Explore the city by bike on your own schedule on a self guided bike tour!
Pedal into History
Curator of Seven Oaks House Museum, Eric Napier Strong, has drawn deeply on his historical expertise to develop this series of rides exploring different areas of Manitoba’s early history.
Birth of a Province
Starts: The Forks – Oodena Circle
Tour Length: 5.5 km (7 km return)
We all know that 2020 marked Manitoba’s 150th birthday, but how many of us really know the people and places that led to our province’s foundation?
This family-friendly ride along the scenic Red & Assiniboine Rivers will introduce you to the remarkable characters and exciting events that helped our home take shape.
The tour will help you better understand:
- Our local history before we became Manitoba
- The historical architecture of our downtown
- The differing cultures and perspectives of English and French Metis communities
- The impact of Canadian colonialism on local ways of life
Printable Map
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Across the Assiniboine
Starts: Saint James Anglican Church
Tour Length: 10 km
Winnipeg’s role as “Gateway to the West” made us more than just a metropolis: Our city became a model for Canada’s west-ward expansion, settlement, and colonization. What did that process really mean for the people of Manitoba, and what lessons can we learn from our rich architectural heritage?
Curator of Seven Oaks House Museum, Eric Napier Strong, is our guide for this entry in the Pedal Into History series. Drawing on his deep historical expertise, Eric will share Winnipeg’s early history with us as we follow one of the city’s most scenic rides along the Assiniboine River. The tour will help you better understand:
- The development of West Winnipeg
- Evolving architectural styles from the 1850s to the 1930s
- Indigenous history along the Assiniboine River
- The role of city planning in colonization
Printable Map
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Ride the Red
Starts: Le Musée de Saint-Boniface Museum
Tour Length: 11 km (19 km return)
St. Boniface, Point Douglas, and (West) Kildonan were perhaps the three most important settlement areas during the early Red River Settlement period, and offer many of the remaining examples of historic locations and architecture from the time.
Although their histories are deeply intertwined, each area had its own ethnic, cultural and political dynamics, and the people of each shaped the development of early Winnipeg in distinct ways.
Printable Map
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Beyond la Barrier – St Norbert Tour
Starts: Riel House National Historic Site
Tour Length: 20-25 km
Winnipeg is made up of a diverse collection of communities, and their early histories often reflect very different cultural backgrounds. While the northern areas were largely settled by English and Scottish immigrants, the south end of our city’s roots are primarily Metis and French. As we travel south we’ll be following the Red and La Salle rivers, which both played a pivotal role in the development of our city.
St. Vital was first settled in an organized way in the mid 1820s. The first to settle here were Metis families who had previously lived south, near Pembina, North Dakota. Many of these people moved north following conflicts with the Sioux (Lakota) people, and the early success of the Red River Settlement.
Printable Map
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The Pedal into History project was supported by contributions from the Province of Manitoba through the Heritage Grants Program and the City of Winnipeg. We are grateful for their support.
