Day 6: Human Rights are beautiful

July 11:  We asked for a late check out and went to see the Canadian Museum of Human Rights. Wow!  What an impressive place, as much for its architecture as for its displays.  To quote the website:  

Inspired by Canada’s majestic natural domain – grasslands, deeply rooted trees, towering mountains, northern lights, snow, icebergs, water and sky – Antoine Predock’s masterful design is evocative of numerous natural elements. Predock has described the building as “carved into the earth and dissolving into the sky.”

It was extremely well set-up and was an example of impressive engineering, doing without pillars in the Contemplation Garden, for instance.  It has very few right angles, as you can see from the pictures.

 

In the Contemplation Garden

I liked that the lowest gallery dealt with human rights not only throughout the world but throughout millennia, with history dating back to the ancient Greeks and Romans.  I would highly recommend it as a place to see in Winnipeg.  (And I bought a lovely Native raven design wrap in their boutique!)

Winnipeg seems like a low-key city, without the pressure and numbers of other cities, even smaller ones like Hamilton.  I really liked the presence of Native culture that was evident; something we don’t see much of in our part of Ontario.   Lots of French, too, as it has a large francophone population.

Weather was threatening -- though the only heavy rain hit before we left -- so we headed out after 1 to see one of the beaches on Lake Manitoba.  (Maybe we’ll be able to hit Lake Winnipeg on our way back??) Got a room at the Hi-Way Motel in Portage la Prairie and had a delicious dinner at a family restaurant in town.  Narrowest bathroom I’ve seen in a while but the place was very clean!

Hi-Way Motel:  looked sketchy but was fine, if small.  Very nice lady on the desk! Chicken Chef:  delicious!!

Lake Manitoba