A Return to the Icy Lights

The 2015 aurora season is well underway at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre. Brian has been there since mid February, and we will both stay through the end of March.

For those who live in New England, you know how much snow we are leaving behind. So when I arrived in Winnipeg, Manitoba, I was surprised to see that they had relatively little! I guess this is more typical, but last year they had a lot. The weather has made for a very pleasant visit to the city.

Hotel Fort Garry

Once again I am staying at the Hotel Fort Garry, a grand and elegant hotel from the early 1900s. I am on the floor (and corridor) that houses a ghost, but it is evidently a very quiet ghost. Haven't heard a thing. I do love coffee delivered to my door first thing in the morning.

The train station is right down the street, and this snow sculpture sits in the middle of a very busy intersection. I could not find any info on the subject of the sculpture, but it is a reclining fiddle player in a stocking cap. The cap is obscured by the tree trunk.

Here is the snow sculpture with the Hotel Garry in the background.

Today I went out to visit The Forks, an historic area of Winnipeg, which is located at the confluence of the Red River and the Assiniboine River. For 6,000+ years, the Forks has been the meeting place for early Aboriginal peoples. Later, it was a meeting place for European fur traders, and then for tens of thousands of immigrants.

Inside, The Forks reminds me of Quincy Market back in Boston, MA. It is always fun to see the shops and to try some of the tasty food. Outside, there is all kinds of opportunity for fun on the river. Children are learning to skate, hockey is going on in many locations, there are snow and ice sculptures, and some interesting warming huts. There is also a snow lounge, where you can sit on a snow sofa or relax in a snow chair.

Today I met my first Samoyed. He was indeed a gentle giant, and he could also have won a beauty contest.

Tomorrow I pack for the train, which is only a tenth of a mile away. On our return trip, we plan to visit the human rights and human spirit museum. We have been trying to go for the past two years. Third year will be the charm. It is open!