Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Winnipeg, Manitoba, population 700,000, is located at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers. It is the capital of, as well as the largest city in, the province. The name is a transcription of a Cree word meaning "muddy waters". During the early part of the 19th century, the Hudson's Bay Company's trading post at the site of present day Winnipeg was the centre of the fur trade, and became the first major settlement in western Canada. Growth was rapid after the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1881, and Winnipeg became the third largest city in Canada, until surpassed by Vancouver in the 1950's. Winnipeg is the home of the Royal Canadian Mint. Although purchased in Ontario, the famous bear, Winnie-the-Pooh, was named for the city of Winnipeg, the hometown of the soldier who transported it to London during WWI.

Kindly written and contributed by Mrs M J Ujimoto © 2009