If it’s winter, this must be Winnipeg

WINNIPEG

BY: STEVE DRAKE

“Meet Me at The Forks” Those words have been spoken by countless people, in many different languages for over 6000 years. The Forks is a historic site, a meeting place and a sacred place located at the junction of the Red River and the Assiniboine River in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Today The Forks is known as the place were Winnipeggers and tourists alike come together to enjoy outdoor activities, meetup with friends and family and sample great fare. Most locals will tell you that if it’s summertime, then you need to be down at the Forks. Four out of towners, be contrary and experience The Forks in wintertime! it is a cold, unique and fun experience.

Many says Winnipeg is the coldest, most blustery place in Canada. But when the Red and Assiniboine rivers freeze over, The Forks becomes the perfect winter wonderland, with a host of activities, amazing food, craft beer and fine wines.

Once a horse stable and hay barn at the height of the railway days, The Forks Market is now a wonderful collection of artisan shops, gourmet food stalls and specialty shops, all centered around a great food hall. The food hall continues to build on the notion of gathering, people coming together to share stories from their day - perhaps told with a glass of wine or craft beer from the Common. Sitting at one end of the food hall, the Common has 20 craft beers and 20 wines on tap, all from a list curated by internationally acclaimed sommelier Veronique Rivest. Her beer list changes often, and features five local craft brew options that rotate monthly, plus 15 other selections from the rest of Canada and the world rotating quarterly.

To really get the most of your winter trip to The Forks, lace-up a pair of skates and glide down the frozen rivers. This is the Guinness world recordholder for the longest naturally frozen skating trail. Skates is the Winnipeg way and the perfect way to see the wonderland sights and sounds, entirely unique to Winnipeg in winter - one of which is crokicurl... This Winnipeg born game combines curling with crokinole. Players slide their curling rock towards the center of the scoring ring while trying to avoid hitting the crokinole style posts blocking their path. Such fun and how Canadian, EH!

Warming huts are small enclosures strategically placed along the skating path on the Red and Assiniboine Rivers. But these huts are not what you might expect, these huts are part of an Art + Architecture Competition. They are these works of art, expressions in design and often marvels in engineering. Started in 2009, the warming hut competition has attracted designers and architects from around the globe. Nearing the end of January, competition winners travel to Winnipeg to begin construction on their warming hut. The week-long building blitz gives designers a chance to watch their vision come to life. Then they are brought out to the River Trail for visitors to visit, interact with, and enjoy.

Canadian Museum for Human Rights

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is the world’s first museum dedicated to human rights and is centred around the idea that respect and understanding of human rights can serve as a positive force for change in the world.

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1