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TOP 10 MUST SEES Assiniboine Park assiniboinepark.ca Assiniboine Park's roster of world-class attractions just keeps growing. Its zoo features The Journey to Churchill, which astounds visitors with show-stealing polar bears that playfully swim right overhead in the Sea Ice Passage. Fun fact: The zookeepers and scientists are famous here too, having starred in two seasons of CBC Television's Arctic Vets. The Parks' grounds have it all, from beautiful gardens; The Pavilion with its art galleries; a steam train for families; the Leo Mol Sculpture Garden; and Cargo Bar where you can sip craft cocktails while looking out on the Riley Family Duck Pond. Brand new for 2023 is The Leaf—Canada's Diversity Garden, which features a number of tranquil thematic gardens surrounding the eye-catching conical Leaf building. The Leaf's 64,000 sq. ft. interior is home to Canada's largest indoor waterfall; massive biomes featuring colourful, fragrant plant species from across the globe; a restaurant called Gather Craft Kitchen & Bar; and a butterfly garden at its apex. Winnipeg Art Gallery–Qaumajuq wag.ca When the WAG opened up Qaumajuq, its new $65-million Inuit art centre in March 2021, it was met with rave reviews from The New York Times, Forbes, TIME, The Globe and Mail, enRoute and countless other design publications. WAG–Qaumajuq is home to the world's largest collection of contemporary Inuit art, featuring thousands of sculptures, stunning tapestries, bold paintings and works in a variety of mediums all artfully displayed in galleries that celebrate the snow drift-like Arctic landscape. The WAG building connects to Qaumajuq on each floor, creating an 185,000 sqft museum with an internationally acclaimed collection of over 27,000 works, spanning the Renaissance to modern Canadian and Manitoba- centric pieces, with a particular emphasis on contemporary Indigenous artists. Canadian Museum for Human Rights humanrights.ca A true statement piece of architecture, you can't miss the museum's 1,335 custom-cut pieces of glass that form the Cloud, which wraps around the building mimicking the closed wings of a dove. Within, 11 powerful, interactive, heart- wrenching and awe-inspiring exhibits literally climb from darkness to light, bringing you through famed architectural features like the labyrinth-forming alabaster walkways. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights' iconic façade became even more iconic in 2018, when the building appeared on the new $10 Canadian banknote with Viola Desmond, whose story is also told within its galleries. It's the only museum in the world "solely dedicated to the evolution, celebration and future of human rights." The Forks theforks.com No matter the season, The Forks is Manitoba's most-visited tourism attraction for a reason. Spring through fall will see you sitting harbour side on one of Western Canada's largest patios, with other options including taking a boat tour of the city's rivers, testing your skills in the Tony Hawk-approved skate plaza and exploring Niizhoziibean—the Indigenous-led area across the rail bridge that is brimming with huge, powerful works of public art. In winter, the Nestaweya River Trail beckons with its weird, whacky and worldly warming huts, providing you with up to seven kms to skate, kicksled, fat tire bike (rentals for all available onsite) or walk down. Year-round The Forks Market is an epicurean destination, featuring food kiosks and restaurants from some of the city's best chefs along with The Common—an indoor and outdoor bar featuring 20 wines and 20 beers on tap that are anything but common. The Forks grounds also feature so much for your little ones, including Manitoba Theatre for Young People, the Children's Museum and one amazing playground called Fort Parka. Manitoba Museum manitobamuseum.ca A life-sized diorama of a Métis bison hunt, a replica of the famed 17th century Nonsuch ship that you can actually board, a staggering collection of replicas and fossils—including a giant sloth (Megatherium from the Pleistocene era) and an astounding 90-million-year-old pliosaur fossil—are just a few of the draws at this Winnipeg institution. Its exhibitions will enthral kids and adults alike, whether you are catching a Planetarium show, or taking in the numerous galleries that have recently received more than $20 million in upgrades. 1 2 3 4 5 7 tourismwinnipeg.com 2023 WINNIPEG VISITOR'S GUIDE TOP 10 MUST SEES