The French City -- Portage la Prairie

6:30 a.m
Another new day in Manitoba, this is my fourth day in Manitoba and my second day of 18, and is my father's birthday. Today, I am going to leave Winnipeg and heading west toward Brandon. In the middle, I will stop at Portage la Prairie which name is from French. I pack my stuff, and check out, and I will leave at 7:00 to the French City Portage la Prairie. It is a city about an hour west to Winnipeg. It is not far from Winnipeg, and I am going to stay in Portage la Prairie tonight, and head to Brandon tomorrow night. I am exciting to visit my third city after "the forks" Winnipeg and "catfish city" Selkirk in Manitoba.

49° 58′ 22″ N, 98° 17′ 31″ W (From GeoHack)

It is a town located about 70 km west of Winnipeg.

There was a lot of farm on my way to Portage la Prairie, and took a lot of pictures of them.

I reached to Portage la Prairie at about 7:30. As most of attractions haven't open yet, I just drove around the city Portage la Prairie. It is another small city with population about twelve thousand. It is just like the city Selkirk. Small city with very small building and a little people. Portage la Prairie has very good weather. According to Environment Canada, Portage la Prairie has the most sunny days in warm months in Canada. The area of the city was 24 square kilometres which is even smaller than the city of Selkirk but has about 3000 more population than Selkirk. In China, this size of place will consider be a village or a small town, but it is the fourth largest city in Manitoba.

The name is derived from the French word portage, which means to carry a canoe overland between waterways. The city is between the Assiniboine River and Lake Manitoba, over la prairie. sits on the Assiniboine River, which flooded the town persistently until a diversion channel north to Lake Manitoba was built to divert the flood waters. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie.

Portage la Prairie is a rural municipality in the province of Manitoba in Western Canada. It surrounds the city of Portage la Prairie. A rural municipality, is a form of municipality in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan(From Wikipedia).
The city is a major transportation centre because of its proximity to the river and later, the location of the railway lines of the country's national railways passing through the community.
It is also the home of former Prime Minister of Canada, Arthur Meighen. Arthur Meighen, was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served two terms as the ninth Prime Minister of Canada: from July 10, 1920 to December 29, 1921; and from June 29 to September 25, 1926. He was the first Prime Minister born after Confederation, and the only one to represent a riding in Manitoba. Both of his terms of office were brief. Meighen later served for a decade in the Senate of Canada, and failed in a political comeback attempt in 1941-42, after which he returned to the practice of law.(From Wikipedia)

I went to to the world largest Coca-Cola can. It was constructed from an old water tower and is now located beside the local Canadian Tire and Canad Inns hotel. I think it is the attraction that presents Portage la Prairie, is just like Selkirk's catfish. I hope I can have that can of coke.

The local economy is largely dependent on agriculture and supporting industries. Portage la Prairie is also home to the McCain Foods and Simplot potato processing plants, which provide French fries for McDonalds, Wendy's, and various other commercialized restaurant chains. Portage la Prairie is like a junk food city which has Coca-Cola and potato for the junk food company.

Portage la Prairie's City Hall is a limestone structure that was designed by Thomas Fuller, who designed the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa as well. It was opened in 1898 as a Dominion Post Office and became City Hall in 1960. The building was declared a historical site in 1986. On the roof is a bell which tolls for a few seconds daily at 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm and 9pm.

It doesn't look like a city hall, but like a Disney castle.

Last, I went to the Island Park which is located at the central Portage la Prairie. The island has an 18 hole golf course, Portage Industrial Exhibition grounds which hosts various agricultural competitions and midway, an outdoor water park, a large pen enclosure for deer, a birdcage area featuring peacocks, playgrounds, walking trails, tennis courts, a duck pond, various monuments, and an extensive arboretum.

That is not that much I can see in Portage la Prairie. I left Portage la Prairie at about 5 o'clock in the afternoon to Brandon. The second largest city in Manitoba, and has the second population in Manitoba. The side is very beautiful on the way to Brandon.

I am going to sleep in Brandon tonight, and see around the city of Brandon tomorrow.