Here in Winnipeg, we don’t just embrace winter—we hug it tight with two gloved hands—and make it one of the most creative cities you’ve ever seen.
TIME magazine called us one of the “World’s Greatest Places” and here are just 20 reasons why you’ll want to experience Winnipeg this winter.
- See why The New York Times, Forbes, Smithsonian Magazine and Travel + Leisure are all raving about WAG-Qaumajuq. The Winnipeg Art Gallery’s $65-million new art centre is a showcase for the world’s largest collection of Inuit art, all set in a magnificent snowdrift-looking setting that pays homage to the Arctic landscape.
- Skate the city! The Nestaweya River Trail presented by the Winnipeg Foundation is now open at The Forks, giving you the chance to glide up and down the Red and Assiniboine Rivers past Warming Huts inspired by an international design competition that melds world-class design and art with Winnipeg’s famous winters.
- Meet the stars of television’s CBC’s Arctic Vets! The hit show is shot at Assiniboine Park Zoo, where the award-winning Journey to Churchill exhibit features polar bears that swim over your head! Plus, there are harbour seals, snowy owls, muskox and more!
- Unwind at Thermëa by Nordik Spa-Nature. The city’s Scandinavian-inspired outdoor spa contains thermal pools, relaxation chambers, heated hammocks, a huge sauna and tranquil steam rooms. Within its excellent Rësto you can even dine in your robe!
- Try to navigate the world’s largest snow maze! This year’s icy labyrinth 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.
Thermëa Spa (Image: Mike Peters)
- Ski, skate and snowshoe the city! Windsor Park Nordic Centre provides an expansive, lit and groomed experience, while the Winnipeg Trails Association’s WinterPeg website will guide you to all the niche routes around the city—many featuring a mobile ski library.
- Practice your pirouettes on a pond and then make it a picnic! Assiniboine Park’s Riley Family Duck Pond provides a picturesque setting that is serviced by the Park Café. Kildonan Park’s duck pond features cool lights by local artist Takashi Iwasaki called Bokeh and is located right underneath the Prairie’s Edge eatery. At St. Vital Park, you can skate figure eights around tree-lined islands (but you’ll need to pack your own snacks).
- Get steamy at The Forks with the return of sauna|Winnipeg. This year, the wood-burning saunas have been created by Sputnik Architecture, with a cool design that will melt your stresses away. It’s a great way to cap off a skate through The Forks’ Arctic Glacier Park, which also features the Winnipeg-made game crokicurl.
The Forks Market (Image: The Forks North Portage Partnership)
- Celebrate the region’s fur trade, Métis, and Francophone history amongst giant snow sculptures at Festival du Voyageur (Feb 18-27). Western Canada’s largest winter festival is combining outdoor in-person events with all manner of virtual musical performances to ensure we can still can get our jig on.
- Discover a winter wonderland at FortWhyte Alive where snowshoeing, skiing, skating, ice fishing, birding and tobogganing on one impressive slide are all on the menu.
- Explore the city’s breweries. With 22 breweries now operating in Winnipeg (the vast majority have taprooms), there’s no shortage of spots to get your fill of sours, IPAs and saisons.
- Did someone say shopping? You know the city is always calling with CF Polo Park—where you’ll find Anthro, Apple, Aritizia and many more great brands from A to Z, along with Outlet Collection Winnipeg—home to 100 big fashion brands. Plus, don’t miss our hip hoods (The Exchange District, Corydon Avenue, Academy Road, Osborne Village) each provide unique local experiences across each area.
- Discover how millions of coins from across the globe are made on a tour that’s always on the money at the Royal Canadian Mint.
The Royal Canadian Mint (Image: Nicholas Sabine)
- Work your swing on the range then play some of the world’s best courses virtually at the Golf Dome, where the weather won’t affect your tee time.
- Try your luck Club Regent Casino, McPhillips Street Casino and Shark Club Gaming Centre.
- Star in your own live eight-bit inspired gaming extravaganza at Activate Games, the world’s first interactive team-based game centre that started here in Winnipeg and is now across Canada and the U.S.
- Be inspired to make a difference when you journey from darkness to light through the interactive galleries of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
Skating under Mike Valcourt’s “Jackson Beardy- Woodlands Group of Seven Tribute” at The Forks’ Historic Walking Bridge (Image: Kristhine Guerrero)
- See the stars of tomorrow skate today when the Winnipeg Ice–the hottest team in the whole CHL–takeover the Ice Cave at Wayne Fleming Arena in search of WHL glory.
- Savour the sweet sounds of The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra who have numerous performances from pops, to Mozart, Tchaikovsky and The Best of Rodgers & Hammerstein in concert this winter.
- Use clues to solve a unique series of puzzles at Winnipeg’s escape rooms, including Enigma Escapes, The Real Escape and Get Out! Escape Rooms.
For more to see and do, go to tourismwinnipeg.com.
