good pubs/Indian restaurants/fish & chip shops, that sort of the thing? I've heard that 'The Forks' is a good area for eating and a good market - any other recommendations? :beer:

osbourne village is high for the socializing, loads of pubs and restaurants.