I've just celebrated the tenth anniversary of my move to Winnipeg.

Buildings of Downtown Winnipeg

I moved here on the 20th of June 1999. It was a beautiful hot summer day in Ottawa and my mother, younger sister and her son had come to see me off at the airport. There were lots of hugs and tears and as I was passing through security I turned to look back. My vision was blurry as I tried to blink away the tears and I saw my little two-year-old nephew, cute as a button standing there with a great big grin on his face, and having the time of his life as his pudgy little hand blew me endless kisses. That image remains imprinted on me as my last parting memory of home.

As sad and scared as I was to be leaving, I felt I was on an adventure, heading off to carve out my future elsewhere. I've always had a very independent nature and I knew I needed to move away from my family and spread my wings in my own direction. I was about to turn thirty five, I was alone after being widowed a few years earlier, I'd never been to Winnipeg before, I didn't know anyone here and this was my chance to create a new life for myself. I did have a job, though there was no certainty as to how long it might last. I was enrolled in a training program to become an Air Traffic Controller and my continued employment was dependent on success in my training.

Manitoba Farmland

I watched out the window for most of the two and a half hour flight, lost in my thoughts and wondering what Winnipeg was going to be like. Shortly before landing, I knew we had arrived at the Canadian Prairies (which I'd never seen) because all the rural roads were as straight as if they'd been drawn with a ruler. The land was so flat, there was no need to have any bends in the roads and they criss-crossed across the landscape like it was a big checker board. It was sunny and  beautiful when we landed and I made my way to the hotel where I would be staying for the next few weeks.

Outdoor Patio by the River

My first impression of Winnipeg was that it was so much more than I was expecting. I knew that the surrounding area was mostly farmland, wide open and flat, and I guess I just expected that the city would be more of the same except more populated (meaning that there would be a lack of large trees and neighbours would have no privacy from each other when out in their yards). I was so excited by all the trees - big, mature trees that formed a canopy over the residential streets in the area where I was staying - my mother found it humorous when I told her.

Finding a place to move into by the first of July was quite a challenge since it was only ten days away and I spent the first few days scanning the newspaper, placing calls and running off to view aparments. I was lucky to finally find a very spacious apartment with a great view, on the top floor of solidly built concrete building which was excellent at blocking out any noise from neighbouring units. The next challenge came when I received word that the moving company would not be able to deliver my belongings in time. Although I had three weeks booked in the hotel, extending my stay was not an option because in the summer of '99 Winnipeg was playing host to the Pan-Am Games and every hotel was already booked solid. Thankfully my emloyer, who was orchestrating the move, scramled to get another moving company on board who could deliver within the deadline, otherwise I would be moving into an empty apartment without so much as a pot to pee in, so to speak. It all worked out very well and I lived in that apartment for six years.

Provencher Bridge spanning the Red River between Downtown and St. Boniface

Its now been ten years since I moved here and I've grown to appreciate many things about Winnipeg. I'm glad I took the plunge and decided to change my life. Change is good and often brings new opprtunities or experiences but it's not always easy. For me it has helped me meet wonderful people, make new friends, get involved in new ventures and grow as a person.

Many people have said to me over the years that they're amazed I would/could do that on my own but all I can say is that it was the best thing I've ever done for myself. I couldn't have planned all the things that have happened over the last ten years and I no longer feel like the same person I was when I left Ottawa. Sometimes it’s not planning that shapes your life. Little everyday decisions can end up being big moments. Things happen that you have no control over and you have to go with them – see where they take you.

Sometimes when things present themselves in certain ways in your life, you just have to go with your instincts and follow them where they lead you. My instincts led me here, to this city and what I'm doing now. It’s been a great adventure.



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