Get out on the ‘Coldest Night of the Year’

St. Vital

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/11/2025 (287 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, will be the “Coldest Night of the Year.”

Well, it’s hard to say what the exact forecast will be, but it is safe to assume the last day of February will be one of the coldest. However, what makes that date really special is that it is when thousands of people across Canada will walk their neighbourhoods in support of charities that help those struggling with food insecurity, poverty, and homelessness.

One such charity is St. Boniface Street Links, which will be running a Coldest Night of the Year walk for the fifth year, once again in partnership with Holy Cross Church (252 Dubuc St)

To participate, attendees create or join a walking team and fundraise from their personal and professional networks for thewalk. Teams gather at their chosen hub (in this case, Holy Cross Church) for registration and a warm beverage before setting out on their journey.

Two routes will be available on the night, a shorter, two-kilometre walk and a longer, five-kilometre route. This year, both routes will meander through Norwood and Old St. Boniface, beginning and ending at Holy Cross. In past years, some have even chosen to pursue their own satellite routes off site, such as skating the River Trail, or cross-country skiing in Birds Hill Provincial Park.

Street Links, for those who don’t know, is an organization which serves those struggling with homelessness and addiction. Founded in 2015 with a focus on St. Boniface, it has expanded its services to most of East Winnipeg, and today it reaches across the entire city. In addition to the groundbreaking community-based addictions recovery program at Morberg House on Provencher, Street Links also operates its renowned mobile outreach team, which makes contact with those living rough or experiencing crisis, and works to house them and connect them to addictions treatment.

Street Links is overwhelmingly funded by private donors and is a registered charity. It also achieves extraordinary outcomes, having housed nearly 1,400 people over the last two years.

Coldest Night of the Year is a fun, family friendly opportunity to build community and support the vital work of Street Links. Teams can register for Street Links’ CNOY walk at cnoy.org/location/winnipegstboniface