Today, we discuss the Pros and Cons of Living in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada. There are some considerations in here that you might want to look into before moving or living here! I tried to give the top pros and cons that seem to come up from clients that are moving to Winnipeg, or moving away from Winnipeg! #LivingInWinnipeg #MovingToWinnipeg #RelocatingToWinnipeg
Pro #1: The People: The most genuine and kind people. Heck, we have the “Friendly Manitoban” license plates for a reason! It is not uncommon for people to strike up conversation with complete strangers here - which can be quite alarming at first. But it is just our way, to say hello to a new face. The residents here enjoy a more relaxed pace than many larger cities within Winnipeg. Although our population is over 700,000, it really does feel like a small town.
Con #1: Crime: Our per capita crime rates are higher, and yes we have been deemed the murder capital of Canada. But honestly, do not choose to not move here because of the crime. Much of the crime here is localized to specific areas or regions and a lot of it is non-violent in nature. A high proportion of our violent crime is often gang related, and if you know what areas to stay out of at night, don’t anticipate any problems - unless you plan to live a life of crime. Then I am sure that you can find trouble here. But any good Realtor can direct you to neighbourhoods that would be considered perfectly safe to live within.
Pro #2: Diversity: I would argue, that cities of similar size elsewhere in Canada are not nearly as culturally, racially, and religiously diverse as we are in Winnipeg. I think this diversity has made us a very welcoming and accepting community with a variety of cultures to experience.
Con #2: Transportation: Winnipeg’s public transportation system is not the greatest, with routes coming more seldom, but couple that with the cold weather when you are waiting a few minutes for your bus and those waits feel even longer. The good news is the expansion of Winnipeg’s Rapid Transit system which has improved not only many of the bus routes, but the amount of service options.
Pro #3: Dining: We have a great food scene here with a variety of options available - because of our awesome diversity. Winnipeg has amazing dining options due to its ethnically diverse population. Whether you have a craving for Dim Sum, Sushi, Steak, BBQ, Indian, Lobster, Tapas, etc. there are great options for you to indulge in.
Con #3: Construction: Due to our short summers and cold winters, Winnipeg has a very short season to do road repair. What this means is heavy construction during the summer which creates a lot of lane closures, detours, in every which way of the City.
Pro #4: Cost of Living: Our cost of living here is much lower than cities of similar size across Canada. While the National Home price average currently sits at just shy of $700,000, in Winnipeg our average home price slashes that in half - at just over $321,000 according to CREA. You may think that it would be expensive to heat a home in a province that is so cold, but Manitoba is a huge hydro-electric exporter as a result of many of our damns and hydro infrastructure. As a result, our electric costs are about one third of the kilowatt rate here than that of our counterparts in Ontario.
Con #4: Mosquitoes - We do have a high proportion of mosquitoes here because of the abundance of rivers, lakes, and flat lands that hold waters. Mosquitoes love water afterall. If you are not afraid of citronella candles and a little bit of bug spray, it would not be unheard of to use these products between the months of June to August. In years where the mosquitoes get really bad, the city of Winnipeg will often fog certain areas of the City. There ARE things that you can do in your own area to limit the amount of Mosquitoes around you too.
Pro #5 Sports: For playing, a lot more space and venues. Professional sports teams as well. The Winnipeg Jets have made the playoffs fairly consistently over the last few years, the Blue Bombers winning the Grey Cup in 2019, we now have FC Valour - a professional soccer team. The Goldeyes are our professional baseball team and offer very affordable tickets if you are wanting to take the whole family to a game on a hot summer night.
Con #5: Downtown living: In other large cities, the closer you live to downtown, the more expensive the prices become. Not in Winnipeg. Our downtown core is thought to be more of a slum at times, and as a result, not as desirable of a place to be. That being said, there have been strong pushes to revitalize our downtown core. Luxury condominiums like the glasshouse skylofts, the Canada Life Centre, Waterfront Drive, True North Square, among others.
There are also two bonus pros and cons in the video - so stay tuned!
The Jennifer Queen Team
RE/MAX Professionals
(204) 797-7945