Heritage Bed and Breakfast Tour

Save the date on Friday December 7th and plan to get into the festive spirit. The Heritage Bed and Breakfast association is hosting its second annual Holiday Christmas tour in support of Osborne House women's shelter. This year four bed and breakfasts - River Gate Inn Bed & Breakfast, Maison Grosvenor Bed & Breakfast, Fulham Castle Bed & Breakfast, and Galbraith House Bed & Breakfast are opening their doors to welcome in visitors and the Christmas Spirit. Each Bed and Breakfast have their own unique surprises but certainly one of the highlights will be Das Femmes singing Christmas carols at the River Gate Inn! If you have never heard these beautiful women sing you are certainly in for a treat...and speaking of treats - we'll also have some Christmas cheer for everyone coming. The cost is only $10 and gives you access to all four B & B's. Tickets are available at the door of each establishment.

Christmas is in the air...with the snow!

Yesterday Winnipeg really got it's first taste of Winter snow and the temperatures today certainly have snapped us into the reality that Winter is here! Lucky for me I managed to get most of the Christmas lights up and if you are staying at the River Gate Inn Bed & Breakfast during December, you are in for a festive treat! Michelle was hard at work decorating the Inn. It's a little earlier than we would normally do it but things come up quickly here! And yes, we are open during Christmas.

Roughriders take down the Big Blue!

Well as much as it pains me to tell everyone that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers lost in the final of the Canadian Football league Championship yesterday to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. This looks suspicious but if any team had to beat my hometown Bombers I am glad it was the Saskatchewan Roughriders as I was born in Regina, Saskatchewan and have a lot of relatives in Saskatchewan. I won't get into any of the jokes that surround the Labour Day classic and the Banjo Bowl, suffice it to say we congratulate the Roughies on their Grey Cup win. Winnipeg played a great game with a back up QB who had little experience in the CFL and Ryan Dinwiddie did a respectable job in his first ever start in the CFL. Next year Blue, next year!

New Roof

Well, it has been some time since I actually posted on the blog so there are a lot of things to add. Where to start? Well the biggest thing that has happened around the Inn was replacing the roof. We had the roof re-shingled and some minor repairs done. There was some delays due to weather, inconsistent roofing crew (??) and we had a hard time picking out the color. For those who care or want to know, we settled on Weatherwood. It is a little lighter tone than the old color and it has some brown, black and grey tones in it. We would have liked to go back to the original cedar shake roof but with the size and pitch of our roof the cost was just too prohibitive. We are very happy with the results and despite some disappearing roofing crews on days, Jade (was never missing and very reliable) who was contracted by BISON ROOFING did a great job. Now we are going to have to look at painting the trims appropriately. It might have to wait a little bit for that to happen though. There is a resting security in knowing the roof is good as new, was in great shape beneath and is properly vented now.

Fall time beauty!

It still amazes me how beautiful the area is when all the leaves start changing color. The fall time at the River Gate Inn is one of the best times to be here. I look out my window and see shades of orange, red, yellow, green, and everything in between. This year we have a number of garden mums throughout the yard and the contrast with the color and different leaves and berries all over the place really make for a beautiful scene. It might be one of the best times for our guests to come as well as October 1st of this year is the first year we have gone to a winter rate. With temperatures still occasionally creeping into the 20's, the smell in the air is incredibly refreshing and going for a walk may never be more inviting. Or sitting on the deck reading a good book can be very surreal at this time of year.

City Trees

The River Gate Inn Bed & Breakfast would like to thank the City of Winnipeg for removing 3 trees that were leaning into our house and over our driveway. The three maple trees were a concern for safey for our guests parked at the front edge of our driveway and there was concern over the trees growing onto the top of the house for damage to the roof. The city is really overloaded with work in terms of maintaining the large number of city trees and this was by no means a short process. However the City of Winnipeg did a great job taking the trees down and they managed to help us stick to a timeline of starting to replace the shingles on our roof by clearing the trees out. Now the problem is that you can see all the damage to the existing car port and fence on that side of the house. Looks like another project for the spring time!

