By Anil Patel

The day after a Timeraiser can be a bit of bummer sometimes. With so much build up before the event, energy required to get through the evening, then finding the extra energy to get everything into storage the following morning is like experiencing an emotional hangover.

I thought the day after the Winnipeg Timeraiser was not going to be any exception to that rule. Especially considering it meant spending a Saturday morning unloading all the supplies, solo. (Can you hear the little violins playing?) However, after getting everything into storage, doing inventory, and then dropping off the van, an unusual instinct kicked in. It was my mini Forest Gump response: I started to walk. And walk. And walk. For nearly 6 hours in and around downtown Winnipeg.

And Winnipeg completely surprised me.

• [Good] 2:30 pm – Happened to stumble across the 9th Open Doors Winnipeg, giving people access to unique opportunities to explore over 30 heritage buildings.
  
  
• [Bad] 3:00 pm – Walking by the Cummings theatre in the Exchange area, two EMS attendants were tending to a teenager passed out in a back alley.
  
  
• [Good] 3:30 pm – Had a coffee in the Winnipeg Public Library, and witnessed a stranger go out of his way to open the door for a women confined to a wheelchair.
  
  
• [Bad] 3:45 pm – Walking past Windsor Hotel, saw a shit-faced old man, fall over several times. Two woman walked up to  him to help, but he swung his arms aimlessly.
  
  
• [Good] 4:30 pm – ‘Hung out’ at The Forks watching some of the Skate"4"Cancer Festival. Tons of kids and families hanging out.
  
  
• [Bad] 5:00 pm – Went online to look up when the Canadian Museum of Human Rights is supposed to open. Found out there are lots of delays and controversy. On the home page news section, the board chair wrote a response to a Winnipeg Free Press story on cost overruns.
  
  
• [Good] 5:30 pm – Continued to walk around the Forks, and there was so much amazing activity going on, especially in the kids activity area.
  
  
• [Good] 7:00 pm – Made my way over to the Winnipeg Art Gallery, where the Norman Rockwell exhibit was such a hit, the WAG extended the show and exhibit hours.
  
  
• [Good] 8:00 pm – Toured Plug-In Gallery. Chatted with Winnipeg Artist Michael Benjamin Brown, who was also staffing the gallery until close. He asked what I was doing in town. I explained. He hadn’t heard of the Timeraiser, but loved the way we authentically support artists.

What am I rambling about? For me, today was a rare opportunity to take advantage of a free schedule. It was so amazing to walk in whatever direction a streetlight directed me. It provided a let the sights and sounds draw me in one direction to the next in a city I really like.

Winnipeg is awesome. While it often gets so much bad press, it has way more good things going for it than most people give it credit.