The Land of Lakes
& Amazing Night Sky
Manitoba has many attributes. With a rich and varied geography, abundant natural resources, an excellent quality of life and a diversified, growing economy, Manitoba is an ideal place to live, work and raise a family.
It is also a fantastic place to visit. Whether your desire is to take a stroll along a white-sand beach in summertime, or wander through a sparkling winter wonderland, Manitoba is a playground for all seasons.

Friendly People
The name Manitoba originated from the legend of the aboriginal people who lived on the prairies and traveled the waters of Lake Manitoba. The sounds of waves crashing against the limestone rocks of an offshore island was believed to be the Great Spirit Manito-bau. This Ojibway legend lives on in the province's name, Manitoba.
Manitoba is home to Canada's largest Aboriginal population, with First Nation communities located throughout the province, where 1,500-year old aboriginal pictographs and petroforms can still be seen on Manitoba rocks and forest floors. Today, as it has for centuries, aboriginal culture continues to influence, enhance and enrich the province.
As one of Canada's most ethnically-diverse provinces, Manitoba is a popular destination for new immigrants. With more than 100 languages spoken across the province, Manitoba has a strong tradition of celebrating its multicultural diversity through a variety of fairs and festivals.
A highlight among them is ‘Folklorama’ the largest and longest running multicultural festival of its kind in the world. This lively two-week event attracts thousands of visitors who are treated to colorful cultural performances and traditional cuisine. With more than 40 pavilions featuring countries such as India, Korea, Portugal and Africa, visitors can experience the many cultures that make up Manitoba's multicultural mosaic.
Manitoba also has its own French quartera prominent area of Winnipeg called St. Boniface. The largest French-speaking community in Western Canada, St. Boniface has a distinct flavor from French street signs and heritage storefronts, to the historic cathedrals, museums and churches that mark a rich and proud heritage. Every winter, French culture is celebrated at Festival du Voyageur, a unique 10 day event, themed on the fur trade era that pays tribute to the French-Canadian heritage with entertainment, traditional cuisine, arts and crafts, exhibits and displays.
Lake Winnipeg
With its beautiful white-sand beaches and wide-open waters, Lake Winnipeg is the world's 10th largest freshwater lake and is often considered to be the jewel in Manitoba's tourism crown. It is also one of more than 100,000 lakes of all shapes and sizes that provide Manitobans and visitors alike with an abundance of recreational activity.
The last remains of glacial Lake Agassiz, Lake Winnipeg is home to abundant aquatic, bird and wildlife populations, as well as the citizens of 30 communities that dot its shores. Lake Winnipeg is also important to Manitoba's economy providing opportunities in tourism, recreation, commercial and sport fisheries, and hydroelectric generation.
Lake Winnipeg's world-class beaches, many an easy drive from the capital city of Winnipeg, attract thousands of visitors to the province. Grand Beach, is considered one of the best in North America. Stretching along the shallow south end of the lake, visitors enjoy leisurely swims, strolls along the boardwalk, beach volleyball and building sandcastles. Fishing, hiking, golf, waterskiing, windsurfing and boating are also available nearby.
Majestic Wildlife
There is only one town in the world where the great white Polar bear can be observed in the wild Churchill, Manitoba. Each autumn, the majestic bears gather along the shores of Hudson Bay, waiting for the ice to form so they can venture out to hunt. At three metres (10 feet) tall, and weighing roughly 580 kilograms (1,300 pounds), they are truly a sight to behold. From protected vehicles designed to travel on the tundra, visitors can watch the bears fight and frolic on the ice.
Churchill is a prime destination for wildlife watchers. Summer brings some 3,000 Beluga whales, weighing up to 400 kilograms (880 pounds) each, into the Churchill River to enjoy its warmer waters. Visitors can watch these gentle, friendly mammals nick named “sea-canaries” for their unusual vocalizations from nearby boats. You can also paddle, swim or snorkel among these grand creatures.
Churchill is also popular with bird watchers some 250 species of birds nest or pass through on their way to yearly migration. Caribou and seals can also be spotted along the coast.
Located in the province's far north, Churchill also offers other notable attractions. The Prince of Wales Fort National Historic Site of Canada is a huge stone fortress built by the Hudson's Bay Company in the 1700s to protect its interests in the fur trade. The Eskimo Museum is home to a collection of Inuit carvings and artifacts that are among the finest and oldest in the world. A visit to Churchill is a Manitoba must.
The Amazing Night Sky
Nicknamed the greatest light show in the sky, the Aurora Borealis is a truly remarkable phenomenon with streamers of colored light that dance and weave across the sky, painting the night with ever-changing ribbons of green, pink, blue and yellow.
Also known as northern lights, they are most vivid in the north. Northern lights can be seen anywhere in Manitoba. Many a night-time driver has pulled over to be dazzled by these amazing dancing lights. Sometimes, the best seat in the house is in your own backyard.
Legend has it that if you whistle up at them, they will dance right down to the ground. You can view aurora borealis though late summer and into the fall and winter but the best times are February through mid-March, where they light up Manitoba's winter wonderland.
The Diverse Landscape
Manitoba is known for its diverse landscapes. From rich agricultural land, to rolling central hills, to sandy beaches, to the rugged rocky terrain of the Canadian shield, to the sparse tundra of the north, Manitoba offers almost as many landscapes as it does cultures. The province even has a desert in the middle of the prairies.
The truly unique Spirit Sands are located in western Manitoba in Spruce Woods Provincial Park. Visitors can explore the expansive tract of open, blowing sand dunes that tower above the surrounding prairie. This desert is home to the Northern prairie skink (Manitoba's only lizard), the Western hognose snake and two exotic species of cacti. It also features the mysterious Devil's Punch Bowl, a deep eerie blue-green pond formed by underground streams.
In addition to the ever-changing landscape of sand dunes shifting in the wind, the park has rolling hills, cool riverbank forests, sweet mixed-grass prairie and majestic white spruce trees. It is one of the many diverse landscapes to explore in Manitoba. For more information visit
www.travelmanitoba.com