The snow has melted. And in Winnipeg, the month of May is book-ended by two popular events: Jane’s Walk and Doors Open Winnipeg.
For 2017 Jane’s Walk runs May 5 to 7th. This year their walks include a trip to West Kildonan for” The Ghosts of Seven Oaks”. Or to Whittier Park in St Boniface for “The Wild Edibles of Whittier”. Or to East Kildonan for “Who’s Who in Elmwood Cemetary”.
Jane’s Walks are free, locally organized walking tours where people can come together to explore and talk about their city neighbourhoods. The tours put together by organizers change constantly over the years. They are billed as “walking conversations” and they may delve into history or what’s happening right now in the community.
Jane Jacobs spent many years observing city life in New York and Toronto. In a number of books, including The Death and Life of American Cities, she promoted walkable neighbourhoods and citizen involvement in civic planning.
For further info and schedules:
http://janeswalk.org/canada/winnipeg/
2017 marks the 14th annual Doors Open Winnipeg, a free event put on by Heritage Winnipeg that opens up buildings of historical and architectural interest to the public.
More than 85 buildings, sites and tours are available May 27-28. The volunteer-driven event had over 28,000 site visits in 2016. Many of the buildings remain “working” buildings rather than museums.
This year’s offerings range from Government House to Animal Services to the Museum of Human Rights.
Walking tours range from the Ghost Signs Walking Tour in the Exchange to a hike through Downtown Transcona.
Doors Open began in Glasgow, Scotland in 1990, with dozens of countries participating within ten years, and the number of visitors hitting 20 million in 2000. After the European success, New York City, Sydney, Australia, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, launched their own Doors Open programs. Doors Open came to Canada when Toronto started an annual event in 2000.
For further info and schedules:
