Manitoba’s capital, Winnipeg, shines this year with several new and refreshed attractions. The impressive new $43 million home of the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada is now open and showcases 22 aircraft across 14 immersive galleries, offering aviation fans an extensive and engaging experience.
© Maddy Reico – Tourism Winnipeg
The historic Fort Garry Hotel, Spa and Conference Centre (Ascend Hotel Collection) has completed a sensitive restoration of its main dining room and reopened it as the Oval Room Brasserie. Alongside the dining room refresh, the hotel unveiled a modern, state-of-the-art fitness facility for guests and visitors.
© Maddy Reico – Tourism Winnipeg
Dinosaur lovers can catch ULTIMATE DINOSAURS!, a blockbuster exhibition at the Manitoba Museum featuring giant, full-scale skeletons of new and exotic species from the Southern Hemisphere. The exhibit runs May 21–Sept. 5 and offers a rare look at these impressive prehistoric creatures.
FortWhyte Alive’s on-site eatery, Buffalo Stone Café, has partnered with social enterprise Something Beautiful and Chef Zack Ssenkungu to present a unique dining collaboration. Winnipeg’s culinary scene also continues to expand with several new openings this spring, including a Northern Manitoba–style pizza spot, a takoyaki takeout, and a number of specialty coffee shops that add fresh flavor to the city’s food culture.
© @kristhine. guerrero
As 2022 is recognized as the Year of the Garden in Canada, Winnipeg adds a major new green space: The Gardens at The Leaf in Assiniboine Park. This expansive outdoor destination comprises six distinct areas that will continue to evolve as the plantings mature. The Indigenous Peoples Garden was developed by Indigenous landscape and architectural designers in collaboration with elders and community leaders. The Kitchen Garden focuses on edible plants and hands-on gardening, featuring vegetables, fruits and herbs. The Seasonal Garden celebrates Manitoba’s four-season climate with perennials selected to mark seasonal change. The Sensory Garden is designed for touch, scent and visual interest, with colorful, aromatic plantings, tall prairie grasses and rolling hills with rock steps. The Performance Garden provides an outdoor stage framed by tiered seating and grassy viewing areas. Finally, The Grove showcases tall trees and scenic walking paths, creating a peaceful, shaded retreat.
Rounding out the season, CURRENT Winnipeg debuts a new weekend-long festival at The Forks, Aug. 12–14. The event is designed as a refined summer experience that highlights the city’s vibrant drinks, music, visual arts and culinary scenes, offering locals and visitors a curated taste of Winnipeg’s cultural life.