Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/514227
83 Go WILD for the ZOO Lions, tigers and, naturally, polar bears are among the most prominent residents at Assiniboine Park Zoo. Young male polar bears Storm and Hudson and females Aurora and Kaska were joined in 2014 by orphaned siblings Blizzard and Star at the zoo's International Polar Bear Conservation Centre. The world-class research facility and interpretive gallery educates visitors about Arctic ecosystems while caring for orphaned and at-risk cubs. The centre is a major component of the zoo's Journey to Churchill exhibit. A plexiglass tunnel offers breathtaking underwater views of bears and seals swimming in adjacent habitats, and you'll see snowy owls, muskoxen, Arctic fox, wolves and other animals in the 10-acre exhibit's three biodiverse zones. Travel from boreal forest to tundra and the Hudson Bay Coast and a replica facade of the town of Churchill. The Aurora Borealis Theatre puts you in the centre of the Arctic world, with 360° views of the landscape. There's a Polar Playground where kids can explore ice caves containing secret messages, conduct the northern lights at an interactive Aurora Borealis display and play a huge icicle xylophone. While there's a lot of buzz about bears, the zoo is home to some 200 species. Go on a safari to see big cats and zebras, hop by the kangaroo habitat and visit tropical beasts at the steamy Toucan Ridge habitat. > assiniboineparkzoo.ca WINNIPEG'S Park Place Winnipeg's playground at Assiniboine Park draws sunbathers, strollers, art and nature lovers in every season. Stroll in the elegant English Garden, peruse the bronzes in the outdoor Leo Mol Sculpture Garden and get acquainted with some of Manitoba's most prominent artists at the Pavilion Gallery Museum, where you'll also find artwork and artifacts related to Winnipeg's famous namesake bear in The Pooh Gallery. Learn about Winnie's role as a mascot after veterinarian and First World War soldier Lieut. Harry Colebourn adopted the orphaned cub en route to the battlefields of Europe. A statue of Colebourn and Winnie stands in the park's enchanting Nature Playground, where you can picnic, hit the sandy beach and play all day in the Snakes and Ladders-themed garden. Catch free outdoor movies, Royal Winnipeg Ballet School performances and concerts at the Lyric Theatre and enjoy a meal in The Park Café in the Qualico Family Centre or the elegant Terrace in the Park. In winter, brave the toboggan run, snowshoe or cross-country ski on an extensive trail system or lace up for a skate on the Duck Pond. > assiniboinepark.ca ASSINIBOINE PARK ENGLISH GARDEN EXPLORE MORE ASSINIBOINEPARK.CA/ ATTRACTIONS/ GARDENS.PHP @desireerolfe JOURNEY TO CHURCHILL, ASSINIBOINE PARK ZOO