Landforms in Winnipeg
A few hours west of the Ontario border, the rugged Canadian Shield opens up to a vast open plain littered with lakes, marshes and rivers. This is Manitoba, one of Canada's central provinces. Winnipeg is the capital of this province, and the local landforms in and around the city have a long history of human settlement and strategic importance. These natural landforms have contributed to important events and continue to shape the city.
The Central Waterways
Situated firmly in the Hudson's Bay watershed but in close proximity to every other North American watershed, the rivers and lakes of Winnipeg stretch in every direction across the North American continent, making this location a natural meeting point. Several places of historic note are marked with statues, memorials and plaques detailing the impact of rivers and lakes on the area's history. These include an ancient fording site on the Assiniboine River and a reconstruction of the original Red River Settlement that would grow into modern Winnipeg.
The Forks National Historic Site, which includes a scenic view of the river as well as a unique living history experience, brings the past to life with costumed interpreters and historic reenactments from the days of early settlement and the fur trade. The Forks was the nickname give to this area where the Red River "forked," or split off into a number of directions, connecting to other rivers. The Mackenzie and the Assiniboine are two notable examples, as they extend from this region and across the continent.
In the present day, the swamps and marshlands of Manitoba are a strong draw for visitors interested in local wildlife, biomes of the central North American continent and natural history in general. The area known as Andrews Bog between Winnipeg and Teulon was once a full 181 square miles. Although much of this area has been reclaimed for farmland, a portion known as Oak Hammock has been preserved. The Oak Hammock Interpretive Center, just north of Winnipeg, offers guided tours by canoe and on foot of this scenic area. (see Reference 4)
Herds of bison once thundered across the verdant plains of central Manitoba. Well-manicured squares of farmland have taken their place, producing crops that include hemp, canola, wheat and several varieties of hay. In turn, these flowering crops have also made apiaries and honey production quite successful; the province exports 80 percent of its total honey production worldwide. Local crops also include a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, and visitors and locals can take advantage of farmers' markets and "pick-you-own" fields only a short drive from Winnipeg's downtown core.
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