General Winnipeg information
Population
766,894 (City of Winnipeg, 2020)
Climate
Winnipeg experiences a continental
climate characterized by four distinct
seasons. Average temperatures
range between -12 degrees Celsius
(+10.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in the
winter months to +26 degrees Celsius
(+78.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in the
summertime. Due to its northern
location, Winnipeg residents enjoy
2,300 hours of sunlight annually
and up to 16 hours of sunlight
daily during the summer months.
Winnipeg averages approximately
51.4 centimetres (20.2 inches) of
precipitation each year.
Time zone
Manitoba uses Central Standard Time.
Daylight Saving Time begins at 2
a.m. local time on the second Sunday
in March. On the first Sunday in
November, areas on Daylight Saving
Time return to Standard Time at 2 a.m.
During Daylight Saving Time, clocks
are turned ahead one hour.
Emergency information
Emergencies only – Call 911
Non-emergency police services –
Call 204.986.6222
Language
English and French are Canada's
two official languages. English is
the predominant language spoken
in Winnipeg. Old St. Boniface,
Winnipeg's French Quarter, is largely
French speaking. Many banks, hotels,
airline offices, service institutions,
shops and key tourist destinations
have multilingual staff.
Currency
The currency used in Winnipeg is the
Canadian Dollar. It is recommended
that visitors exchange their currency at
a bank, a foreign exchange outlet or
use a banking machine.
Taxes
Goods and services purchased in
Manitoba are subject to an seven per
cent Provincial Sales Tax (PST) and
the federal five per cent Goods and
Services Tax (GST).
Accommodation tax
There is a five per cent tax
on accommodations within the
city of Winnipeg. For more
information, please go to
www.winnipegassessment.com/
AsmtTax/English/Other_Taxes/
Accommodation.stm
Measurement
Canada follows the international
metric system. Temperatures, rainfall
measures, distance, weights, and
velocity are expressed in metric units.
Length: 1 kilometre = 0.6 mile
1 mile = 1.6 kilometres
Capacity: 1 litre = 1.06 US quart
1 US quart = 0.95 litre
Weight: 1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds
1 pound = 0.45 kilogram
Speed: 30 km/h = 20 mph
50 km/h = 30 mph
80 km/h = 50 mph
Electricity
Outlets and voltage (110 volts) are the
same as in the United States. Adapters
are required for electrical appliances
from other countries. The frequency of
electrical current in Canada is 60 Hz.
Winnipeg skyline from the Forks, photo by Mike Peters
4
2022 Official visitor's guide Winnipeg
