Tourism Winnipeg

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Throughout Garden City, streets are playfully named after flowers like Crocus St, Iris St and Daffodil St. This West Kildonan suburb was developed in the ‘50s and ‘60s and is also home to Garden City Shopping Centre and North Gate Shopping Centre. West Kildonan is a place of historic significance—the Battle of Seven Oaks in 1816 took place here, resulting in the amalgamation of big fur-trading rivals: The Northwest Company and Hudson’s Bay Company. A plaque commemorating the battle is located at Main St and Rupertsland Blvd. Kildonan Park is one of the area’s top attractions, featuring beautiful floral displays and many mature elm and cottonwood trees. In winter, a skating pond is situated next to the Peguis Pavilion with lighting and music, along with two toboggan slides. Also located within Kildonan Park is Rainbow Stage, an outdoor theatre that puts on Broadway musicals in a beautiful park setting.

Location: The approximate boundaries of West Kildonan are the Red River on the east, Templeton Ave to the north, McPhillips St on the west and Carruthers Ave to the south. Garden City is located between Matheson Ave, Leila Ave, McPhillips St and railway tracks. Located 8.4 km from downtown and 12 km from the airport.

How to get there: From the airport, head east on Wellington Ave. Turn left onto Century St (Rt 90) and continue north. Turn right onto Notre Dame Ave. Turn left onto Keewatin St and then right on Inkster Blvd. Turn left onto McPhillips St, which is the west edge of West Kildonan.

Bus routes: 17, 18, 32, 33, 38, 71, 77, 88

Top Places to Eat and Shop

• A must for burger fiends, Blondie’s juicy patties range from one-eighth pound up to a jaw-dropping 9 pounds and are topped with cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, condiments, and onions (raw or fried). Be sure to read the owner’s sassy etiquette rules posted on the wall. 1969 Main St, 338-0185.
• More than 70 shops, eateries and services occupy Garden City Shopping Centre. Anchor tenants of this indoor regional mall include Sears, Winners and Canadian Tire. 2305 McPhillips St, 338-7076. http://www.shopgardencity.ca/
• A recently renovated Zellers, Sport Chek, Dollarama and cinema specializing in second-run movies are a few of the businesses located at outdoor mall Northgate Shopping Centre. 1399 McPhillips St. 339-1641
• Paradise’s heaping plates of house-made pasta, classic Italian entrées, cheesy pizzas and garlicky Caesar salad keeps customers well-fed and satisfied. 662 Leila Ave, 338-4659. http://www.paradiserestaurants.ca
• Winter Garden Chinese Restaurant whips up tasty bubble teas, milkshakes and more than 200 Szechuan and Shanghai dishes, making it a local favourite. The fried squid in spicy salt is a savoury treat. 2211 McPhillips St, 586-8145. http://www.wintergardenwinnipeg.com/

Top Things to See and Do

• The Battle of Seven Oaks National Historic Site of Canada includes a plaque and monument in recognition of this violent encounter. The battle took place between a group of Hudson’s Bay Company men led by Robert Semple, governor of the Red River Colony, and Cuthbert Grant’s North West Company Brigade in 1816. In the end, Semple and 20 of his men were slain. The event led to the eventual merger between rival fur traders HBC and The North West Company. Main St at Rupertsland Blvd. http://sevenoaks.cimnet.ca/cim/58C204_294T9356T295T19405.dhtm
• Enjoy the great outdoors and amenities at Kildonan Park, including an Olympic-sized swimming pool, trails, duck pond, picnic shelters, Rainbow Stage outdoor theatre and Peguis Pavilion. Little ones will delight in a visit to the “gingerbread” Witch’s Hut, which brings the fairytale Hansel & Gretel to life. 2015 Main St. http://www.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/parksandfields/ParkBooking/Bookableparks/Kildonanpark.asp
• Kildonan Park Golf Course is the city’s oldest municipal golf course, established in 1921. Shoot 18 holes along the banks of the Red River and its lush vegetation—one unique par three hole features a train bridge. 2021 Main St, 986-5679. http://www.winnipeg.ca/ppd/golf_kildonan.stm
• Throughout summer, talented actors perform spectacular Broadway musicals under the dome of Rainbow Stage in Kildonan Park. 989-5261. http://www.rainbowstage.net
• Dance the night away on weekends at two-storey nightclub essence, located at Canad Inns Destination Centre Garden City. A state-of-the-art lighting display and sound system, a large dance floor and a sophisticated decor offer a VIP experience. 2100 McPhillips St, 633-0024. http://www.essencewinnipeg.com
• One of the oldest surviving log residences in Manitoba, Seven Oaks House Museum depicts life during the Red River Settlement of the 19th century. The home of John Inkster was built in 1851-53. Today, it is furnished with original family belongings and furniture handmade by John Inkster himself. 115 Rupertsland Blvd, 339-7429. http://www.museumsmanitoba.com/dir/winnipeg/10.html