We are excited to welcome you to Heartland to study English! Before you arrive here in Canada, we thought you might find some of this information useful. See you soon!
In case you haven’t yet –
Pay your application and accommodation placement fee to secure your spot!
Apply for your travel visa (student, work or tourist)
Tell us if you need health insurance from Heartland, or which kind you have already
…let us know your…
Flight plan and if you need an airport pick up
If you need homestay and what you prefer
Common Canadian words to know:
“Winnipegger” A person from Winnipeg or living in Winnipeg.
“Toque” A fitted hat made from wool to wear in the winter.
“Mittens” These keep your hands warm in the winter. Like gloves, but without fingers.
“Hoodie” A cotton sweater with a hood and without buttons or a zipper.
eTA – What you need to know
There are now new entry requirements for coming to Canada. Every person must have an Electronic Travel Authorization. To find out more information, please check here: New Entry Requirements
What you cannot bring to Canada
There are a lot of things to think about and prepare for when you are planning your trip to Canada. To help you plan, here is a good website which explains what you should get ready, and what you are not allowed to bring into Canada:
What to pack in your suitcase and wear in Canada – season temperatures
| Season | Temperature Range | What to wear outside |
|
Winter November –March |
-10.9°C (12.3°F) on average falling to -21.2°C (-6.2°F)
It can be very cold outside, it is best to prepare by wearing different layers of clothing. The thermometer may say it’s -15°C but something called the “Windchill” will affect how cold it feels outside. |
Pants, snow pants, sweaters, good winter coat, scarf, hat, mittens/gloves, and good winter boots with grip on the bottom for walking |
|
Spring April – May |
8.9°C (48°F) generally in the afternoon with overnight lows of -3.4°C (25.9°F)
It can still be cold in the mornings and evenings in the early spring, so layers again are good. |
pants, sweaters, t-shirts, long sleeved shirts, rain coat/warm coat, hat, scarf, rain boots with grip for walking
|
|
Summer June – August |
24.8°C (76.6°F) and average low temperatures are 11.8°C (53.3°F) 26°C to 32°C can occur a few days in July.
It can get very hot during the day, and because we are in the prairies, we have a lot of sunshine, which is nice, but be cautious because you can get a sunburn easily outside. All buildings have air conditioning, so going inside on a hot day is a good way to cool down. Remember to also keep hydrated!
|
t-shirts, light layers, pants, shorts, good walking shoes, sandals, hat for sun, sunscreen |
|
Autumn (Fall) September – October |
9.8°C (49.7°F) during the day and lows of -1°C (30.2°F)
It is usually still quite warm in September and the beginning of October. Summer time clothes are often still worn during this time. By November, we start to get snow, and do it is good to have some winter weather clothes for this time.
|
pants, sweaters, t-shirts, long sleeved shirts, rain coat/warm coat, hat, scarf, rain boots with grip for walking |
Meet the teachers and staff of Heartland
Here are the people you will get to know when you arrive in Winnipeg!
What is your first day REALLY like?
Between 8:30am – 8:45am
You should arrive at the school. We will take you on a quick tour of the school.
9:00am
You will take our language placement test. It is nothing to be scared of! It is a listening; reading and writing test which helps us determine the right English class level for you. You cannot fail this test, and it does not count towards and grades or future class work. It is only a placement test.
10:45am
Test is over and you have a 15 minute break
11:00am
We will meet back in the same room you had your test in and go over Orientation information about the city, the school, and other things you should know. Then we take your picture for a student ID card and take you on a short tour of our school neighbourhood.
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Lunch break. If you bring a lunch, you can eat in any of the classrooms (and meet your fellow students!) If you need to buy lunch, we can help you to find a place in the area.
1:00pm – 3:00pm
If you are in the Full-Time Intensive program or the Super-Intensive program, you will go to your afternoon class according to the level you tested into. Don’t worry, we will help you find your classroom.
What grocery stores are like in Canada
There will be grocery stores within driving and maybe walking distance of your homestay. Your homestay family will be happy to go grocery shopping with you if you would like to look at the food available to buy.
What Pharmacies are like in Canada
If you need to find a pharmacy to fill a prescription from a doctor, you can go to the following places:
PharmaPlus
Shoppers Drug Mart
Superstore
Rexall
Walmart
Safeway
Independent Pharmacies
Many of these options are grocery stores, multipurpose department stores and many of them are open late if not 24 hours a day. These places will also sell non-prescription medicine like cough and flu medicine, Band-Aids, allergy medicine, and all other things you might need.
What foods are popular in Canada?
Canada is very multicultural and so we have lots of different restaurant options which have dishes from all over the world. Some very popular things that people in Winnipeg like to eat:
Perogies –Polish and Ukrainian food which is like a potato and cheese dumpling
Cabbage Rolls – Polish and Ukrainian cabbage leaves rolled with fillings of ground meat and tomato sauce
Poutine – a Canadian food invented in Quebec which is French fries, cheese curds and gravy
Split Pea Soup – made with ham and green peas. A smooth creamy soup
Bannock – Aboriginal dense bread made from grain and cut into wedges
Bison stew/burgers – Manitoba Bison mean is very nutritious and leaner than beef.
Pickerel – Local fish from Manitoba often lightly breaded and fried. Pickerel cheeks are the best part!
Tourtiere – French Canadian ground meat based pie
Rye Bread – Bread made from Manitoban Rye grain. Recommended brand is KUB
Lumpia – Filipino deep fried or baked spring rolls
Honey Dill Sauce – Popular dipping sauce for chicken fingers and sweet potato fries
Bus system in Winnipeg
The best way to plan your bus route in Winnipeg is to use the Navigo Trip Planner
The bus system in Winnipeg is very effective and the buses go all over the city.
There are also 3 free buses called the “Downtown Spirit” buses which run from 11am until 3:30pm on weekdays and 11am until 5:30pm on Saturday and 12:00pm until 5:30pm on Sunday. This is a great way to get to and from Winnipeg’s main downtown attractions like The Forks, The Shaw Park Baseball park, The Exchange District, The Winnipeg Art Gallery and The Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
Fun things to do in Winnipeg
There are lots of indoor and outdoor activities to do in Winnipeg. There are some exciting things that happen in the Summer and Winter that are a lot of fun! Here are some examples:
Outdoor:
Summer:
Music, Culture and Theatre festivals
The Winnipeg Zoo (Journey to Churchill Polar Bear Exhibit)
Culture Days
Dance and musical performances at The Forks
Assiniboine Park bike trails, movies in the park, picnics and concerts
Winter:
Cultural Festivals and activities
Ice Skating on the river at The Forks
Club d’escalade de Sait-Boniface
Indoor (anytime):
Canadian Museum for Human Rights
Local and international “Indie” bands and music shows are very popular as Winnipeg is a great city for music, culture and art. Some great places to try if you like this kind of show are:
The Goodwill
Burton Cummings Theatre
The Park Theatre
West End Cultural Centre (WECC)
The King’s Head Pub
The Pyramid
The Garrick Theatre
Click here to see more ideas!
More fun things to do in Winnipeg
Take our fun Canada quiz!
