Around My City - Winter Edition by Jana Richards

 A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I took a drive around our city. I wanted to see some of the snow sculptures or Sculptures de Neige that had been built for the annual winter festival, Festival du Voyageur. Of course, this year the Festival isn’t hosting the crowds it usually does, but artists still made some snow sculptures. And to be honest, my husband and I just wanted to get out of the house. I hope you enjoy a few pictures from around my city.

There's a number of murals painted on the sides of buildings in Winnipeg. This one is on the side of the Union building and depicts the history of unions in the city. The figures holding the picket signs near the bottom represent the 1919 General Strike when unionized workers in the entire city went on strike for better pay and working conditions. At the top is a modern nurse administering a vaccine. 

This is the Canadian Museum of Human Rights. I think it's an amazing and unique design.

 Okay, I admit my photography skills are not the greatest, but in my defense, it was cold operating my camera with bare hands. And the sun was in my eyes! Anyway, this picture doesn't do justice to the Esplanade Riel, the bridge spanning the Red River that connects downtown Winnipeg with St. Boniface, the French part of the city. I think it's the prettiest bridge in the city, and with two major rivers and and several smaller ones running through it, we have a lot of bridges! 

The statue of Ghandi is just outside the Canadian Museum of Human Rights. Winnipeg is a little chillier than his home in India!

Here's one of the snow sculptures. It has the head of a bird with a human hand which I read is the international symbol for human rights.

I like this sculpture. It looks like a little old lady wrapped in a blanket having a cup of tea!

Please excuse the terrible quality of my photo. I took it from inside the car but I wanted to show it because the sculpture was so cool. It's actually a snail. He had a huge shell and he's slithering along in a forest of mushrooms. 

This snow sofa invites people to sit down and take a load off. I think a lot of people have done just that!

Thanks for coming along for the tour. The next time my husband and I get bored, I'll take a few more pictures!