Skaters hit the Assiniboine River for the first time in years

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This article was published 09/01/2017 (3512 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For the first time in three years, Winnipeggers skaters can zip up the Assiniboine River.

The Red River Mutual Trail officially opened for another season on Monday and Forks spokeswoman Chelsea Thomson said, this year, the Assiniboine River ice froze the way it was needed to let crews create a skating trail on the Assiniboine, something that hasn’t happened on that section of river since 2014.

“There have been quite a few skaters already on the trail – I’m always impressed by the hardiness of Winnipeggers,” she said.

Thomson said skaters had been restricted in recent years to just the area in front of The Forks and the Red River, but once again skaters can now glide 1.3 kilometres up the Assiniboine to the Osborne Bridge.

Skaters can also go more than half a kilometre down the Red River to the Norwood Bridge.

Brian Esau, president and CEO of Red River Mutual, said in a statement his company is pleased to again be the titled sponsor of the trail.

“Like the Red River Mutual Trail itself, Red River Mutual is uniquely Manitoban and we are proud to be a part of something that truly embodies what it means to live on the Prairies,” Esau said.

Thomson said they’re hoping that if Mother Nature co-operates, crews can push the trail further up the Assiniboine River.

“Our hope is we can go that far (to Arlington Street),” she said.

“And on the Red River, we’ll probably go as far as Churchill Drive… our goal is to always build further and longer, but sometimes maintenance of the trail takes precedence.”

Thomson said warming huts from previous years are already being set out beside the ice trail and later this month the winners from this year’s hut competition will be taking their place there.

To check skating conditions, go to theforks.com/skate

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca