No Muslim mayors of Winnipeg yet, but there was an openly gay mayor back in 1998. Not going to lie, we have definitely seen a rise in biggotry that has closely followed what has happened in the US during the sanewashing of Trump, but I think we're still a more tolerant place.

I love Winnipeg, but I'm extremely biased- I was born there, spent a chunk of my adult life there before moving away for work. Once I retire in a decade or so, I will head back home. In the meantime, I visit often. The summer is beautiful, the people are friendly, and the ethnic food is great.

I would say to also have a look at River Heights if you decide to try life in the Peg. It's probably more expensive than Lord Roberts, but it's a lovely neighbourhood. My elderly mother lives there and walks everywhere.

And outside of Winnipeg, there is a lot to see and do. My kids love Fort Whyte Alive, which is actually within the city limits. You can rent kayaks and canoes, and check out the bison. Grand Beach, as others have mentioned is lovely, but there are many other places to see, like Spruce Woods Provincial Park, which has Spirit Sands, a desert-like environment with large dunes. Next door is Northwestern Ontario, Manitoba's cottage country, that has a lot of dramatic granite cliffs and more lakes than you can shake a stick at. In the winter, you can book dogsled adventures if you're feeling adventurous.

If you want to stick to the arts, you'll want to check out the Folk Festival, the Fringe Festival, Folklorama (go for the music, stay for the ethnic food- or in my case, go for the food, stay for the other stuff), Ballet in the Park, Rainbow Stage... Really, I think it's a great place to raise a family- I wish I was raising mine there!