Top 10 reasons to study and live in Winnipeg

Located in the geographical centre of North America, Winnipeg is the capital of the Canadian province of Manitoba. In the heart of Canada’s ‘cultural cradle’, surrounded by miles of stunning scenery, unspoiled lakes and the ideal location to undertake various outdoor activities from fishing to skiing, Winnipeg is an activity junkie’s paradise. Founded as a trading centre, long before the arrival of the Europeans, Canada’s ‘Gateway to the West’ hosts a varied and vibrant calendar of events – it was also the first Canadian host of the Pan American games.

Winnipeg provides the ideal combination of city life with country living. St. John’s–Ravenscourt School, founded in 1820, is located in a quiet, safe corner of the city, a mere 10 minutes from the city centre with access to shopping, sports and music events, cultural spaces, numerous restaurants, cafés and much more.  With so much on offer, Winnipeg is a fantastic city to live and study. Read on to find out more about the city that sits at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers:

1. The ‘cultural cradle of Canada’

Winnipeg has plenty of cultural activities, sights and events to see and do all year round. Arts lovers should schedule a visit to the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre and try to catch a performance by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra or the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Canada’s oldest dance company and the longest continuously operating ballet company in North America. Art gallery fans and history buffs will also want to visit the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, the Winnipeg Art Gallery and the Forks National Historic Site.

2. Fabulous festivals

Winnipeg boasts a spectacular festival calendar, with a huge range of events on offer throughout the year. From Folkorama to the Festival du Voyageur, Arctic Glacier Winter Park, the Jazz Winnipeg Festival, the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival, the Red River Exhibition and even the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, you are sure to be permanently entertained during your time in Winnipeg!

3. Spectacular scenery

Culture aside, Winnipeg is famed for its beautiful surroundings sitting just beyond the city’s borders. Manitoba has over 100,000 scenic lakes in addition to multiple provincial parks for outdoor enthusiasts – hiking, fishing, camping, mountain biking, lake swimming and more are all on offer during the summer months.

4. Winter wonderland

Winter sports fans will also be pleased to hear that the city is covered in snow 132 days of the year, which means that sports fans will also be able to take part in cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing, tobogganing, ice skating and ice fishing. Winnipeg is also home to the longest naturally freezing skating rink in the world, running along the Red and Assiniboine Rivers over a distance of 8.5 kilometers.

5. Sunny city

It might be home to extreme changes in temperature, but Winnipeg still receives its fair share of golden rays and soaring summer temperatures. In fact, Winnipeg experiences around 2,372 hours of sunshine on average per year – that’s one of the greatest in the whole of Canada!

6. Northern lights

Winnipeg residents are also lucky enough to experience the Aurora Borealis (or ‘Northern Lights’) for themselves in Manitoba, a stunning phenomenon which can only be witnessed in a few northern spots around the globe.

7. Shop ‘til you drop

Shoppers will be wowed by the city’s extensive range of shopping opportunities, ranging from outlet stores and large malls to designer shops, thrifty bargains and unique boutique stores. Serious shoppers should make it a point to visit Polo Park and Osborne Village, as well as Winnipeg’s Exchange District and Seasons of Tuxedo.

8. Let me entertain you!

Those in search of exciting entertainment options are guaranteed to be impressed by Winnipeg’s wide variety of activities and events on offer. Fun-seekers can choose from gigs, stand-up comedy, theatre performances, festivals, live sports and concerts – available all year round. Theatre lovers should pay a visit to the MTS Centre and the Burton Cummings Theatre, while Rumor’s Restaurant and Comedy Club guarantees to put on a show that will make your sides split!

9. Team talk

Serious sports lovers will also be pleased to hear that Winnipeg is not only home to one, but a total of four professional sports teams, which include: the Winnipeg Jets (ice hockey), the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Canadian football), the Winnipeg Goldeyes (baseball) and the Manitoba Moose (ice hockey).

10. Thinking ahead

Winnipeg is also home to four universities – the University of Manitoba, the University of Winnipeg, the Canadian Mennonite University and the University of St. Boniface – which is great to know if students are considering their options and future career path after completing their time at school.

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This article was sponsored by St. John’s-Ravenscourt School (SJR), located in Fort Garry, Winnipeg. SJR is an independent co-educational Kindergarten to Grade 12 day and boarding school that aims to prepare its students for university and the challenges of the world beyond. SJR provides a respectful learning community for its students that inspires and supports academic excellence, encourages creative expression, active healthy living and social responsibility, thus helping in the development and nurturing of compassionate and confident individuals. SJR graduates are global citizens, prepared to take on a changing world. The school offers an in-depth academic and co-curricular programme, in addition to a diverse sports and arts curriculum, while SJR staff support teaching and learning programs that aim to challenge. SJR students are outstanding leaders, displaying humility and an openness to learning and change that will stand them in excellent stead during their time in education and beyond.