Nothing prepares you for the astounding natural beauty of Manitoba

Nov 22 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

IT TOOK a trip across the Atlantic and a view of the sky from edge to edge for me to realise just how limited is our horizon. In Manitoba, in the middle of Canada, the sky seems limitless, a vast dome that sweeps up above you and, more importantly, for miles and miles away at the side.

It’s no wonder native Canadians dubbed it Big Sky, and looked in wonder at the deep, dark, starry heavens – and that’s before the Northern Lights start dancing.

Manitoba is the prairie province, from the US border to Hudson Bay, with lakes, mountains, and mile after mile of flat rich farm land, producing millions of tonnes of grain and other food for export. The southern boundary is on the same latitude as the UK’s Scilly Isles, but its distance from the sea makes for summers of a humid 30°C, and down mostly below -20°C in winter, when dry Arctic air is pulled in with a near six months’ worth of snow.

My sister, who’s lived in Manitoba for seven years, spends her summer on beaches alongside clear mountain lakes, and winters playing on one of the family’s three Skidoos.

Not being fond of snow, I’d opted for a summer visit, flying to Winnipeg from Manchester via Chicago with BMI – in future I’d go through Toronto to avoid the unfriendly and scary US Customs.

At the airport, we picked up our Thrifty-hire Toyota Highlander hybrid SUV, ready to do battle with the truckers on the straight-as-an-arrow trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway One. With my sister as guide, we explored the area around her home town of Plumas.

At Portage la Prairie, we dropped into the Forte la Reine pioneer museum (www.portagetouristbureau.ca) with a collection of reclaimed old houses charting local history, from a wooden shack and garrison through to farmsteads and township offices. There’s even a school and Ukrainian church, where you can still marry, plus a collection of farm equipment, including the earliest tractors and harvesters, and the Manitoba Softball Hall of Fame – just don’t call it rounders for boys.

Another day was spent at Minnedosa lake beach playing frisbee, sunbathing and swimming before exploring more history, this time on one of the trails across Canada used by old explorers.

The day ended with a barbecue – everywhere there are fire pits and piles of logs (with bear-proof bins), so all you have to do is bring cooking utensils, food and drink.

Another day, we explored Riding Mountain National Park, home to wild deer, moose, bison and black bears. The towns around Clear Lake have excellent restaurants, while the lakeside is perfect for sunbathing. You can camp out, take GPS-guided camper van tours, hire canoes or row-boats, or take a paddle boat trip aboard the Martese.

A hunt to find rare slipper orchids at Alonsa failed, but instead introduced us to Margaret Bruce beach on the shores of Lake Manitoba. Nearby at Bluff Creek is Medicine Rock, a traditional gathering where First Nations people give offerings.

Worth seeing, too, is Brandon, Manitoba’s second largest city, with plenty of shops, a Commonwealth Air Training Plan museum, art gallery, Dragoons museum and Riverbank Discovery Centre, where we took a gentle stroll along the Assiniboine river.

Then off to Winnipeg, where we stayed at the Inn at the Forks, a sparkling new hotel, restaurant and spa at the heart of the city’s tourist area, where the Assiniboine and Red rivers meet. A guided water-bus tour is a great way to see the city.

The hotel gave easy walking access to the Forks, a site celebrating the city’s history from First Nation people to European settlers.

A must-see was the Oodena Celebration Circle, with its fabulous sundial and astral guide. Stand there at night and see different star formations highlighted. There’s a childhood museum, water tours, shopping centre and Forks market, with a mix of restaurants and cafes selling everything from Thai though to Ukrainian and South American cuisine reflecting the city’s rich ethnic mix. The Esplanade Reil takes you across to the French quarter – the city has one of the largest French Canadian communities.

We also popped into Winnipeg art gallery, which has the world’s largest collection of contemporary Inuit art. Later, we used our Manitoba pass to visit the city museum, which takes you on a guided walk through the province’s history. There’s also a planetarium with shows revealing that big sky in all its glory, without waiting for nightfall. Plus lots more about those tantalising Northern Lights.

I’m now longing to return to experience the lights for myself, though as the top viewing times are in winter from Churchill in northern Manitoba, I may have to brave the snow – and perhaps even grab a Skidoo ride as well.

SARAH stayed at the Inn at the Forks (www.innforks.com, 00 1 204 942 6555), B&B from $179pp. Return flights from Manchester to Winnipeg via the US or Toronto from £707 (www.opodo.co.uk) More details on what to do and where to stay at www.travelmanitoba.com or www.canada.travel