The agency says the 2009 study produced results similar to those of the last survey done in 2004, before the Conservatives took power and began their tough-on-crime campaign. Crime rates overall have been falling for a decade.

Youth crime is one of the few areas that has risen, yet the study says slightly more younger Canadians were satisfied with their personal safety from crime than older Canadians — 94 per cent of those ages 15-24 compared to 90 per cent aged 65 years and older.

About 83 per cent of respondents said they were not at all worried when home alone in the evening, while 90 per cent who walked alone in their neighbourhoods at night said they felt safe doing so.

The Conservative government of Stephen Harper has made controversial anti-crime legislation a central tenet of its mandate, claiming Canadians want Ottawa to get tough on crime. Critics complain the Tory legislation boosting sentences for some crimes, imposing mandatory minimums and stripping two-for-one credit for time served is based more on ideology than evidence.

Opposition MPs and some provinces — which stand to bear the brunt of costs to keep more people in jail and for longer periods — have complained the Conservatives ignored the advice of experts and did not provide cost estimates for their sweeping changes.

The study indicates those living in Eastern Canada, where crime rates are generally lower, were more satisfied with their personal safety than Westerners, who form the base of Tory support. But not by much.

Residents of Prince Edward Island were among those with the highest levels of satisfaction, at 97 per cent, while residents in British Columbia were among those with the lowest, at 89 per cent. Among cities, levels of satisfaction with personal safety were highest in Moncton, N.B. and Kingston, Guelph and Oshawa, Ont. They were lowest in Vancouver, Winnipeg and Edmonton.

Atop the playlist for her daughter was something that wasn’t around when Nia was a kid: the brand new, free Assiniboine Park Children’s Garden and Nature Playground with pirate-style crow’s nest, willow tree tunnels, swings, net bridges and kid-sized mazes.

The also-free summer Ballet in the Park was another favourite, as was downtown’s Forks for the Children’s Museum and “all the little things to see” – shops, food kiosks, the Riverwalk and outdoor performance stage.

She missed out this time round on a Salisbury House Mr. Big Nip (a hamburger for non-‘Peggers) and fries, even though there’s a Sals – a classic Winnipeg-only burger chain –parked midpoint on the Fork’s adjacent Esplanade Riel, the city’s signature pedestrian bridge between Winnipeg and the Francophone suburb of St. Boniface. It’s right next door to the new Canadian Museum for Human Rights, which is under construction and on target for opening in 2013.

But she found time to hit other traditional spots. “My favourite spots in terms of restaurants are family-owned: Bellamys (owned by sister Nancy and brother-in-law Dimos), Carlos and Murphy’s (in Osborne Village), and Kelekis’s (in the city’s ethnic catch-all North End) for the classic hot dog. And Pony Corral.”

Corydon Avenue’s Italian strip has gelato at Eva’s (Vardalos recommends the dulce de leche) and Nucci’s. Strolling the strip “you see everyone you’ve ever met and known, and it’s safe and fun. It’s like being in Europe for a night,” she adds.

Winnipeg’s always been loaded with culture, notes Vardalos. “I grew up with so much theatre, the ballet and music, and that tradition is being upheld now with the Winnipeg Fringe” theatre festival.

Article courtesy of the Canadian Tourism Commission Media Centre

For more visit Travel Manitoba

Within a week of Gaga’s anointment, the YouTube video had shot to 25 million views and is still going strong.

Winnipeg’s Hot 103 brought her into the radio station studio and arranged for Lady Gaga to talk to her, which was emotional for both parties. Gaga was so impressed and touched by Maria that she invited her to perform the song “Born this Way” on stage with her at a concert in Toronto.

Maria explained: “I met a lot of people before, but Lady Gaga is the reason why I am here because if she hadn’t seen my video, I wouldn’t be doing this interview. And when I first got to talk to her, I cried because she had time to talk to me, and she even wanted me to sing with her at a concert. I was just very overwhelmed; I was just so star-struck.” Maria has also appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and has since been invited to countless interviews, performances and media outlets all around the world.

Maria’s success is particularly inspiring because of her family’s story. Maria’s mother and father emigrated from the Philippines to Winnipeg in 1997 with two older sisters and a brother in search of a better environment for their kids. Although the Aragons didn’t speak that much English at first, through a combination of work, school and with the help of family already settled in Winnipeg, they became well integrated in their neighbourhood.

