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Manitoba
Geographically in the centre of Canada,
Manitoba’s southern agricultural
pastures give way to green forested hills on
whose northern fringes lie the post ice-age
Canadian Shield, a land of ice-scraped rock,
boreal forest and lakes, reaching to the waters
of the vast Hudson Bay. Wildlife is abundant
and in any part of the region visitors may
encounter moose, wolves, black bears, beavers
and herds of caribou. Wildlife lovers are
particularly drawn to Churchill, where tundra,
taiga, and boreal forest meet on the shores of
Hudson Bay, and in the summer months
beluga whales and migratory birds gather in
their thousands. Polar bears converge here in
the autumn as the seas freeze over whilst black
bears are most easily seen in Riding Mountain
National Park and this is also one of the best
places to learn about First Nations culture.
The beaches of Lake Winnipeg, Hecla and
Whiteshell Provincial Parks are also well
worth a visit. Though European explorers only
discovered the region that is now Manitoba in
the 17th century, its history is much older:
archaeological remains of early settlers dating
back 6,000 years have been found at The Forks
National Historic Site. The provincial capital,
Winnipeg, is the major urban centre, with the
Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the Manitoba
Opera among its attractions.
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