Unreal rentals for the River Trail
There’s plenty of other ways to get around on the Nestaweya River Trail. Kendrick’s Outdoor Adventures is located right at The Forks Harbour, offering a host of options like brand new ice bikes for adults, ice trikes for kids, and snowshoes and fat tire bikes for those looking to really get active. For a Scandinavian-inspired experience, kicksleds are available for rent from Type Eh Bikes, along with snowshoes and fat tire bikes, with rentals often brought to you and picked up onsite, depending on where you are in the city.
Windsor Park Nordic Centre
For more than 30 years cross-country enthusiasts have enjoyed the 15 km of groomed trails—fit for both classic and skate technique—at Windsor Park Nordic Centre. If you’re new to ski trails, the recreational facility offers ski rentals and instructions to suit all skill levels. Night skiers will relish the lighted trails while the rustic clubhouse always beckons with hot chocolate and camaraderie around the fireplace.
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Festival du Voyageur
Giant snow sculptures, historical re-enactments and maple syrup on everything (including snow...). These are just a couple of the things that make Festival du Voyageur so great. Western Canada’s largest winter festival celebrates the region’s fur-trading, Métis and Francophone history with huge tents where live music plays day and night and the French food flows like fiddle solos during the jigging contests. (There’s also contests for beard-growing, wood carving, cheese carving and the marquee pea soup contest). Donne your ceinture fléchée because Festival du Voyageur takes place Feb. 16-25, 2024. Hé-Ho!
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Snowshoeing & Ice Fishing at FortWhyte Alive
Tramp along seven kilometres of softly groomed trails past frozen lakes where you can catch a fish (just borrow a pole, tackle box and ice auger from the Interpretive Centre) at FortWhyte Alive. This huge 640-acre area features picturesque aspen forests that are home to winter birds, deer and the Sod House, where interpreters often spin yarns about the lives of early settlers. Bonfires can be found throughout FortWhyte Alive’s grounds, allowing you to bake bannock or roast marshmallows over the flames.
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Hockey
Even by Canadian standards, the city’s love of puck is borderline cultish. Between the outrageous (and often comedic) chants during Winnipeg Jets games and the roof-rattling boom of “True North” during the national anthem, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better atmosphere than Winnipeg to watch NHL hockey. Our AHL Manitoba Moose also call Canada Life Centre home, offering an affordable, fun and family friendly atmosphere as the Moose pursue the Calder Cup.
Ice Skating
There’s nothing more “winter in Winnipeg” than gliding along man-made trails and frozen bodies of water right in the city on skates. The Forks’ Winter Park has over 1 km of on land trails that will see you skating past the WINNIPEG sign and right over the Assiniboine River via the Rail Bridge. From The Forks Harbour, glide down the Nestaweya River Trail, where wonderful and whacky Warming Huts dot the trails along the Red and Assiniboine Rivers. The city is also chock-full of ponds and small bodies of water that make for perfect skating surfaces in winter. This includes Assiniboine Park’s Riley Family Duck Pond, St. Vital Park’s Duck Pond, and FortWhyte Alive’s small lakes. Plus, there’s countless community centres that always have freshly flooded sheets ready for shinny.
The world's largest snow maze
The world’s largest snow maze can be found just outside of Winnipeg in St. Adolphe, MB. This year's maze at A Maze in Corn is 53 per cent larger than last year's Guinness World Record holder, and it features a huge 20-foot-tall snow cathedral in the middle with 20,000 lbs of carved ice. You will also find snow sculptures and firepits throughout the maze, which takes approximately 45 min to navigate. This winter, the maze is open Thursday to Sunday.
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Saint Boniface Ice Climbing Tower
Winnipeg may not boast any mountains, but that doesn’t mean adventure can’t reach lofty heights in winter. The ice tower at Club de Escalade de St. Boniface rises 20 metres high, providing clear views of the downtown skyline as you attempt an icy ascent. It is North America's original free-standing ice climbing tower, looking like a frozen waterfall on the banks of the Red River while providing an experience suitable for both beginner and advanced climbers.
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Thermea by Nordik Spa-Nature
Relax in thermal pools under a snow-laden sky at Winnipeg’s premiere outdoor spa. When it comes to total relaxation and rejuvenation, Thermëa has thought of it all. Its facility features steam rooms, Finnish saunas, relaxation chambers, heated hammocks and numerous fire pits too, while the Rësto’s farm-to-table holistic fare (along with a great wine, craft cocktail and local beer list) can be enjoyed in your robe! Be sure to utilize the Icebër waterfall before heading into the largest sauna for a signature Aufguss ritual.
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Sledding
While Winnipeg might not be known for its elevation, the city is in fact brimming with sliding hills, toboggan slides, and spots where you can catch some speed. For fancy architecturally pleasing slides built for speed, check out FortWhyte Alive’s Richardson Rrrun, St. Vital Park’s Manitoboggan slide, or Kildonan Park’s two slides. For locally loved sliding hills, there’s Harbourview Recreation Complex, Civic Park, Victoria Jason Park, and the classic –– Garbage Hill.
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