'Such a great place": families try out ice fishing at FortWhyte Alive
Winnipeg families took to the ice at FortWhyte Alive Saturday to try their hand at ice fishing.
The nature centre's annual Ice Fishing Festival was an all-day event introducing people to the popular winter sport.
The free event was put on by the Manitoba Wildlife Federation.
Event coordinator Chris Benson said more than 800 people braved the frigid temperatures.
"Manitobans are a hearty bunch. We grow up in a climate that is very cold, so even on a day that's a little more chilly out, we're hearty enough to come out and enjoy the day," he said.
No fishing licences were required, participants could just show up, drill their hole and drop their line.
Benson said ice fishing is a fun activity for the whole family to do together. "It's an activity that moms and dads can take their kids out. We have a really strong ice fishing community here in the province."
For Phil Cavey, it was a chance to try something he'd always wanted to do. "Ice fishing has been on the radar for a long time," he said. "I'm very happy to have my family out with me today trying it for the first time."
Cavey said it was a great way to spend a Saturday. "Fort Whyte Alive is such a great place, we wanted to do some outdoor activities today anyway, so when we went to the website we found that today was ice fishing day, so that was just perfect," he said.
Cavey's son Jersey was having fun, despite not catching anything yet. "I want to catch a tiger fish!" he said.
Benson said people can catch all kids of different fish this time of year. "There's a number of species, there's walleye, northern pike, perch, there's carp. There's a real diversity here of the different species."
He said this spring's chilly weather will likely allow people to continue ice fishing right up until the end of the season in a few weeks.
Benson said the success of this year's event means the MWF will do it again. "We're definitely going to be here next year, introducing a bunch of new people to ice fishing."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.