My hometown is the city of Winnipeg, in the province of Manitoba. It is right in the centre of Canada, in the flat part of the country known as the prairies.

Winnipeg is 800 km from another major city (that is a day of driving). Due to this relative isolation the city has a great deal of cultural activity. Here are some of the places of interest in and around Winnipeg:

The Manitoba Museum: Includes 9 walk-through gallaries taking you through different times of Manitoba's past with full-sized reconstructions. On-site there is also a Science Gallery with lots of hands-on activities and a Planetarium.

The Forks: At the junction of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers in Winnipeg, this park is a favourite of locals and tourists alike. There are many things on this site including: the Forks Market, Johnson Terminal shops, the Canadian Human Rights Museum, the Children's Museum, Manitoba Theatre for Young People, Oodena Celebration Circle, a Skateboard Park, a River Walk, The Forks Festival Park, a Water Bus and the Explore Manitoba Centre.

Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site of Canada: North of Winnipeg there is a fort from the 19th century that has been restored. Costumed players recreate scenes from life in the 1850s in this area.

Fort Whyte Alive: A nature park with lots to do. It has 5 lakes, 7 km of trails, a 30-head herd of bison, floating boardwalks, bird-feeding stations, a Prairie Dog (a type of rodent) town, fishing canoeing and wildlife watching. In the winter there is snowshoeing, ice fishing, skating and a super toboggan slide. Step into the wilds without leaving the city.

Winnipeg Art Gallery: This art gallery has varied exhibits but focuses on Manitoba artists. It houses the world's largest public collection of modern Inuit art and you can be guaranteed that at least some of it is on display at any one time.

Assiniboine Park: This is one of the largest urban parks in North America. It has many attractions to amaze and delight including a zoo (with over 400 species), a conservatory, an English garden, formal gardens, the Leo Mol Sculpture Garden, walking, cycling and cross country skiing trails, picnic areas, a Tudor-style pavilion, Cricket pitches, baseball diamonds, soccer fields, a bandshell, a playground and a miniature train.

Esplanade Riel Pedestrian Bridge: A beautiful 5 metre wide bridge for people that links The Forks to Winnipeg's French Quarter. It's got a restaurant at the center of it. What more do you need?

Grand Beach: One of the top beaches in North America is north of Winnipeg on the shore of Lake Winnipeg (Canada's 5th largest lake). Fine white sand on shore, no salt in the water.

Oak Hammock Marsh: Nature trails, canoeing, wildlife viewing. This restored prairie marsh is home to 25 species of mammals, 300 species of birds, many amphibians, reptiles, fish, and countless invertebrates.

Check out this site for information on many other smaller museums and assorted attractions in Winnipeg.

What makes Winnipeg truly shine though are the Festivals and other events held there throughout the year. Most of these events run for multiple days.. You can get a more complete list here, but below is a short list of some of the events you can take in:

Winnipeg Folk Festival

Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival

Folklorama

Festival du Voyageur

Jazz Winnipeg Festival

Winnipeg International Children's Festival

Red River Exhibition