This is one of many elm trees alongside the Red River along the North Winnipeg Parkway. I was in Winnipeg for a conference with peace studies academics, many who were American. Twice on the weekend Americans had noted that elm trees were gone where they lived due to the disease.

There were many interesting trees alongside this parkway, one which I will dedicate another entry to, and others that were positioned alongside the water much like a willow would be in Ontario.

Like many urban centres, there are not many trees in the downtown of Winnipeg, except alongside the river. There was, however, a healthy number of still-standing "heritage" buildings in the core. This was nice to see, in contrast to Hamilton where most of these have been torn down, and replaced by parking lots.

While it makes sense to plan to have green spaces in difficult-to-develop areas of an urban plan -- such as an escarpment, or river -- it should be compulsory to set aside some space that is able to be developed. Not for future development, but for better understanding as-to the natural state of the surrounding developed area.

Naturalized areas should not only be a privilige for suburbia.