New Deck & Stairs

In August of this year, we re-surfaced the stairs down to the pool and the existing deck. We are very happy to have this done and it has made the area surrounding the pool and sunroom look so much more inviting and it certainly has been noticed by our guests. The changes to the decking and improved layout has translated into more use by our guests and even ourself. It seems as though the landscaping and yard improvements are never ending but we find it so rewarding. We like the way it looks and we certainly like the way people have enjoyed the improvements in the yard. We are not quite finished yet but it certainly appears as though we are getting closer to how we would like our yard to be. Next spring we'll be looking at the front of the house - this should be challenging because it is the North side and we'd like to add color if at all possible. Any suggestions for plants that might work?

River Bank Preservation?

Anyone that lives along a river knows that keep the riverbank intact can be quite a challenge and so it goes for us. Our locations really is advantageous as we are just around the bend at the back of Armstrongs Point and the way the water flows it really appears that the opposite side of the river has more to be concerned with. However, this summer we had a tree come down along the river and so did our neighbours Doug and Irene. I notice that Doug and Irene are coming up more in the blog - they really are great neighbours and we love living beside them as well as our other immediate neighbours and some of the people on the neighbourhood as well. Armstrongs Point really is a unique and special community to live in.

Back to the riverbank...so after looking into a number of possibilities (and still looking) we were most concerned with the cost, look afterward and the ability to access the area for any plan to work. We decided on planting Willow trees at the suggestion of my sister and brother in law. They were also instrumental in helping provide us with the willow trees as they own a large property in rural Manitoba. Through the shelter belt foundation (I think it's a foundation), rural properties larger than a certain size are able to economically purchase large volumes of tree saplings. We were fortunate enough to receive about 50 Willow saplings they had left over after they finished planting. It looks as though a number of them have taken so only time will tell how well this idea works.

Stone Patio

A couple of guests have commented on the limestone patio that we added to the West side of the house. I thought it might be a good idea to post an update since some of the guests that saw the whole work in progress may find it interesting to know that yes - it is completed now and was done some time in June of 2007. This was much more work than I expected but was so worth it. Just a little recap - we had to remove a 180 year old Basswood tree because it was actually hollow. It was sad because the tree was incredibly big, perfectly shaped and from the outside it was hard to tell that it was very dangerous to have the tree standing. Once the tree was removed it created a lot of space and it happens to be that this area gets the most afternoon and evening sun. To take advantage of this sunshine we took large pieces of limestone from the quarry in Garson, pieces that were lying around the yard and some extra pieces from our neighbour after they completed a limestone patio and created a 30 foot by 7 foot sitting area. The limestone from our neighbour was actually off the facade of the Winnipeg Convention Center when it was renovated so it's pretty cool to have that make up some of the materials for our patio. Some of the pieces were 5 or 6 inches thick and it was quite a task. Again, our neighbour Doug came up with the finishing touch of adding some coloured brick around the RGI we had planned to put into the middle of the patio. All in all, it took longer than I expected but the results are really great. The bistro chairs and tables make the look great and we've had a number of people enjoying the area as a quiet place to read or chat a bit.

Summer time fun

This summer the pool was used much more than in the previous two summers since Michelle and I have owned the River Gate Inn Bed & Breakfast. It became really evident as we had to fill the pool up with more water at least 4 times in August. In our first summer, it was because the pool liner had some leaks. Replacing the pool liner in 2006 was an expensive venture but well worth it and it has really shown with the number of people enjoying the pool. Not only have people (including ourselves) found the pool to be more aesthetically pleasing, but using it really has been much more enjoyable. Our neighbours Doug and Irene have also helped make using the pool better. There was a tree in their yard that had three limbs. All three limbs extended into our yard, over the pool and subsequently blocked out some of the sun coming through. Now there are fewer leaves, more sunshine and the pool stays warmer easier. Looking forward to many more years of enjoying that fantastic pool!

It's been a long time...

Wow, I just noticed that I haven't posted anything on the River Gate Inn blog for quite some time. It must be because there hasn't been anything going on around here...anyone that has visited the River Gate Inn Bed & Breakfast knows that is simply not possible!

Let me reflect on the past couple of months and recent happenings to post a flurry of updates.

Cheers.

