Assiniboine Park hosts free, outdoor party to help Winnipeggers embrace winter

Sledders propel down Assiniboine Park's toboggan hill on Jan. 12, 2025. (Daniel Timmerman/CTV News Winnipeg)

Winnipeggers braved the cold over the weekend to embrace winter’s many frosty gifts.

Assiniboine Park Conservancy hosted its first-ever We Are Winter Celebration over the weekend, calling on folks to take part in a number of free, family-friendly outdoor activities.

Participants skied, snowshoed, skated, sledded and ice-biked through the park, while a DJ provided a soundtrack for the winter wonderland.

Those who didn’t have equipment could borrow it from the park free of charge.

Laura Cabak with Assiniboine Park Conservancy said winter can be a long and lonely time for some folks, so the park seemed the perfect place to host a party to boost spirits.

“We know that physical activity, fresh air, time in nature—all of these things are so good for our physical well-being and our mental health,” Cabak said.

“That’s true any time of year, even in winter, so we want to encourage people to get out and discover the wonders of winter here at the park.”

According to the conservancy, there’s plenty more winter programming on the way. Details will be released on the organization’s website.

- With files from CTV’s Daniel Halmarson