Frosty festivals to winter sports: How Winnipeggers are taking advantage of milder weather
Donning toques, mitts and scarves Saturday, Winnipeg families didn't let some light snow spoil a break from the extreme cold.
"It's definitely a mood booster. A lot of family quality time, so it definitely breaks up the winter for sure." said one family CTV News talked to.
"It's really important, especially here in Winnipeg where it's so cold we take any opportunity we get," said another family.
The families took part in Winnipeg Trails Association's Mobile Ski Library, where people can borrow cross-country skis and other winter sports equipment for free.
It's an initiative Anders Swanson, the association's executive director, said is important in encouraging Winnipeggers to get outside.
"You can lay a ski track, and suddenly it's a ton of fun," said Swanson. "It's as good as a roller coaster. You don't need to go to West Edmonton Mall to have a fun day, and that's what I love about this."
Swanson noted many people using the library are first-time skiers or are new to Canada.
While it changes it's location frequently, on Saturday, the ski library was parked outside St. Norbert Community Centre's Heritage Day event.
This year's St. Norbert Heritage Day Festival, which celebrates the area's past with a variety of other frosty festivities, is the first one back since the beginning of the pandemic.
"It's terrific. We make use of all of our property here. We have bonfires going right now," said Dana Derkson, the centre's president.
"Winnipeg is winter. You have to find a way to embrace snow and ice and things like that," she added.
A sentiment echoed by Winterscape, Winnipeg's first international ice carving contest.
"Winnipeg is a winter city," said Corby Pearce, one of the event's organizers." Any chance we have to celebrate what we have here. We have the cold. We have the ice. The ice we are using we've taken out of the river."
Taking place in Upper Fort Garry Park, the carving contest features artists from the Philippines, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands and Canada.
"Winter is coming every year. It's either hide in your basement or get out and enjoy what we have, and the skating trails, and the snow sculptures, and all these beautiful ice sculptures that will be here and downtown," said Pearce. "It's a big deal so you got to come out and see it."
The sculptures will be judged Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.
The carvers will then stick around to create more sculptures around downtown later in February for Downtown Winnipeg BIZ's Winter Wanderland initiative.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.