1) the Museum for Human Rights

On route to a visit with family in London, I stopped off in Winnipeg and was fortunate to get in to see the new Canadian Museum for Human Rights, designed by architect Antonie Predock. The cornerstone was laid back in July 2010 by HRH Queen Elizabeth II. The museum, architecturally, is a wonder and will truly put (the always wrongly maligned) City of Winnipeg on the international map as a destination. It is built right at the Forks, the historical centre of the city, and is today an excellent example of how to develop such an area – along with the Museum there is several markets, an upscale hotel, the restored Canadian National Railway Station, outdoor concert theatre, skateboard park, and the iconic Provencher Bridge that takes over the Red River to St. Boniface.

Inside, the gorgeous architecture continues; its only failing in my humble opinion being the Garden of Contemplation. While not all the galleries were open for viewing on my visit (several actually still have workmen preparing them), what I saw was exceptionally well done. If you have never thought of putting Winnipeg on your travel destination map, its time to change that state of mind and add it. Walking the magnificent alabaster staircases inside the Museum, alone, make it worth a visit.

2) at the entrance way

3) looking down into the Indigenous Perspectives gallery

4) a ballot box from the first South African post-apartheid election (somewhere here I have an actual ballot from this first election)

5) inside the “What are Human Rights?” gallery

6) sadly, shackles from the slave trade

7) looking out toward the Red River and St. Boniface

8) beautiful lines eh

9) inside the “Rights Today” gallery; that graphic is very, very telling isn’t it?!

10) and here, sigh, the alabaster ramps

11) just so freaking beautiful

12) I wanna hang out there!

13) looking up to the Tower of Peace

14) inside the “Inspiring Change” gallery

15) so pretty

16) I’m going way up there … to the top!

17) looking out from the Garden of Contemplation

18) the administration offices from the Garden of Contemplation with the City of Winnipeg skyline peeking through in back

While in Winnipeg, I stayed at the new Grand Winnipeg Airport (which is right at the airport terminal) and which I would highly recommend if you need to catch an early flight … as I did …. 5 blessed AM in the morning.

19) my room at the Grand

Before heading to London, I made a stop to attend annual meetings at Blue Mountain resort up near Collingwood in Ontario. There was no snow but it sure was cold!

20) the view from my room at Mosaic

21) looking across to the Westin Blue Mountain resort and the (snowless) ski hills