The Queen talks Tuesday with members of the Manitoba Corgi Association during a visit to Winnipeg. Photo: Adrian Wyld/CP

Winnipeg — The Queen arrived in Canada's heartland Tuesday to throngs of fans who waved flags and offered flowers to deliver a warm welcome under a cold, grey sky.

Thousands jammed the Forks, a park and market at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, to welcome the Queen and Prince Philip at the latest stop on their 12-day Canadian tour.

Please see:
• Manley jokes as PM defends him on monarchy

Backgrounder: Royal Visit 2002

With Manitoba Premier Gary Doer at her side, the Queen walked through the crowd in near-freezing temperatures, accepting bouquets of flowers from scores of children and adults.

"I just wanted to come out and pay my respects to Her Majesty," said one woman, Andrea Smith, clutching a bouquet of flowers.

Another man, sporting a top hat draped in the design of the British flag, held up a sign saying, Thank You for 50 Years of Service.

Seven Manitoba corgis, the Queen's favourite breed of dog, and their lucky owners were given a prime location along the Queen's path and she stopped to chat.

"We are delighted at the number of people that have shown their respect and turned up here today," Mr. Doer said in a speech to the Queen and the crowd.

"In celebrating your 50 years as our Queen, we are paying tribute to our future. Many of the people that are here today are the young people. The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow and we are proud to celebrate your accomplishments as our Queen."

There was one hitch in the afternoon festivities.

As the Queen and Prince Philip made their way across the Red River to St. Boniface in a water taxi, the boat broke down and had to be towed the rest of the way.

The mishap forced the Queen to climb across into the second boat so she could get ashore.

"That was interesting," she told water taxi owner Gordon Cartwright as she left.

From there, Prince Philip went to the Fairmont Winnipeg Hotel to present Duke of Edinburgh's certificates to support the personal and social development of young people aged 14-25.

He apologized to the parents and award recipients for keeping them waiting, earning a laugh when he told them about the boat incident and the other delays they had encountered.

"I think the Queen was given every flower in Winnipeg this afternoon," he said. "It took a lot of time."

There was also an evening of performances by Manitoba musicians ranging from the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra to singer Loreena McKennitt. The event was to be capped off with the Queen flipping a switch on spotlights to illuminate the refurbished Golden Boy statue atop the Manitoba legislature.

This is the Queen's fifth trip to Winnipeg since 1951, when she first visited the city as a princess. Her last visit was in 1984.

Tuesday was the latest stop on the cross-country royal tour to mark the Queen's 50 years on the throne.

After beginning the tour Friday in Nunavut, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh flew to Victoria.

In Vancouver, she walked alongside retired hockey great Wayne Gretzky before dropping the ceremonial pre-game puck between the captains of the Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks.

In a brief speech Monday, the country's 76-year-old monarch saluted Canada and talked about the bond she has forged with Canadians.

"I treasure my place in the life of Canada and my bond with Canadians everywhere," she said.

B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell said he got to know another side of the Queen during his time with her.

"You can't help when you're on a walkabout with her to see the people. They are trembling in their excitement and their warmth and the love they feel for Her Majesty, and they [the royal couple] give it back," Mr. Campbell said.

The royal tour heads to Toronto on Wednesday, then on to New Brunswick before wrapping up in Ottawa.

Along with Golden Boy, other tour highlights for the Queen include watching a CBC retrospective in Toronto to mark the broadcaster's 50th anniversary, visits to Fredericton and Moncton, and a moment of silence at the national war memorial in Ottawa.

The tour has not been without controversy.

Deputy Prime Minister John Manley came under fire Friday when he suggested Canada should sever its ties with the monarchy and perhaps look for a made-in-Canada head of state.

Winnipeg also saw some monarchist fireworks when local councillors approved a plan to rename two bridges in the city after the Queen in honour of her visit.

Some residents didn't want to lose the history attached to the names and launched a petition against the idea.

The outpouring of protest prompted the monarch's private secretary to suggest a compromise. Now, the short stretch of road between the bridges is being renamed Queen Elizabeth Way.

As well, a crowd of about 150 aboriginal protesters marched to the Manitoba legislature Tuesday afternoon.

While insisting that the protest was not a sign of disrespect, the group said they intended to shed light on Ottawa's poor track record in the treatment of First Nations communities.