Although she liked the Philippines, Maria’s sister Rojuane says that she could probably never move back. Canada is what she considers home. “My parents would love to go back,” she said. “I know that for sure, because my mom’s side of the family is all still in the Philippines.”

Maria is the only one of four children who was born in Canada. When asked what she considers her identity, she states, “Well, I’m Canadian because I was born here. But I was raised by Filipino parents, so I guess I’m both.”

She loves Winnipeg but also knows that being Filipino is a huge part of who she is. She has a lot of fans from the Philippines and from Asia at large, which she says can be both exciting and a little strange. Many of them follow her on Facebook and have set up numerous fan pages dedicated to her.

Maria has even had the opportunity to sing with Prime Minister Stephen Harper during his campaign tour during the last federal election. She reflected candidly, “Well, it was an honour because, of course, he’s the Prime Minister, he’s like the boss of everybody! It was fun because I didn’t know he could play the piano so well!”

Maria also took part in the annual Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill, performing in front of the large crowd which featured William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as part of their 2011 tour of Canada.

When asked what made singing important to her, Maria says, “Everyone is good at something, whether it is art or singing or dancing, but I think singing is special because it’s the talent that I have and it’s special, especially now because it’s the reason why I get to go see Lady Gaga and be on the Ellen (DeGeneres) Show … It’s the talent that God gave me so I’m really grateful for it.”

For more videos of Maria, check out her YouTube channel.

The public had four months to vote for their favourite in three award categories: great streets, great neighbourhoods and great public spaces. A panel of professional planners then selected the top three winners in each category.

The Forks beat out Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto and Pippy Park in St. John’s in the great spaces category.

The Forks: One of Winnipeg’s most beloved meeting spots

“The Forks” in Downtown Winnipeg has a rich history of early Aboriginal settlement, immigration, the advent of the railway, the fur trade, and the coming of the industrial age. This place is one of Winnipeg’s most important landmarks, having archaeological digs that prove Aboriginal groups were active here thousands of years ago, plus one of the key sites of early railroad development on the Prairies (5 rail yards dominated the site). The government promoted immigration & settlement and Winnipeg as we know it today was known as the “Gateway to the West” in earlier times.

Nestled in the heart of downtown, The Forks is one of Winnipeg’s most beloved and pre-eminent meeting spots, at the junction of the Assiniboine River where it meets the mighty Red.

The Forks possesses a rich 6000-year old history. Early Aboriginal peoples traded at The Forks, followed by European fur traders, Métis buffalo hunters, Scottish settlers, riverboat workers, railway pioneers and tens of thousands of immigrants.

Today, framed by the banks of the two rivers, The Forks is Winnipeg’s number one tourist destination with more than four million visitors annually. The Forks features something for everyone including parks, promenades, gardens and sculptures alongside shops, restaurants and a multitude of attractions.

The 54-acre site has received international awards for design excellence and worldwide attention as a model for urban renewal and waterfront development. Winter, spring, summer or fall, The Forks is must for a stunning array of dining experiences, incomparable shopping, a constantly changing slate of entertainment and events, and many unique attractions that encompass the site’s natural, historic and man-made features.

