The River Trail at The Forks (CHRISD.CA FILE)
Get those ice skates out, kids (and adults) — The Forks has officially opened part of its River Trailfor the season.
Just in time for Christmas holidays, the recent bout of cold weather has made it possible for the two hockey rinks in The Forks Historic Port to open. It’s the earliest the rinks have opened in 10 years.
“We are very excited to have the first section of The River Trail open before the New Year this season,” said Paul Jordan, chief operating officer of The Forks. “Thanks to a few cold snaps the river has been freezing nicely. It’s too soon to tell exactly how far the trails will go this year, but we are optimistic.”
Crews will now work to groom the trails along the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, weather permitting.
Last year, the trail didn’t open until the end of January due to mild temperatures. Jordan stresses that skaters should check the trail conditions on RiverTrail.ca before venturing out.
“We really want everyone to know what parts of the trail are open and which aren’t. Because it’s such a moving entity, there may still be open water in parts and we want to keep everyone safe. ”
In 2008, the winter attraction clinched the Guinness World Record for longest naturally frozen skating trail in the world at 8.54 kilometres.
The Forks also announced on Monday the opening of Winnipeg’s only urban snowboard hill at the Arctic Glacier Winter Park behind the parkade.