Countries Visited

I came across this link from one of my friends on Facebook. I thought it was kind of neat and decided to punch in all the countries, states and provinces I have visited. This is something I had talked about doing on a map for a couple of years now. The link is travbuddy.com if you want to do the same.

World Visited

Deer at the Inn?

We have always said that there is quite a bit of wildlife around the Inn - especially for being so close to downtown Winnipeg. Yesterday was a first for the River Gate Inn Bed & Breakfast though as there were two deer in our front yard! Michelle tried hard to get a good clear picture but they were a little spooked and none turned out. Add them to the list...very cool!

Flowers, Flowers, and Green Thumbs!

This time of year, the River Gate Inn Bed & Breakfast starts to really come alive in the yard. Flowers are blossoming and being planted (hundreds of dollar woth) and every year this seems to be getting to be a bigger event! We seem to find more and more places to put some more colour into our world! Any green thumbs out there who stay with us... certainly offer friendly advice as we make some adjustments to our landscape plans.
Cheers!

Winnie the Pooh

Ever wonder how Winnie the Pooh became linked to Winnipeg? There is more information on our website at www.rivergateinn.com. Click on the link near the top right of the page. It explains the history of Winnie the Pooh as told by Peter Dennis, a prominent actor. Get all the information about Winnie-the-Pooh! at www.poohcorner.com

Garage Sale

Well, for the first time since we have owned the River Gate Inn, we participated in the Armstrong's point neighbourhood garage sale. We were convinced with the downpour we had on Saturday that no one would come. Boy were we wrong! It was a flurry of activity and it was something to see. I guess Winnipeggers love a good garage sale. Sunday the weather cleared up and we had a number of people stop by on their bikes. This weekend coincided with Doors Open. This is the first year we decided not to participate in Doors Open and it was mostly due to the change in dates conflicting with guest reservations. I think the idea is to keep the date of the garage sale and Doors open on the same weekend next year - two weeks after mothers day.

Spring is in the air!

Springtime sees lots of activity around the Inn as the grounds get brought up to snuff, flowers are planted and outdoor projects really start to take shape - are simply start! The big project this spring has actually been something that was started last spring. The 30'X7' limstone sitting area that we undertook last summer is getting a lot of time recently. That whole part of the yard has been the focus of attention with lots of new flowers and bushes as well as the patio work. This area became a reclamation project after one of the huge basswood trees had to be taken down (it was creaking all the time and since it was HOLLOW we wisely put it to rest). It left a big void in that part of the yard but the upside is a lot more sunshine coming in means a great area to enjoy...the limestone patio. Both Michelle and I are looking forward to the time when the patio is finished and we can enjoy the afternoon sun with a cold beverage. Oh did I mention the addition to the deck...coming soon!

Catch up time...

Whoa how time flies here at the Inn during the Spring...so much has happened here since I last posted - let me see if I can recall some of it!

First, the ice dams were playing havoc with the water levels - we had 3 and 4 foot increases and decreases a couple of times and all within hours. A neat thing to witness. We had huge sheets of ice and massive chunks of ice floating down the river. The power of mother nature sure showed when the river was high as the ice ripped off some of the low hanging very big limbs - like a twig. Incredible.

The changing levels of water and the ice created some problems for the beavers that seem to show up every spring and pop in and out throughout the summer. I didn't see them in pairs like previous years but I saw them so frequently that I am sure there were more than one of them.

Once the ice moved on...the waterfowl was heavily in abundance. Canada geese, loons, ducks, and the odd Swan were making nests on the other side of the river mostly. Really good for viewing. We had some close up looks at a couple of loons as they were making themselves comfortable in our pool! I think I scared them so much they haven't returned there since.

Lots of woodpeckers this spring as well. Maybe I never paid as much attention to them in the past but they have been all over the place this spring. I think the bird feeders may have something to do with it.

There's always lots to see here at the River Gate Inn.

Happy Easter

Just a short and warm welcome for anyone reading this around Easter time. The RIver Gate Inn would like to wish everyone a happy and enjoyable Easter.

Spring is here - or is it?

