Winnipeg Facts

Winnipeg is the capital city of Manitoba province and its largest city. Winnipeg is a major railway centre, the junction of four major Canadian transcontinental and regional railways. Home to a vital inland port and one of the world’s largest grain-milling centres. The population of Winnipeg was 637,451, according to the 2016 census. Located along the banks of the Assiniboine River, Winnipeg is home to Lake Winnipeg, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world (an area of approximately 226,000 km2). Winnipeg comes from a Cree word meaning “muddy waters” or “turbulent water”.

1. Winnipeg officially became a city in 1873.

2. Winnipeg was originally a French colony, but it was changed to “Winnipeg” in 1738.

3. Old Kildonan is the birthplace of Canada’s national anthem and city motto, “from sea to sea”. The original version of O’Canada, written in 1880 by Robert Stanley Weir, was sung for the first time in front of Prime Minister Sir John A.

4. Winnipeg is Manitoba’s economic capital, the 7th largest city in Canada.

5. Winnipeg is a centre of transportation, trade, commerce, finance and industry.

6. Winnipeg is famous for its increasingly vibrant arts and cultural scene, which has earned it numerous titles like “Canada’s Festival City” (2004) and “The new cultural capital of Canada”.

7. Winnipeg has a humid continental climate with cold winters (the average winter temperature in January is −11 C) and short but warm summers, with many days being suitable for outdoor activities. For example, the average summer temperature in July is 22 C.

8. The city is home to over two dozen government institutions.

9. The University of Manitoba, founded in 1877, is the largest university in the city and offers degrees, diplomas, and certificates in various subjects.

10. Winnipeg is Manitoba’s provincial capital and its largest city.

11. Winnipeg was home to the world’s first professional hockey team, which was organized in 1879 and was a member of the professional International Hockey League for 20 years from 1905 until 1924.

12. French Quarter – French Quarter is a historic neighbourhood in downtown Winnipeg consisting of approximately 22 blocks of restored 19th-century buildings along the Red River. The city has a significant francophone population, which gives it its name.

13. Winnipeg is home to many museums, including the Manitoba Museum, built in 1914 as a provincial museum showcasing the natural history of Manitoba for $160,000. It now houses over 13 million specimens and artefacts, making it one of Canada’s most prominent museums devoted exclusively to natural history and cultural heritage while providing educational programming to residents of all ages for free or at a nominal cost.