Day 19 - A Loonie for Your Thoughts at the Canadian Mint

You know I never would of thought about visiting the Canadian Mint but Bernie was really into it.  And since marriage is all about give and take we went.

The Winnipeg Canada Mint was built just over 40 years ago.  As you approach you see tons of flags flying high.  We later learn that these flags represent all the countries that this Mint makes coins for.  Yes!  65% of the coins produced here are made for other countries.  Only 35% are Canadian coins - our nickle, dime, quarter, loonie and toonie that are in circulation.  The Ottawa Mint makes all the decorative memorable coins.

We arrive and pay the fee to do a tour.  Note you should call to reserve a spot in a tour ahead of time but we did not but were able to join a tour at 11 am.  They should make it possible to book their tours thru their website.

Until the tour we wander around the gift shop and take some pictures.

Check out this gold bar!  This gold bar is worth $750,000!  We were able to lift it to feel it's weight (note there was a lot of security) and it was darn heavy.

The Canadian Mint also produced the Olympic medals for the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games in 2010.

Bernie asks about the toonie that has the Northern Lights that actually appear in the dark.  Sadly they do not have anymore.  We continue to chat about where we are from and what we are doing.

A woman (we find out later her name is Tracy) overhears and comes over and says she has one.  The coin is in circulation and she happened to get one in her change and just kept it to the side.  She offered it to us for another toonie.  

Isn't this so special.  This is why we love travelling - connecting with people.  Thanks Tracy!

We did end up buying a coin called - The Great Trail to commemorate our cross Canada trip.  Here is a link to the coin. 

While waiting I sit on a bench and chat with this couple who I find out live in Winnipeg but are from Zimbabwe, Africa. We pick their brain about visiting Zimbabwe as we hope to get there this Fall.

The tour starts and we are not allowed to take pictures.  But I sure learned a lot.  

I highly recommend that if anyone is coming to Winnipeg you should make sure to visit the Canadian Mint.  

Here is a picture I found online that represents our coins - note we not longer have pennies in circulation.

Did you know that the initial loonie coin was not actually suppose to have a loon on the coin?  The original design was suppose to be a voyageur in a canoe but those plates got lost so they went to the loon to make sure it was produced on time.

Across the river you see the Human Rights Museum on left

After the Mint we went to St. Boniface Cathedral and Museum.  The museum is small but filled with tons of information!

A large exhibit about Louis Riel.  Louis Riel was born on the Red River in 1844 as the oldest of a large family.  When the Canadian Dominion was formed in 1867 they wanted to settle this land and started selling off parcels.  But no one consulted with the Metis who had settled here a long time ago.

When the government came to survey the lands Riel and a group of Metis challenged them.  Louis Riel who spoke both English and French quickly emerged as a leader.  

Negotiations began and a settlement was reached; however the government saw Riel and the Metis' actions as act of treason against the government.  Even though Riel was elected numerous times to Canadian Government he was never able to take a leading role in the formation of the new Province of Manitoba.  

He was forced to flee and went to the US and even after he was pardoned he ended up staying away for five years until the Battle of Batoche which we visited while in Saskatoon.  You can read all about it here. 

After the battle of Batoche and Riel was captured he was held to stand trial for treason.  He was found guilty and hung.  

Here is his actual coffin that he was transported in initially but was buried in a different one.  Sorry it is not in focus.

We visit the cemetery where Riel is buried.  Also the beautiful St. Boniface Church.  There have been many churches on this site but the stone one that burned down in 1968 is still visible with the newer smaller one seen just inside.

After all this we are ready for lunch.  We visit the Red Roof 
Diner as it was featured on the show "You Gotta Eat Here".  It was quite good.  We end up ordering take out for our dinner tonight.

I then steer Bernie to a bakery called Baked Expections that our friend Megan recommended.  Yup this is my kind of place.  We each get a piece of dessert to go for dessert tonight.  Bernie got key lime pie and I got the salted caramel chocolate cake. 

this is their box - too cute

Back at the apartment around 3:30 and we do a load of wash, make reservations for the next two nights and coordinate some plans for the next week.  We are excited to see Dave and Pat in Sault Ste Marie.

Later we heat up some spaghetti that we got from take out and we open a bottle of wine and top it off with some amazing dessert.

We are aiming to be on the road by 8 am tomorrow.  It will be a long day of driving to Thunder Bay.

We saw two mail delivery people today walking their route.

Here is our scavenger hunt list today:

• Moose
• Deer
• Hitchhiker
• Eagle/Hawk
• Licence plates from every Province in Canada - but you can not count the province you are in.  So if we see an Alberta plate in BC then it counts, but not if we are in Alberta. British Columbia  Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Yukon, and North West Territory
• Skunk - saw a dead one
• Sheep
• Beaver
• Goslings
• Buffalo
• Goat
• Owl
• Bear
• Loon
• Crane
• Prairie Dog
• Fisherman fishing
• Canoe
• Hummingbird
• Antique car on the road
• Old VW Bug
• Car broken down on the side of the road
• Helicopter on the ground
• Airplane on the ground
• Speeding ticket- hopefully not our own
• Ambulance with sirens on
• Dump truck
• Line painting crew at work
• Mail delivery person walking their route
• Cruise Ship (from Janice and Jim)
• Coyote 
• RCMP officer
• Hop on Hop off Bus
• Sea Glass
• Lobster

If you have any items you think we should add to our scavenger hunt list, let us know.