• The Forks sits at the birthplace of the City, at the confluence of the Assiniboine and Red Rivers. The Forks is an amalgam of public facilities (indoor and outdoor) mixed with commercial and retail spaces within a pedestrian prioritized site.
• The Forks is landlocked by the two intertwining rivers and the rail line along its Western boundary. To compensate for these boundaries a series of penetrations through the rail line and bridges over the two rivers have connected The Forks to downtown Winnipeg’s Main Street to the West, St. Boniface to the East and South, and The Exchange District National Historic Site to the North.
• Buildings are centered around a number of exterior spaces of different sizes and capacity for use. The original Canopy area creates a congregational space for theatre in the round, small performances and serves as a plaza to the boat basin, the Forks Market and the Johnston Terminal.
• The Forks Festival site, now more commonly know as Scotiabank Stage, which is activated as the central performance/celebration space in Winnipeg for all major celebrations is bordered by the Manitoba Theatre for Young People, The Inn at the Forks, The Plaza @ The Forks (Skateboard Park), the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (opening tbd), and The Forks National Historic Site.
• As a pedestrian priority site, The Forks has placed a high priority on ensuring an ease of access for all people. The site is the central focus of all Active Transportation pathway systems in Winnipeg allowing all users to connect to the Forks by foot, bike, skateboard, etc…  Additionally, a waterbus system through the summer months provides a unique experience for visitors to the site, that is replaced with the Guinnes world record holding longest Ice Skating Trail through the winter months connecting many neighbourhoods to The Forks.  Sitting immediately adjacent to the VIA train station, visitors travelling across Canada stop at the Forks through the historic rail station.
• Every major event that occurs at the Forks (Canada Day celebrations, barge festival, skateboard contests, skating trails, dancing under the canopy, etc…) is offered free of charge to all spectators.  At this centralized location all Winnipegers have equal access and ease of access to the site at all times of the year.
• The Forks has placed a high priority on animating the site through all seasons and at all times of the day.  From its Arctic Glacier Winter Park that features tobogganing, snowboarding, cross country skiing and ice skating along the world’s Longest Ice Skating Trail – Winnipegers and visitors are treated to an exciting and dynamic winter environment that accommodates all users from beginners to experts. Programming throughout the year is critical, from ice hockey and jam pail curling tournaments in the winter to skateboard competitions, musical performances on the main stage, fireworks, The Winnipeg Children’s Festival, and much much more, the Forks is an active space at all times of the year.
• At its origin, The Forks was predominantly marshland along the two rivers in early development of Winnipeg this site was cut off from the City by the Rail line and used primarily as a rail hub. The site’s grade was artificially raised to accommodate the needs of the rail industry and up until the late 1980’s became an unused rail yard.  As a brownfield development, The Forks has seen the retrofit of the four remaining buildings on the site into the Main Market building, the Johnston Terminal (commercial and retail spaces), the A Channel building, and the Manitoba Children’s Museum. The protection of the riverbank by Parks Canada as the Forks National Historic Site continues to enhance the natural environment.  The Prairie Garden, the Peace Meeting Interpretive Site, the South Point redevelopment and the site development for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights have all reclaimed former gravel spaces with the reintroduction of native plant species as both a spiritual and educational effort.
• Additionally, the recent Target Zero campaign has the Forks site looking at alternative energy sources and a complete reduction of waste into waste harvesters and bio-fuel based maintenance vehicles as an effort to reduce the imprint of the site on the rest of the City of Winnipeg.

For more information about “The Forks” visit the official website

In 2008 Stu moved to Winnipeg as part of a job relocation. His wife Mary and two young children Sarah who was 5 and 7 year old Jack came along too. Mary tells their story.

Because our move was due to Stu’s job relocation we didn’t really have much time to consider where we were going and any of the consequences. We just knew it was going to be interesting and that if we didn’t take the opportunity we would only regret it. After all not everyone has the chance to live in a completely different country and have their employer pay all the moving costs.

We ended up moving in September and the weather when we arrived was brilliant. Stu’s company had arranged for us to move into a four bedroom home located on the outskirts of Winnipeg and we loved the property at first glance. It had a long driveway leading to a two-car garage and the property was huge compared to our UK home which we were renting out whilst we were away. Initially Stu’s contract in Canada was for eighteen months, so we needed to keep our home in the UK for when we returned.

We were worried about the kids adapting and fitting in, but we needn’t have worried as they immediately made friends with the three children next door who were similar ages. Both children were enrolled in a local school and both seemed to love it immediately.

Stu started working pretty much as soon as we arrived so it was down to me to make our new house feel like home and to buy the things we needed that weren’t part of the furnished rental. I made friends with some women along the street where we lived and they were great at helping me settle in.

Unfortunately the beautiful hot weather was not to last and soon we were experiencing our first Manitoba winter. At first the temperatures dropped drastically to what we classed as very cold, about -10℃. The house had a very good warm air heating system so whilst we were inside it was great. Looking out the window and seeing a few inches of snow on the ground whilst warm and dry inside was lovely. The kids loved playing outside with the other local children and were basically having the times of their lives. Then it snowed.

Now we knew why it had the nickname of Winterpeg!

