Bundle up, get active

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/01/2022 (1744 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Here we go again. The only thing more disheartening than a pandemic winter is a second pandemic winter with record-breaking case counts and weeks of frostbite-inducing temperatures. Yet, here we are, again, so we might as well do our darnedest to embrace this seasonal déjà vu.

Luckily for Winnipeggers, there are plenty of cold-weather activities to indulge in at the moment — waterways are frozen, trails are tracked and there’s more white stuff than city plows know what to do with. Compared to the last few years of late snow and little precipitation, we’re living in a veritable winter wonderland. That in itself is worth celebrating.

So instead of wallowing in anxiety and lack of sunlight (two very valid reasons for feeling low right now), let’s don our longest johns, wrap ourselves in all things wool and lean into our station as winter city residents. Besides, it’ll be summer before we know it.

Keep reading for five local activities — and a healthy dose of alliteration — to make the next few months a little more tolerable.

Skating

The first leg of the Nestaweya River Trail, which means “three points” in Cree, opened last week at The Forks. This year’s skating route will be accompanied by walking, biking and cross-country ski trails with additional sections cleared on the Red and Assiniboine rivers as ice conditions permit.

Arctic Glacier Winter Park is also open with a rink under the canopy and icy trails running through the grounds. Hockey and figure skates can be rented inside The Forks Market and visitors can add a little warmth to their outdoor adventure by booking a private session with Sauna Winnipeg, which has set up shop for a second year on the lower level of the patio.

Residents along the Assiniboine have once again set up their own river rendezvous. The so-called Wolseley Winter Wonderland stretches between the Maryland Bridge and Omand’s Creek and includes an ice bar and other frosty accoutrements. To the west, near Hugo Street, the helix walking path has cropped up again with ice lanterns, poetry installations and yoga sessions.

City-operated pleasure rinks and skating ponds at Kildonan Park, Harbourview Recreation Complex and St. Vital Park as well as the Assiniboine Park duck pond, are open to the public. Most indoor warm-up shelters, however, remain closed.

Skiing

Cross-country or downhill, it’s open season for ski enthusiasts. Springhill Winter Park has been closed intermittently due to extreme cold over the last few weeks, but a warmer forecast bodes well for the slopes just past the Perimeter (visit springhillwinterpark.com for daily updates). The hill has a handful of runs, a terrain section, bunny hill and tubing park. Equipment rentals and lessons are available for skiers and snowboarders. The Cross Country Ski Association of Manitoba regularly updates its website (ccsam.ca) with trail locations and conditions across the province. There are dozens of city parks, private greenspaces and golf courses in Winnipeg with groomed cross country ski trails. Windsor Park Nordic Centre, located at the Windsor Park Golf Course, is maintained by the association and features eight kilometres of classic and skate skiing trails, as well as equipment rentals and lit night skiing. Trail passes can be purchased at windsorparknordic.ca or inside the clubhouse.

Snowshoeing

Almost any hiking trail or stretch of open snow can be turned into a snowshoe path, making it a versatile way to take in the great outdoors.

FortWhyte Alive has guided snowshoe sessions every weekend led by a volunteer interpreter and there are suitable trails throughout Birds Hill Park — just remember to steer clear of groomed cross country ski routes.

You can also head to Beaudry, La Barriere and Assiniboine parks or Churchill Drive for a few hours of tromping through the snow.

Locally, Wilderness Supply and Kendricks Outdoor Adventures both offer snowshoe rentals by the day or hour.

Sledding

Winnipeg may be a quintessentially flat Prairie city, but there are plenty of hills to hurdle down.

Westview Park, a.k.a. Garbage Hill, has some of the highest urban elevation in the city and a wickedly fun toboggan run as a result. Natural sledding spots can also be found in Civic and Victoria Jason parks, as well as Harbourview Recreation Complex.

The city maintains winter slides at Bunn’s Creek, Crescent Drive, Kildonan and St. Vital Park — the latter features an award-winning fully-accessible toboggan slide for mobility aid users. FortWhyte Alive has a man-made sled slide and Assiniboine Park has a dedicated toboggan hill near its nature playground suitable for younger thrill-seekers.

Sipping

If you need extra motivation to get outside, work a hot treat into your winter excursion.

The Exchange District’s Hot Beverage Week wrapped up last month with Cake-ology taking home the top prize for its ruby hot chocolate. The Arthur Street bakery also has a wide array of pastries to pair with a warm drink.

Over in St. Boniface, Diaspora Café’s menu features a selection of caffeinated beverages made with locally roasted Ethiopian coffee beans, as well as a spiced mocha and cocoa tea. Never Better Coffee recently opened in the Riley Grae gift shop on Corydon and Seven Café is a relatively new addition to the Wall Street strip.

Decadence Chocolate and Chocolatier Constance Popp make hot chocolate bombs to enjoy at home and Amsterdam Tea Room has a large menu of boozy hot toddies.

eva.wasney@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @evawasney