I haven't been to Manitoba.
I've been to the west side, and sorta the east side...kinda missed out on the middle.
(Made the mistake of going through the middle of America instead...on Amtrak. What a mistake that was. They need no bailout money imo.)
EDIT: I believe any city would be hard pressed to be more of a run down dilapidated slum than Baltimore. DC is just sad. Sure, you're safe near anything historic, but unless its a pro-constitution monument (which aren't visited), you have to be stripped and probed at ridiculous metal detectors to get in. Makes me feel really safe.
The "capital" of Canada, Toronto, was far cooler. The CN tower even has a cool elevator and an excuse for not letting you take stairs...something the Washington Monument and Old Post Office tower in DC Land do not.
(Yes, I know that Ottawa is the capital of Canada...one of the few south of the 49th)