Manitoba

Overview of Manitoba

Bordered by Ontario to the east, Saskatchewan to the west and the US to the south, the province of Manitoba is located on the stunningly beautiful and evocative Canadian Prairies. It's a predominantly agricultural region, but is steeped in history and culture, with locals and visitors enjoying an active outdoor lifestyle centred on fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing.

Manitoba's capital and largest city, Winnipeg is a fantastic place to explore and is located close to its eponymous lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world. Those travellers keen to explore beyond the city's limits will be pleased to know that greater Manitoba boasts incredible natural splendour, a rich cultural history and a number of exciting attractions.

The province is believed to have been first inhabited shortly after the last glaciers melted away, as a large amount of boulder mosaics and medicine wheels can be found near Turtle Mountain in the southwest. North American aboriginals went on to inhabit the land before Henry Hudson sailed into what is now known as Hudson Bay in 1611.

The winter months in Manitoba provide perfect conditions for tobogganing, skating and snowmobiling, although heavy snowstorms are common and those unfamiliar with the terrain should beware of plummeting temperatures, which can drop as low as -40°F (-40°C). On the other hand, Manitoba compensates with equally extreme summers and plenty of sunshine year round.

Along with trips out to Oak Hammock Marsh, summer in Manitoba sees visitors spotting polar bears and beluga whales in Churchill, black bear and bison in Riding Mountain National Park and moose in Hecla-Grindstone Provincial Park.

All in all, fascinating Manitoba is a nature lover's paradise.

Key Facts

Language:

The official languages are English and French (spoken predominantly in Quebec).

Passport/Visa:

All visitors must hold a valid passport. We recommend that passports always be valid for six months after intended period of travel. Visitors are required to hold onward or return tickets, all documents needed for the next destination and sufficient funds to cover the period of intended stay.

Travellers from most visa-exempt countries arriving in Canada by air need to fill in an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) form online prior to travel to Canada. This is a new requirement implemented on 28 September 2016 and is applicable to all but U.S citizens and travellers with a valid Canadian visa. Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, and Canadian permanent residents cannot apply for an eTA. As part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), all travellers travelling between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean region are required to present a passport or other valid travel documents to enter or re-enter the United States. If departing from the USA a valid passport will be required by immigration authorities.

Currency:

The currency used is the Canadian Dollar (CAD). Banks and bureaux de change will change cash, as will some hotels. Major credit cards are widely accepted and ATMs are widespread. US Dollars are widely accepted.

Electricity:

Electrical current is 120 volts, 60Hz. American-style flat two-pin plugs and a plug with a third round grounding pin are standard.

Travel to Manitoba

Health Notes when travelling to Canada

No vaccinations are necessary for travel to Canada. Medical care is excellent but expensive, so medical insurance is advised.

Safety Notes when travelling to Canada

Most visits to Canada are trouble-free. The country is politically stable but does share the common international risk of terrorism. The crime rate is low but travellers are advised to take sensible precautions to safeguard their belongings, as they would anywhere. Canada is prone to tornadoes between May and September.

Customs in Canada

Smoking bans have been implemented in Canada in enclosed public places such as restaurants, bars, and shopping malls.

Duty Free in Canada

Travellers to Canada are allowed to enter the country with the following items without incurring custom duties: gifts to the value of C$60 per recipient (excluding advertising material, tobacco and alcoholic beverages); 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or cigarillos and 200g of tobacco or 200 tobacco sticks; 1.14 litres of liquor or wine or 24 x 355ml bottles or cans of beer or ale. There are strict regulations governing the import of the following: explosives, endangered animal and plant species, items of heritage, fresh foodstuffs and weapons. The plant Qhat (Khat) is illegal in Canada and prison sentences are heavy.

Doing Business in Canada

Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, and Montreal are the main business centres. English is the language of business except in French-speaking Quebec, where all written material and business cards should be in French. Business cards are not traditionally exchanged during an initial meeting, but at some appropriate time thereafter; it is best to wait for the host to offer theirs first.

A firm handshake is used by way of greeting, and meetings tend to begin on time so punctuality should be taken seriously, as should appearance. Canadians dress conservatively and smartly for business meetings and suits are the norm. Gifts can be given in conclusion to celebrate a deal, but should be understated; taking someone out for a meal is a popular way to conclude business dealings.

Canadians are reserved and frown on emotional outbursts. Business is based on facts and figures rather than relationships, so it is best to be as prepared as possible for meetings. Hours of business are usually 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

Communication in Canada

The international access code for Canada is +1. The outgoing code is 011 followed by the relevant country code. The outgoing code is not necessary for calls to the US and the Caribbean. Hotels, cafes and restaurants offering free wifi are widely available. As international roaming costs can be high, purchasing a local prepaid SIM card can be a cheaper option.

Tipping in Canada

There is no service charge added to restaurant bills in Canada and staff expect a tip of around 15 percent. Hairdressers and taxi drivers are also usually tipped at the same rate, while bellhops, doormen, porters, and similar service providers at hotels, airports, and stations are generally paid at the customer's discretion. It has become more common for places with counter service to display tip jars, but in such cases tipping is not necessary.

Passport/Visa Note

Entry Requirements

Entry requirements for Americans:

US travellers should have a valid passport if departing from the USA, otherwise other proof of citizenship is accepted in the form of a birth certificate, a US certificate of citizenship, or US certificate of naturalisation. More suggestions would include a NEXUS card. A visa is not required for a stay of up to six months.

Entry requirements for UK nationals:

UK nationals must have a passport valid for the period of intended stay. A visa is not required for a stay of up to six months. However, the individual must have Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA).

Entry requirements for Australians:

Australians must hold passports valid for period of intended stay. Nationals of Australia with an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) are visa exempt for a maximum stay of 6 months.

Entry requirements for Irish nationals:

Irish nationals must hold a passport valid for the period of intended stay. A visa is not required for stays of up to six months. However, the individual must have an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA).

Entry requirements for New Zealanders:

New Zealanders require a passport valid for the period of the intended stay. No visa is required for stays of up to 6 months. However, the traveller requires an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA).

Entry requirements for South Africans:

South African nationals must be in possession of a passport valid for the period of intended stay. A visa is required. South African temporary passports are not recognised. Passports, identity or travel documents of Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, Transkei and Venda are not accepted.

Currency

Exchange rate for 1 CAD - Canadian Dollar
0.76 BMD Bermudan Dollar	0.68 EUR Euro	0.76 USD U.S. Dollar	0.53 GBP U.K. Pound Sterling	83.23 JPY Japanese Yen	0.76 CHF Swiss Franc
1.06 AUD Australian Dollar	19.19 UAH Ukrainian Hryvnia	258.11 KZT Kazakhstani Tenge	1,150.93 LBP Lebanese Pound	0.54 LYD Libyan Dinar	5.24 BOB Bolivian Boliviano
82.45 NPR Nepalese Rupee	0.29 OMR Omani Rial	2.78 QAR Qatari Rial	1.05 SGD Singapore Dollar	6.33 SEK Swedish Krona	5.07 TTD Trinidad Tobago Dollar
7.63 VEF Venezuelan Bolivar	35.03 DOP Dominican Peso	5.14 HRK Croatian Kuna	14.24 MXN Mexican Peso	448.12 XOF West African CFA Franc	2.42 PGK Papua New Guinean kina
0.77 BSD Bahamian Dollar	1.61 FJD Fiji Dollar	17.30 HNL Honduran Lempira	84.48 DZD Algerian Dinar	910.53 MMK Myanma Kyat	8.55 BWP Botswana Pula
2.58 PEN Peruvian Nuevo Sol	530.07 CLP Chilean Peso	365.42 AMD Armenia Dram	18.48 CZK Czech Koruna	15.27 MDL Moldova Lei	94.99 ISK Icelandic Krona
2,246.12 UZS Uzbekistan Sum	2.95 ILS Israeli New Sheqel	0.54 JOD Jordanian Dinar	0.23 KWD Kuwaiti Dinar	23.96 UYU Uruguayan Peso	27.15 MUR Mauritian Rupee
21.79 NIO Nicaraguan Córdoba	6.38 NOK Norwegian Krone	3.00 PLN Polish Zloty	2.87 SAR Saudi Riyal	111.60 LKR Sri Lanka Rupee	27.22 THB Thai Baht
2.81 AED U.A.E Dirham	2.75 BRL Brazilian Real	3.09 RON Romanian New Leu	5.94 HKD Hong Kong Dollar	449.13 XAF Central African CFA Franc	17,177.63 VND Vietnamese Dong
10.66 ARS Argentine Peso	2.06 XCD East Caribbean Dollar	5.99 GTQ Guatemalan Quetzal	7.47 MAD Moroccan Dirham	0.29 BHD Bahrain Dinar	0.77 PAB Panamanian Balboa
1.14 AZN Azerbaijan Manat	2,382.97 COP Colombian Peso	52.20 KGS Kyrgyzstan Som	213.82 HUF Hungarian Forint	6.02 TJS Tajikistan Ruble	10,458.13 IDR Indonesian Rupiah
6.79 EGP Egyptian Pound	910.37 KRW South Korean Won	4,333.19 PYG Paraguayan Guaraní	3.18 MYR Malaysian Ringgit	411.77 CRC Costa Rican Colón	1.12 NZD New Zealand Dollar
80.05 PKR Pakistani Rupee	51.05 RUB Russian Rouble	11.93 ZAR South African Rand	1.62 TND Tunisian Dinar	1.53 BBD Barbadian Dollar	1.34 BGN Bulgarian Lev
2.25 TRY Turkish Lira	35.63 PHP Philippine Peso	24.93 TWD New Taiwan Dollar	150.19 NGN Nigerian Naira	81.90 XPF CFP Franc	2.99 GHS Ghanaian Cedi
95.48 JMD Jamaican Dollar	1.38 ANG Neth. Antillean Guilder	1.05 BND Brunei Dollar	84.50 RSD Serbian Dinar	5.03 CNY Chinese Yuan	15,208.62 BYR Belarussian Ruble
5.08 DKK Danish Krone	2.63 TMT New Turkmenistan Manat	51.41 INR Indian Rupee

