On reading the title of this post one might assume I’m crazy. Or just not very fond of Winnipeg. Both things couldn’t be further from the truth. I have nothing against Winnipeg. I like Winnipeg. In fact, one of my best friends lives there, so automatically it’s high on the list of places I like by association. I also like to think I’m not a crazy person.
I made my last trip out to Winnipeg in August. My friend gave me a tour of Winnipeg Beach, we ate some amazing pizza at a place called, wait for it… The Pizza Place, and stayed up late watching Netflix and making s’mores at her family’s cottage. It rained on us for most of the weekend, but it was warm(ish), and I had a great time exploring Winnipeg’s “cottage country” which is conveniently only about a 25 minute drive from the city.
I took some photos:
Good times, right? If you like cute, old-timey places full of diners and shops with “curiosities” this is the place to visit. Very much cottage country, and I bet it’s really nice when the sun is out and you can actually chill on the beach.
The thing is, I’ve only ever been there in the summer. I don’t know if you’ve ever traveled to Winnipeg in the middle of winter, but I’ve heard the stories. Of -50C weather. Of eyes freezing shut in the wind. Maybe you’ve even seen that Youtube video where a guy throws a bucket of hot water outside and it freezes in little icy bits before it hits the ground. If you own a parking space in a garage, or at a condo or other kind of residence, it comes with a little outlet. Not for power tools or to charge your phone or other appliances, but for your car — which also has a plug so your battery won’t die while it sits in the frigid cold overnight. They don’t call it Winter-peg for nothing, people.
These are not things I actively seek out for any reason, let alone what I look for when choosing a travel destination. I like to think I am a good friend though, so I last night I booked a flight for a weekend in January.
As it turns out, there’s a lot to do in Winnipeg in the winter (or so I am told).
- There’s a Thermal Spa you can visit with hot and cold pools that are supposed to be good for your circulation if you use them one after the other. I’ve never willingly jumped into a pool of ice cold water, but hey it’s an experience, right?
- You can go tobogganing at The Forks, rent some skates and go skating on the trails, or stay inside and shop the markets for sugary snacks and warm drinks.
- Also at The Forks is an art competition that takes place at the end of January called Warming Huts where artists and architects construct a hut that people can later go inside to get out of the cold while they explore the trails. Whether they actually keep you warm I couldn’t tell you.
- If you like to learn new things while you’re on vacay (and who doesn’t), you can visit the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, or the Royal Canadian Mint to learn about our country’s human rights, and how coins are made, respectively.
- Go curling. There is a curling club in Winnipeg Beach. You all saw the photo. 🙂
- Watch a Jets game at the MTS Centre. Because, hockey.
- Polar-bear sightings (Just kidding. Unless you’re talking about the crazies that go for a swim in the freezing water, there aren’t actually polar bears in Winnipeg. You have to travel much further north to Churchill to see them).
My plan is to choose one outdoor activity and spend the rest of the time hibernating inside where I can eat all the things and drink all the drinks under a blanket. But maybe I will get lucky and this mild winter we’re having will translate into -20C weather while I’m there as opposed to -40C…
Have you ever been to Winnipeg? In the winter? I stuggle when temperatures get into the single digits, let alone negatives, so if your answer is yes — please share how you deal with the cold in the comments. If no, please send some warm thoughts my way. I’ll likely need them!
-C
