After a long wait, 1st leg of the Nestaweya River Trail at the Forks finally opens

The wait for Winnipeg winter enthusiasts is finally over.

The first leg of the Nestaweya River Trail opened Thursday, shortly before noon, The Forks announced in a news release.

The port rink on the Assiniboine River at The Forks is safe for public access for walkers, skaters, skiers and cyclists alike, albeit weeks after the anticipated opening date.

This marks the latest opening for the river trail, which has been enjoyed by thousands since 1990. The previous record was Jan. 21, in 2016.

The trail usually opens from January to March, but multiple challenges, including a mild start to winter and some flooding, delayed this winter's opening.

"I never in my entire life imagined that in January in Winnipeg I would be thinking, 'gee, I wish it was a bit colder,'" said LuAnn Lovlin, vice-president of the Winnipeg Foundation, which is the lead sponsor of the trail.

Sara Stasiuk, chief executive officer at The Forks, literally heaved a sigh of relief during the announcement.

She said crews have been hard at work trying to get the trail ready.

"We had a long, mild start to the winter season," Stasiuk said.

"We had an unanticipated influx of water from the south of us, some significant precipitation south of the border that should've been snow this year came down as rain, which caused some flooding on an already frozen river.

"So we add to that a big dump of snow a couple weeks ago and we got a slush-ice sandwich to deal with."

Last year, the trail opened Jan. 1 and remained open for 72 days, closing in mid-March.

The Forks said in a statement other sections of the Nestaweya River Trail along the Red and Assiniboine rivers will open "as nature allows."

Visitors can stay up-to-date on ice and skating conditions at The Forks' website.