Exchange Rate for
U.S. Dollar to Canadian Dollar

1 USD = 1.31 CAD

Exchange Rate for
Euro to Canadian Dollar

1 EUR = 1.46 CAD

Exchange Rate for
U.K. Pound Sterling to Canadian Dollar

1 GBP = 1.89 CAD

Exchange Rate for
Australian Dollar to Canadian Dollar

1 AUD = 0.95 CAD

Exchange Rate for
New Zealand Dollar to Canadian Dollar

1 NZD = 0.89 CAD

Exchange Rate for
South African Rand to Canadian Dollar

1 ZAR = 0.08 CAD

Airports in Manitoba

Winnipeg

Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, and is a popular destination for families looking to settle down. Visitors can expect a friendly laid-back mood, a somewhat temperamental climate and limited but well-supported tourist attractions.

The historic area known as the Forks draws thousands of tourists every year. It lies at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, while Lake Winnipeg (one of the largest freshwater lakes in Canada), the urban forest and the Leo Mol Sculpture Garden are other popular nearby attractions.

The city has an array of art galleries and museums, as well as a strong film industry, which has hosted numerous Hollywood productions over the years. It is also home to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, one of Canada's most celebrated companies, and the Winnipeg Jazz Festival.

With extreme temperatures ranging from -22ºF (-30ºC) in mid-winter, to 86ºF (30ºC) in mid-summer, we strongly recommend travellers visit during the warmer months between May and August.

Getting around in Winnipeg

Winnipeg has a comprehensive public transport system that consists of buses, cycling routes, trains and taxis. Local bus services are run by Winnipeg Transit, which operates over 80 fixed routes throughout the city. Buses generally run from 6am to around midnight and can be halted between stops after 7pm, provided the driver is given advance warning. There is also a Rapid Transit route in the southwest of the city, as well as a free bus service in the city centre called Downtown Spirit.

Winnipeg also has a network of cycling and bus lanes as part of an effort to decrease commute times. Trains are primarily used for travel to surrounding cities and are run by VIA Rail.

Taxis are widely available and can either be hailed in the street or called in advance. Reputable taxi companies will use a meter which should be switched on at the beginning of the journey. Ride-hailing apps such Uber also operate in Winnipeg.

Climate in Winnipeg

Winnipeg's humid continental climate produces warm summers from late May to late September, and around 20 inches (50.8cm) of rainfall throughout the year. With an average of 2,727 hours of clear skies and around 2,372 hours of sunlight throughout the year, Winnipeg claims to be one of Canada's sunniest cities. That said, winter lasts from late November to early March and can have minimum temperatures as low as -9°F (-23°C) in the depths of the cold season. Summer heats up to 79°F (26°C) at the height of the warm season.