Rock on, research.

It has become obvious that my IPP will not begin successfully unless I start to do some serious research. And I don’t mean simply sitting in front of a computer screen and typing keywords into Google. I’m talking about getting out there, in the world, the real world, and doing some leg work.

I finally signed up for a library card two weeks ago, which was one small step for womankind, but now I have to spend the hours sitting in the library learning about Winnipeg. I also have to wander the areas of Winnipeg I will be writing about, because a picture will only get a person so far.

And so it begins...

My CreComm classmate – Samantha Pitsanuk – took pity on me and agreed to spend last Friday wandering around the downtown area checking things out. I had a number of locations I wanted to visit on my list, but it quickly became obvious that I would not get to them all. It was necessary to pick what was most important, and we started our day by walking down Main Street – disposable coffee cups in hand – in the direction of Winnipeg’s Union Station.

If you have never entered Union Station, I suggest you do so. Immediately. It is beautiful, and so often overlooked. Rail travel is nowhere near as popular or economical as it used to be, and I think that’s really sad. There is something very romantic about trains, which is one reason why I decided to include rail travel in my IPP.

The entryway is a large, circular room with marble floors and marble walls. A huge skylight sits high in the centre, and the entire room is framed by a second-storey walkway around the circle. Sam and I managed to find our way up to the second level, but a few people were giving us curious glances when we started to take pictures. After passing through the entryway, there is the waiting room, baggage claim, and staircase to the train platforms. It is all very old and very interesting. The train station opened in 1911, and it’s incredible to think of how many people have walked across the weathered, marble floors.

We next stopped at Upper Fort Garry – or what’s left of it. I am excited that The Forks North Portage Partnership is creating a historical site people will actually be excited to visit, because that wall is pretty old. There are large boards with photographs at the site currently, and they are fun to look at. Yes, there are people sleeping on benches nearby, but if you spend any amount of time downtown, you get used to it.

The Fort Garry Hotel was a short walk away, so Sam and I decided we needed to visit it as well. And plan my theoretical wedding. I have never been inside the hotel, and when I stepped through the revolving door I felt like I was walking into a scene from The Shining (is that on your movie list J-Han?). It`s truly magnificent, and I understand why people choose to be married there.

Our research day ended with lunch and a relaxing stroll through the Exchange District. By the time we reached the car, I realized I had more questions to answer than when I started. I know of at least twenty other pieces of information I have to research, and the list of places to visit grows by the minute. I guess that's the way you work through a project like this. Keep on going, and eventually, you're done.

Easy to say, hard to do... I have 6000 words written, and a long, long way to go...

Thanks for the lovely Friday, Sam. It looks like there will be many more in the future!