Ozzie's Osborne Motor Inn- The cheapest place to stay in Winnipeg that isn't a downright flophouse. What makes it attractive, aside from its modest prices (Apx $34 per night CDN in 1994) is its proximity to Osborne Avenue and its assortment of shops, restaurants and clubs.

A mile or so walk up Osborne Avenue takes you to Portage Place and from there to Hargrave Avenue or Main Street, where you can hang out at The Forks.

Ambience: The place is sort of a dump. It smells kind of cigaretty, but Ozzie the owner is a sweetheart who will lock up your valuables in his liquor room if you ask, and the price is right for travellers on a budget. It also has its own coffee shop, although I never ate there. Rooms come supplied with television and phone as well as bed, tub and toilet. Since the establishment also includes its own nightclub, you have built in entertainment. I stayed there the Saturday before Halloween in 1994 while waiting to fly north and join a package tour in Churchill, and some people were walking up and down the halls howling like werewolves. I enjoy a touch of eccentricity, but many do not. For the sake of saving money, I would probably stay there again if I planned to spend more than a night or two in Winnipeg. There are better things on which to spend money than lodging, in my opinion.

But if I were inclined to be lavish in my lodging, I'd go to Hotel Fort Garry. This lovely old renovated building is ultra classy, with statuary and balconies, located in a pleasant quiet neighborhood within easy walking distance of The Forks/The Exchange/Portage Place and Hargrave Avenues and a slightly longer walk to Osborne Avenue. Walking to all of the above is possible although a bit tiring.