Fort Gibraltar

Next, we traveled to Fort Gibraltar, built in 1809 by the North West Fur Trading Company. Walking into the giant wood fort was like stepping back in time. The Fort was perfectly preserved and each tour guide portrayed a person from the past. Moving from station to station, we learned the history from many different characters, such as a blacksmith, a voyager, and a fur trader. The North West Company initially started to take business away from its competitors, the Hudson Bay Trading Company, which was a prominent English trading post across the river. Fort Gibraltar really reflected life on the Red river Valley during the 19^th century. 

Two of the tour guides explaining fur trade

Where they stored meat over the winter

Furs from the voyageurs 

One of the many things the voyagers would get for trading the furs

Taking the bark off a piece of wood

The blacksmith making a chain 

The Forks

Today, we visited the Forks. This famous historic site in downtown Winnipeg is home to the Forks Market, the Explore Manitoba Center, the Children's Museum, the future Human Rights Center, Oodena Celebration Circle, and many other historical attractions. We found that the Forks Market and the Oodena Circle were the most interesting attractions. The Forks market houses over 300 local artisans with a wide variety of restaurants and shops. The Oodena Circle is a circular amphitheater which pays respect to the aboriginal people and their ancestors. There are a series of steel sculptures that each point to different constellations. As a whole, the Forks highlighted the combination of Winnipeg's past and present history and culture. 

The Explore Manitoba Museum, which explains Manitoba's history 

The Forks Market

A view of the Market from the second level 

A view of the Assiniboine River

The future Human Rights Museum, still under construction

The Oodena Celebration Circle