I know I have already said there was snow on the ground, but now instead of a few inches there was a few feet. We had bought our UK winter coats with us but these proved to be no match against the bitter cold we now experienced. We had to all get new coats, hats, or toques as they call them, mittens and boots. When shopping for these items we were amazed to see labels stating that a pair of boots was good to -45℃, soon we knew why. During our first winter we had temperatures going down into the -30’s℃ and snow several feet thick on the ground.

We had never experienced anything like it, but the locals took it in their stride and explained that this was quite normal for Winnipeg. Now we knew why it had the nickname of Winterpeg!

We, especially the kids, engaged in the fun things of winter such as building snowmen and tobogganing. We also visited the local outdoor skating rink and learnt how to skate. Stu did not endure this activity for long as he spent far too much time on his behind. But the kids and I loved it. We had to be aware of when we had spent enough time out in the cold as frost bite is a serious problem with temperatures this low. A neighbour told me that it is fine to have red rosy cheeks outside but if white blotches started to appear within the red then it was time to get indoors.

One particularly cold morning Stu was shoveling the drive and came in about half an hour later and his mustache was frozen. His nose had run in the cold and he literally had icicles hanging from his nose. It was funny to see, but potentially very dangerous.

You often hear people say that cold feels different in different places. We now realize this is true as back in the UK if the temperature ever got to really low temperatures, say -2℃ then you tried not to go out for fear of freezing to death. Here in Manitoba -2℃ feels quite warm unless there is a particularly bad windchill. It is not until you get to the -20’s that you really start to worry. It is all about being sensible and dressing the part. Clothing here is designed for the area and as long as you wear layers and buy sensibly then there is no reason why you cannot walk around outside when it is very cold, something you would never attempt in the UK.

When we first moved here we loved the fact the house had a long driveway and was set back off the road. Now we live here we know that that is not always a good thing in the winter as having a 200 foot driveway means you have to clear 200 feet of snow which is often several feet thick. We invested in a snow blower and it was well worth it as using a shovel was just ridiculous.

I remember in the UK we had a big snowstorm one year, 2004 I think it was and it bought the whole country to a standstill. No one could go anywhere and for about two days it was crazy and that was only a few inches of snow, although it did fall very quickly. Here in Winnipeg as soon as there is a good snowfall the plows are out in force clearing the roads and sidewalks. Usually by lunchtime most of the city is clear and accessible. It is amazing, but of course they are prepared for such conditions, unlike the UK.

We do have to go out after the plow has been

We do have to go out after the plow has been as it pushes all the snow from the centre of the road to the edges effectively blocking off the entrance to our drive and the mailbox. We have to clear the area around the mailbox otherwise the postman cannot get close enough to it in his car and will not deliver. But it is a small price to pay for the effective way the snow is cleared.

One thing the kids find very amusing is that you can plug your car in to stop it from freezing. When Stu goes to work he can plug the car in whilst he is there to stop it freezing up and make sure it starts okay when he is finished for the day. We have also done this when shopping at the mall, they have special locations where you take the lead out from under the car bonnet (or hood) and plug it in.

Whilst on the subject of cars you also need to have winter tires (spelt different here) on them as they grip far better in the hazardous winter conditions than regular tires. We also have to make sure that the washer fluid can go down to the temperatures we are experiencing. That is another strange thing to see on a car fluid bottle – okay to -50℃.

Although we have seen several accidents during the winter, thankfully we have not experience one ourselves. As long as you drive carefully and slowly and be aware of others around you it is much better than you might imagine. The times when there are accidents, and there are many, it is usually because someone has been driving like an idiot. Slow and steady is my motto!

Although our first Manitoba winter was a big shock to the system, we survived it and relished in it. I know for a fact that had we experienced the exact same conditions in England we, and many others might not have survived, but here it is just “normal” weather.

The following summer we experienced the exact opposite with temperatures soaring to the high +30℃ and feeling even hotter with the humidex factored in. If Manitoba is to be  known for anything it is the vast extremes in temperature. I personally love the spring and fall as these offer relatively normal weather, but I’m sure we will get used to the summer and winter too. And yes, we will have time to do that, Stu’s contract was extended from the initial 18 months to five years, so many more winters to come.