Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/368665
St. Boniface is one of several destination neighbourhoods for dining, nightlife and shopping. Cruise the upscale shops of Academy Road, load up on funky fashion and gifts in Osborne Village, explore the diverse range of shops, restaurants and clubs of Corydon Avenue's Little Italy, and head to south Kenaston Boulevard to find IKEA and an ever-expanding range of big-box stores. Downtown, look for traces of ancient animal fossils embedded in the stately limestone facades of historic bank buildings, the Hudson's Bay store and the Winnipeg Art Gallery, an architectural treasure that resembles a ship rising up from the prairie. Find secret messages in the architecture of the Manitoba Legislative Building that hint at the site's mystic energy. And explore the Exchange District's well-preserved 19th-century buildings. If their walls could talk, they'd speak of cagey captains of industry, scallywags and rabble-rousing suffragettes. These days, they house art galleries, chic shops, nightclubs and restaurants where you can nosh on everything from curry and poutine to bison and foie gras. Just north of the Exchange, browse in the markets of Chinatown, dine on authentic regional cuisines at several restaurants, and pay a visit to the Dynasty Building on King Street, famous for its beautiful garden, multiple roofs — said to bring luck — and classic Chinese architecture. The East Exchange is an increasingly vibrant entertainment zone, with new shops and restaurants dotting Waterfront Drive. The Manitoba Museum, Science Gallery and Planetarium are must-see attractions, and the theatre district is buzzing with life during the winter season. The Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra push musical and artistic boundaries at the Centennial Concert Hall. And the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre presents a mixed bag of drama, comedy and musical fare at the John Hirsch Mainstage and The Tom Hendry Warehouse, as well as producing Winnipeg's annual midwinter Master Playwright Festival. Peruse the concert calendar at theatres, clubs and MTS Centre — proud home to the Winnipeg Jets NHL hockey team. Catch Goldeyes baseball and Winnipeg Blue Bombers CFL football action, along with year-round simulcast thoroughbred horse racing at Assiniboia Downs. Try your luck at the Casinos of Winnipeg, indulge in a spa day or plan a snow day of tobogganing, skating or cross-country skiing at dozens of parks and urban wildlife haven FortWhyte Alive. Learn about the effects of climate change when you pay a visit to the polar bears at Assiniboine Park Zoo. The three-zone Journey to Churchill exhibit gives you a fish-eye underwater view from a plexiglass tunnel, and the zoo and Assiniboine Park have delighted generations of Winnipeggers and guests. www.tourismwinnipeg.com 9 eSplanade riel PHOTO: AARON COHEN