So Today's Stats 
Driving distance today 50 km 
Total distance 4720 km

Thanks for following. 

Day 18 - Human Rights Museum and Sore Feet

When I wake up at 7:30 I know Bernie needs to sleep.  He was up from 3 to 4:30 and needs his sleep now.  Usually it is I that is up in the middle of the night and Bernie lets me sleep in.  So I am okay today waiting for him.

We get moving around 10 am.  Today we are walking.  Our first stop is Stella's Bakery.  It came recommended from a friend and it was very yummy.  So I enjoyed a latte and a chocolate croissant.

We keep walking towards down town.  It is around a 30 minute walk and it feels good to be out of the car.

Here is the Provincial Legislature.

One place I have really been looking forward to on this trip is visiting the Canadian Museum of Human Rights.  It has been open only a few years and I am so excited about visiting today.

First of the building itself is stunning.  The building was designed by architect Antoine Predock and intended every part of the building to have meaning for human rights.

The outside is made of glass which they call the cloud because it reflects the Winnipeg sky.  

exhibit for same sex marriage

this exhibit represents the murder and missing indigenous women along Yellowhead Highway

There 7 exhibit floors and moving thru each floor was such a beautiful experience.  I was moved emotionally at every turn.  Some things made me happy, some things sad.  I basically went thru every emotion.  But I left with hope.

I was so impressed with the exhibits and how they were presented.  Lots of videos, displays, participating activities.  

large exhibit about the Holocaust

I had installed the App prior to visiting and it was a nice app but it kept crashing and stalling.  Bernie got so fed up with the app that he just forgot all about it.  So one negative was the app. But other than that I thought it was amazing.

The staff there are wonderful too.  So helpful.  In fact when Bernie and I met back up at the end of the day here he commented that many staff were always offering assistance and offering to restart a video in English if necessary. He ended up talking to many of them.

A few years ago I use to facilitate a week long Human Right's Course for my union.  I use to teach members all across Canada.  So none of the information in the museum was new to me but I certainly learned more about some events.

When we finally leave it is 2:30 pm!  Boy time flew by.

We are hungry and we head to a restaurant nearby that faces The Forks called The Smith.  Bernie said this place had the best Moscow Mules every.  The food was good too but service was really lacking.

After our meal we walk around the sites at The Forks where the Assiniboine and Red River meet.

Long before Europeans arrived The Forks was a traditional Indigenous Peoples' stopping place for camping, gathering provisions and trading with other First Nations.

these structures when looking from the center below you can look up and spot the constellations in the night sky

In the 19th and 20th centuries The Forks was a staging point for fur trade, exploration, and settlement.  It served as the yards of major railways including the Canadian Northern, The Grand Trunk and the Canadian National Railway.

The small settlement of Winnipeg grew into the principal metropolitan centre of Western Canada and became Canada's gateway to the West.

so Canadian!  Art made of hockey sticks

We walk back to our apartment along the Assiniboine River and it is very apparent that the low level walkway was flooded recently - later I find out it was back in April.  Boy it went high and the mud and debris left behind means we need to clean our shoes when we get back.

Oh and while walking we spot two young adults fishing!  We even chatted with them a bit but I totally forgot to get a picture but I swear I did see them.

Back at the apartment we are both beat.  We have log 15,000 steps!  We are not really hungry for dinner so we just eat what we have in the fridge.  Toast and some cheese and some left over salad.

We have not travelled today so nothing to report.  But I did add two items to the scavenger list.  Linda suggested sea glass and lobster to the list.  

Here is our scavenger hunt list today:

• Moose
• Deer
• Hitchhiker
• Eagle/Hawk
• Licence plates from every Province in Canada - but you can not count the province you are in.  So if we see an Alberta plate in BC then it counts, but not if we are in Alberta. British Columbia  Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Yukon, and North West Territory
• Skunk - saw a dead one
• Sheep
• Beaver
• Goslings
• Buffalo
• Goat
• Owl
• Bear
• Loon
• Crane
• Prairie Dog
• Fisherman fishing
• Canoe
• Hummingbird
• Antique car on the road
• Old VW Bug
• Car broken down on the side of the road
• Helicopter on the ground
• Airplane on the ground
• Speeding ticket- hopefully not our own
• Ambulance with sirens on
• Dump truck
• Line painting crew at work
• Mail delivery person walking their route
• Cruise Ship (from Janice and Jim)
• Coyote 
• RCMP officer
• Hop on Hop off Bus
• Sea Glass
• Lobster

If you have any items you think we should add to our scavenger hunt list, let us know.

So Today's Stats 
Driving distance today 0 km - but a shit load of steps
Total distance 4670 km

Thanks for following. 