This year has been a topsy-turvey spring as far as weather goes. We had a fantastic week of temperatures 6 or 7 degrees above normal with all the snow melting, the river breaking up and everything proceeding nicely. Then we dropped 7 or 8 degrees BELOW the normal temperatures and back into freezing - even a little snow. That was a few days ago and it seems like we are back on track to welcome in Spring. Now, I know that the spring river levels are a yearly topic but honestly, it has to be around here. There is a yearly concern for flooding and the ice dams around Selkirk this year show how quickly and easily the Red or Assiniboine rivers can flood. The weird temperatures may have provided a saving grace - not including those in Selkirk - as the river seems to be going down now. The odd combination of an early thaw and then back into freezing has given the river time to start flowing but now be overwhelmed with ALL the melting snow as there is still some left. There is an interesting sight though if you go down to the river you will see a full tree long since dead though, floating and wedged up against the ice that has built up as the river turns. It just seems oddly appropriate for this spring.

Garden Path Bed and Breakfast

On our way home from our weekend escape we managed to pop in and see a fantastic B & B in Neepawa, Manitoba. Garden Path Bed & Breakfast is owned and operated by George and Susan Phillips. This is a great Bed & Breakfast with lots of antiques and we were lucky enough to have been surprised with a lunch. Unexpected and fantastic! Quiche, avacodo and pecan salad and fresh baked biscuits! What a treat and a perfect way to set us off to Winnipeg - after a tour of the house of course. The feeling in the whole house is one of warmth and welcome so we can only imagine what it's like staying as guests. At this time of the year you can only imagine the garden in full bloom. Privately covered with trellises, a pond, flowers and an incredible variety of Lillies can only be fantastic in the summer! If you are ever in Neepawa and need a place to stay - consider giving them a call.

Law's Way and the Castle

While staying at Fairmount B & B, our host Susan suggested we ask to see the other B & B's in Minnedosa - Law's Way and The Castle. The Castle is a Queen Ann castle that has been converted into a Bed and Breakfast. Make sure to ask about the tunnel if you are going to view it! Our visit was brief as we caught Darryl and Pat just before dinner and didn't want to impose too much. They graciously showed us around and explained some of the renovation work they had undertaken.
Law's way was quite a treat as we managed to spend some time talking with Maxine and Doug Law, the owners and hosts. The house - which many of the locals know as Doctor Stevenson's (sp?) home, is filled with fantastic woodwork throughout and Doug has spent lots of time making improvements and restoring the Arts and Crafts style home. The finished plans sound spectacular and will only add to the grandeur of the home. There are a number of unique and special features of the home and Doug and Maxine have a great sense of style. Doug is a retired RCMP officer and is an extremely knowledgeable person about restoration and home construction.
Thanks for the time and the great tours.

Weekend Escape - Fairmount B & B!

Well, just to show that we are not hypocrites - Michelle and I had a fantastic weekend getaway staying at the Fairmount Bed and Breakfast in Minnedosa with our houst Susan Proven. We had a fantastic time in Susan's 1914 farm house located just north of Minnedosa. The atmosphere was relaxed and quiet, we had fantastic food prepared by Susan (she even treated us to some of her farm raised lamb for dinner one evening - excellent by the way!). We hope to make it back during the summer for an evening when Susan told us she would prepare some lake trout - raised and caught in her wetland area. We had fresh baked sun dried tomatoe bread along with fresh hot pumpkin muffins, grapefruit, frittata, locally grown rose hip tea and locally grown peppermint tea, fantastic red raspberry jam and gooseberry jam, a wonderful breakfast imported from Newfoundland among other things - all grown and prepared by Susan on her farm. IT WAS EXCELLENT! Michelle and I can imagine the atmosphere during the summer time when the lake has geese and birds in abundance, the sheep are grazing, and the sun is shining. We might head off to Riding Mountain National park after an incredible breakfast, play a round of golf, grab some lunch and head back to relax around the bonfire at night.
The rooms are cozy and Susan has incredible stories about the history of the area, the farm (four generations of Provens have owned the home), and local knowledge. Susan also recommended we check out some of the other B & B's in the area - which we did and that's another story. On our way out we decided we couldn't live without some of the homemade preserves Susan has for sale. Saskatoon berry jam and syrup, both of the jams we had for breakfast, pickles, Green Tomatoe Chow Chow (you need to try it to find out - awesome), and other jams, jellies and surprises. One thing you might want to ask about if you decide to stay there are the wool duvets handcrafted by Susan with the wool from her sheep! What a treat!

