Winnipeg to Brandon - The Royal Canadian Mint

We slept in and finally got around to having breakfast at Tim Horton's which is a Canadian chain restaurant that is a mash-up of Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks and Paneras.  We got some donuts and coffee before heading off to The Royal Canadian Mint.  There we were amazed to learn about modern minting techniques.  The mint has even developed a coin that glows in the dark.  We also learned that the Winnipeg mint produces coinage for numerous foreign countries.  Over 75 countries have had contracts with the mint and billions of foreign coins have been shipped from Winnipeg to locations around the world.  Carla learned what a "loonie'" and "toonie" were.  Dwayne got to heft a gold bar which at today's spot market was valued at more the $700,000 Canadian.  Of course, there was a guard standing by to make sure no one did more than heft the bullion.  We had a great guide and enjoyed our tour.  We made a stop at Portage la Prairie to visit the heritage park there.  It was also interesting with numerous historic buildings collected from the local area to depict life from the late 19th to mid-20th Century.  We neglected to take any pictures.  It was worth the visit.

Royal Canadian Mint - Winnipeg

This Gold Bar Would Make a Nice Addition to Dwayne's Retirement Fund