Day 17 - Touring Lower Fort Garry and Manitoba Museum

Our plans today were dependent on the weather.  One spot we really wanted to see was Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site but a lot of it is outside so we did not want to go in the rain.  When we woke the forecast called for rain but not till the afternoon so we headed out to the site.

We arrive around 10 am and end up buying an annual Family pass that allows us to visit all Canadian Historical sites in the next twelve months free. A great deal considering we plan on visiting many more just on this trip alone.

Here is what is said about Lower Fort Garry. 

Lower Fort Garry was built in 1830 by the Hudson's Bay Company on the western bank of the Red River, 32 km north of the original Fort Garry (now Winnipeg). Treaty 1 was signed there.

Goernor Simpson's home

Governor Simpson chose the site of Lower Fort Garry because of its high ground and location below the St. Andrew's Rapids, eliminating a time-consuming portage of heavy fur packs and York boats. 

check out these huge rolling pins

hmmm Smuts and Separating Machine

The first buildings built at the fort in 1830 were the "fur loft", which housed the company store, small warehouse and trader's office, and the "Big House" (residence for the governor of the HBC or other high-ranking officials). Later additions included a warehouse and a men's house. The fort's signature walls were completed in the 1840s, adding an icehouse, powder magazine, bakehouse, and warehouse bastions. These walls were non-military, intended only to make the fort appear more important and impressive to both local traders and visiting HBC officers. Many of the buildings were constructed with limestone, which was easily obtained from nearby.

Bea sneaks into the boat

Although the Lower Fort did trade a small amount of furs, its main purpose was as a supply depot for the Red River settlement and the surrounding Cree, Anishinaabe, Métis, and European (mostly Orkney Scot) populations. Many furs at the fort were brought from other districts, repackaged at the fort and sent to England via York Factory. The post traded essential manufactured goods to the farmers and hunters for produce that was in turn used for provisioning company treks into the north. 

We must of spent at least three hours there.

While there there was a ceremony for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in recognition for service.  You see this site was used by the Mounted Police for training in 1873.  So today there are about 80 RCMP and family here for the ceremony.  

You can see that Bea Damn is a little nervous when we enter the fur loft and they point out the beaver pelt.

I was quite impressed with the York boats that were built and used by the Hudson Bay to travel north to the Red River Settlement which was a 1,100 km journey which included dozens of grueling portages.  From here they would load onto shipping vessels in Hudson's Bay and travel to Europe.

York Boats

We ended up having lunch there and as we were having lunch the skies opened and it down poured!  

So we decide the afternoon will be spent at the Manitoba Museum and Planetarium. 

We arrive at 2:20 and we attend the 2:30 show at the Planetarium.  It was very interesting and it has been years since I was at a planetarium.

a vehicle that travels over ice 

After the show we do a quick tour of the museum.  The museum closes at 5 so we only have an hour.  But we quickly check it out and really enjoyed some sites and learned a lot.

love this

But by 4:45 we are beat.  You know this touring around is exhausting!

When we get in the car the rain is coming down so hard and it is slow going as roads are having trouble draining all this water. It is also rush hour traffic.  What should of been a 15 minute trip ended up being a half hour.

When we arrive at condo we run across the street and dodge HUGE puddles.

Later (about 2 hours) I wonder, where is my fitbit? I have the small one that goes in your pocket. Have had it a long time.  Of course when we go back to the car later I find the fitbit in the parking lot and it has been run over and flooded and totally useless.  One casualty of the trip.  But I am a firm believer things happen when they should happen so I can let it go.

Around 7 pm we head out for dinner and thankfully the rain has stopped and the traffic is minimal.

We enjoy a lovely Italian meal and we are back at the apartment just before 9 pm.

We spend the evening relaxing, making plans for the next few days and we hope to be in bed early.

Here is our scavenger hunt list today:

Note from suggestions I have added RCMP officer and Hop on Hop off Bus - thanks Corinne

• Moose
• Deer
• Hitchhiker
• Eagle/Hawk
• Licence plates from every Province in Canada - but you can not count the province you are in.  So if we see an Alberta plate in BC then it counts, but not if we are in Alberta. British Columbia  Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Yukon, and North West Territory
• Skunk - saw a dead one
• Sheep
• Beaver
• Goslings
• Buffalo
• Goat
• Owl
• Bear
• Loon
• Crane
• Prairie Dog
• Fisherman fishing
• Canoe
• Hummingbird
• Antique car on the road
• Old VW Bug
• Car broken down on the side of the road
• Helicopter on the ground
• Airplane on the ground
• Speeding ticket- hopefully not our own
• Ambulance with sirens on
• Dump truck
• Line painting crew at work
• Mail delivery person walking their route
• Cruise Ship (from Janice and Jim)
• Coyote 
• RCMP officer
• Hop on Hop off Bus
• Sea Glass
• Lobster

If you have any items you think we should add to our scavenger hunt list, let us know.

So Today's Stats 
Driving distance today 100 km  
Total distance 4670 km