Updated Website

Our website has been something of an ongoing project since we took over the River Gate Inn. We are happy to say that there have been some great additions that people are finding helpful. The facts link adds information about Winnipeg, Manitoba and a bit about Canada as well. It was educational for me putting it together and its nice to hear that other people have been enjoying it as well. The latest addition to our website is the link to the story about Winnie-the-Pooh. Many people are aware that Winnie was named after Winnipeg and no one tells the story better than Peter Dennis' version on Pooh-Corner.com! They have graciously allowed us to use a copy of the story to help further preserve the story of Winnie-the-Pooh!

Cheers,
Keith Sanheim

Great day for a skate...

Finally, the cold weather seems to have passed - at least for now - and today is a great day to be in Winnipeg. The temperature is low (-7 I think), the sky is overcast but that helps keep the temperature warmer so it's ok, there is a light snow falling and the river is cleared of snow on the skating path and a new cover of water has just frozen...it's skating time! Some people jog and that's fine for the summer, but the winter is for skating and since the longest skating path in Canada is just behind the River Gate Inn it just seems like the right thing to do.

Das Femme

Here's a further update to the 9 ladies who stayed with us this past weekend for a girlfriends getaway. They are the singing group Das Femme from Brandon, Manitoba and they are excellent. I had the pleasure of hearing them warm up for their event today at one of the local Winnipeg churches. I first thought it was the radio and then once I realized it was our guests I was blown away! It was simply fantastic and I highly recommend that if the opportunity should present itself to hear them sing live, take advantage of it and go! A special treat and one of the reasons we find owning and operating a Bed and Breakfast to be so rewarding. We can't wait for them to come back!

Das Femme

Here's a further update to the 9 ladies who stayed with us this past weekend for a girlfriends getaway. They are the singing group Das Femme from Brandon, Manitoba and they are excellent. I had the pleasure of hearing them warm up for their event today at one of the local Winnipeg churches. I first thought it was the radio and then once I realized it was our guests I was blown away! It was simply fantastic and I highly recommend that if the opportunity should present itself to hear them sing live, take advantage of it and go! A special treat and one of the reasons we find owning and operating a Bed and Breakfast to be so rewarding. We can't wait for them to come back!

Girlfriends Weekend?

This weekend the RGI B and B welcomed a group of nine ladies from Brandon who needed a welcomed getaway. From what I saw, they certainly enjoyed themselves spending time in the games room - a little celebrating went on I think! Since they are all involved with singing, music was part of the evening events. We were happy to have them choose our Inn and hope they come back.

Great Grey Owl

Recently, this past week we saw a Great Grey Owl sitting on one of the trees. This is the provincial bird of Manitoba and apparently quite rare. This is not the first sighting of the Great Grey Owl on our property and we really didn't know how lucky we were until it was pointed out that they are not normally seen in this area by friends of ours. I asked if the beavers, racoons, squirrels, rabbits, piliated woodpeckers and such were also out of place. Apparently, not as rare as the owl. Slowly our guests are educating us on some of the fantatstic things about our home and our location. It never fails to amaze us how much we learn from our guests' knowledge and how willing they are to share it with us.

Skating on the Assiniboine River

The Assiniboine River now is the home to the longest stretch of skating in Canada and we are excited. It extends from the historic Forks all the way to just before the Maryland bridge - around 4.5 kms long! It is well maintained, cleared and flooded with a skate changing station just behind the River Gate Inn at the Hugo Street Docks. In addition to the skating path, there is a walking path that is frequented by joggers, bikers and people walking their dogs! It is a fantastic use of the river during the winter and has been a real hit with some of our guests.

Festival Du Voyageur

The largest winter carnival in western Canada is well underway. Despite colder than normal temperatures, the Festival Du Voyageur is still as popular as ever. Ice sculptures, traditional French Canadian foods, music and culture as well as nightly festivities are in full swing. Various activities at Fort Gibraltar and the Forks provide plenty for visitors to do. My personal favorites are the ice sculptures. Every year they are different and there is no end to the creativity these artists have.