Andrew Yin

This is an outstanding museum, in terms of its architecture, exhibits, and people, and yet I find it overlooked beyond Winnipeg. It makes Winnipeg a must-visit city!

It’s hard not to be awed by the museum’s architecture, both from afar and close-up. I didn’t see photos of the museum’s interior before my visit and I was so amazed by the criss-crossing, gently ascending and illuminated stair design and how that is woven into the museum visiting experience as you are taken from one exhibit to the next. And when I got to the atrium, my jaws just dropped. Overall, the museum is a great place for architecture photography! As an architecture enthusiast, I feel that if the same building is placed in cities such as New York, Barcelona or Singapore, it would have received a lot more well-deserved fanfare. However, I am glad it is situated in Winnipeg as it is a marvelous centrepiece of the city.

The museum’s stunning architecture brings attention to its excellent and rich exhibits. There are several galleries, each with a different theme. I really liked the permanent exhibit that reflects on the experiences and discrimination felt by different groups of people in Canada. I felt that it should be an ever-growing exhibition as our values and the meaning of human rights continue to develop. The Holocaust exhibit is also impressive and sombre, and extremely timely. There are also a lot of interactive and multimedia elements to make the visit more engaging. For example, I really liked the area on the upper levels where visitors are invited to write and post notes on what human rights mean to them. Note that the exhibits are very dense and I felt that I only scratched the surface by viewing and reading, so I might try joining a guided tour during my next visit to learn more.

A visit to the museum would be incomplete without checking out the observation area in the spiral, which is accessible by stairs and elevator. It has great views of the Forks, St Boniface and other parts of Winnipeg, so make sure you budget time for that. I also love how the museum has plenty of seating spaces, especially the reflection area and the cafe. If I were living in Winnipeg, I would purchase a membership in a heartbeat and visit these areas in the museum for quiet reading or studying. Last but not least, the museum staff I’ve encountered and spoken with were all really friendly, just like most other people I’ve met in Manitoba. The human aspect makes the visit stand out just that bit more.

I’ve passed by here many times and finally stopped for a short visit in September. It didn’t disappoint! There are so many apple products, including things that I would never have imagined. I got a good old apple pie, and I quite enjoyed it. The big apple face is cute. A nice place to stop by during your drive!

This is a really neat, free gallery, and it's great that they're open during weekends as well! The space is impressive, being inside the Mies van der Rohe-designed building. I find that the Indigenous & Inuit art styles blend very well with the building's minimalist design. The sculptures are also thoughtfully arranged, being grouped into themes (e.g., women's roles, children, wildlife, hunting, modern activities). The only downside is that the lighting isn't so good; not sure if it's because I visited during the weekend. You could spend about half an hour or more here to appreciate the artwork & architecture.

Really neat, small airport, with plenty of elements to discover that an aviation enthusiast will love! Only complaint is that the public transit bus route to the airport does not operate during weekends (what!?). I heard they recently opened a plane spotting park, would love to check that out the next time I'm in town.

Had dinner here with a friend. I’ve been to quite a few Thai restaurants in the GTA but this one really stood out! The staff was welcoming and serviced us proactively from the beginning, and the restaurant has tasteful, characteristic furnishings.

While looking at the menu and Google photos, I immediately noticed several dishes not seen at other restaurants, and we decided to try the striped bass fillet with coconut and chicken curry with lychee. I really enjoyed both choices! I’m usually not a big fan of very heavy dishes and so I was very glad that both dishes were more on the light side, and I especially loved the lychee flavour in the curry. The tastes and presentation were so memorable that I would love to come back and have them again! Additionally, the fried yam roll appetizer was excellent. I think this restaurant is underrated and it is now among my favourite Thai restaurants in Toronto.