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Cold snap means Winnipeg's river skating trail will open after all

Crews are out flooding the area around The Forks harbour for skating rinks and will then focus on making a trail south along the Red River to the Norwood Bridge

Organizers hope to know within a week when people can get out and start skating

CBC News ·

Crews at The Forks have started the process of flooding the ice for the annual river skating trail in Winnipeg.

9 years ago
Duration 0:46
Crews at The Forks have started the process of flooding the ice for the annual river skating trail in Winnipeg.

The frigid weather in Winnipeg has saved the Forks river trail.

Just one week ago, there was concern the trail wouldn't open this winter at all due to mild temperatures and open sections of water.

The recent stretch of glacial weather, however, is just what river trail organizers needed.

Crews are out flooding areas around the harbour and getting a start on making a trail south along the Red River to the Norwood Bridge, said Kristin Pauls, a spokesperson with The Forks North Portage Partnership, which owns and manages The Forks.
Crews are out flooding sections of the river to smooth out and build up the ice for the annual river trail. (Meagan Fiddler/CBC)

"Thanks to this gloriously cold weather that we have been having — they're really excited about it. They're starting to lay a really good foundation in terms of flooding and making the ice grow a little bit," she said.

"We've got to get it pretty thick so that the guys can get more equipment onto the ice."

Once the trail is complete to the bridge, crews will evaluate how thick the ice is in other parts and decide if the trail can be extended elsewhere.

Pauls hopes to know within a week when people can get out and start skating.

The Forks skating trail will initially go south along the Red River to the Norwood Bridge. Crews will then evaluate how thick the ice is in other parts and decide if it can be extended elsewhere. (theforks.com)
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