Winnipeg is known for it’s winters, it is known as “Winterpeg” after all, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun during the winter! With festivals, ice trails and lots of more activities, we’re sure you’ll find what’s right for you to get outside this winter! We’re dropping some of our favorite activities for you to try!
Our benefit partner Kendricks Outdoor Adventures has you covered for equipment rentals in multiple locations, The Forks and Fort Whyte Alive! Book your winter activities with Kendricks using your Towers Benefits card and receive 10% off your first booking!
1. Ice Bikes!
Ice bikes are not only a great way to get some biking done in the winter, but is also a great way to explore the Red River walking trail! You can rent ice bikes from Kendricks Outdoor Adventures at the Forks and hop right onto the trail! There are also other places throughout the city to rent these bikes!
Kendricks Outdoor Adventures also offers Ice Trikes for those who may want a little bit more stability!
2. Skating
This is one of the things that is the most accessible in the wintertime in Manitoba, mainly because there’s ice everywhere! Guess that’s what happens when it’s -40 degrees outside sometimes.
You can rent skates from places all over the city, and there are public rinks all over the place for you to hop on the ice and zip around! And for those who are already confident on skates, grab a hockey stick and head to a nearby rink for some pickup hockey, there’s almost always a game to be found!
3. Cross-Country Skiing
Skiing is a ton of fun, but Manitoba is flat which kind of limits the ability to go downhill skiing within the province. Cross-country skiing however, is a great way to get on those skis and get also get a great workout in!
You can rent skis or purchase a beginner pair at quite a few locations throughout the city!
4. Tobogganing
One of winters most fun activities, tobogganing has been around for a long time and is one of the simplest forms of winter enjoyment! Just grab yourself a sled or toboggan – you can find them at Canadian Tire – and head to the nearest hill!
Assiniboine Park has some wonderful toboggan slides/hills to make use of in addition to the various spots to toboggan in the city! You can also head to the floodway on the outskirts of the city for this, just watch out for snowmobiles!
Be sure to get out and enjoy the winter weather – once you’re outside and moving around it’s not as cold as you might think! Just remember to add extra layers!
The holiday season is upon us! With the season of giving arriving just in time for more snow, we’ve come up with some local places to pick up a high-quality holiday gift from!
The Locals
The Locals Collective is an incredible collaboration of Winnipeg entrepreneurs, small businesses and their products! Offering everything from home products, to jewelry to gift boxes, small business essentials and more! You’ll find a gift for anyone and everyone here! The Locals Collective has an online shop, as well as 2 physical locations, 1 at the outlet collection at 555 Sterling Lyon Parkway and at CF Polo Park at 1485 Portage Avenue!
Forks Market
The Forks Market is home to a great mix of food, activities and local stores/vendors! Grab a hot chocolate, go for a skate or browse the stores at the Forks Market! With everything from Jewelry, candles, wine & spirits to antiques, book stores and more, you’ll be able to find a gift for everyone here while enjoying the great atmosphere around the Forks!
Not only are you going to find a second floor full of vendors, first floor full of delicious food stops and lovely ambiance, you get to do so all in a historical building which has played a significant role in shaping the history of Winnipeg and enjoy the preservation of Winnipeg’s past history!
IKEA + MCC Holiday Market
Ikea Winnipeg is hosting a Manitoba Craft Council market, which features 20 vendors from the Manitoba Craft Council! With everything from pottery and ceramics, jewelry, and all other kinds of goodies, this is going to be a great 3-day event to go and get some fun new items for yourself, or to grab an incredibly unique gift for a loved one!
This even is taking place at Ikea at 500 Sterling Lyon Parkway from December 16, 2022 – December 18, 2022! Doors are open at 10:00am all 3 days, and close at 8:00pm Friday, 7:00pm Saturday and 6:00pm Sunday! Admission is free so make sure you go check it out!
Holiday season is a wonderful time of year, and even if physical gifts aren’t your thing, spending time with loved ones or treating yourself to your favorite foods, activities or some extra sleep is just as much of a gift as a physical present is! Happy holidays to everyone!
We live in Canada, and unfortunately that means it gets quite cold for about half the year. While Canadians adapt fiercely to the cold, that doesn’t mean we enjoy moving in it! Make sure that your move is quick, efficient and that you stay warm with these tips!
Pre-pack and secure your belongings before moving day!
This one goes for all moves in general – packing up your things and having everything ready before the day of your move is absolutely key for moving in a timely manner. Labeling things will help you stay even more organized – keep items that will end up close to each other in your home in the same boxes!
Something to pay close attention to, especially in the winter is packing up your technology and anything that is glass. The colder winter temperatures make glass more susceptible to breaking and if you don’t secure your electronics properly, moisture build-up from the exposure to the cold and warming back up once inside can ruin your hardware! Not only that, most importantly organizing yourself can keep you and your stuff outside for less time, keeping you warm and reducing the chances of something going wrong outside!
Hire movers or get friends to help!
Moving can be a tough task, especially with larger and heavier furniture items like mattresses, bed frames and bookshelves. In the winter when it is slippery outside, it’s important to make sure that you have help to move your larger items so that you don’t slip and hurt yourself or damage your items. Ask your friends to help if there aren’t a lot of items – the old “Pizza and Beer” trick might work!
Alternatively, you can also hire movers if you have a lot of stuff to move or can’t get your friends to help. Towers Realty Group residents can use their resident benefit cards to get discounts on movers rates – we have 2 different options for you with Riverbend Moving & Storage and Total Moving!
Book your move with Riverbend Moving & StorageHERE.
Movers will help you to not only ensure all of your belongings are moved for you, but will help you to move in a more efficient way and spend less time moving, and more time setting up your new home! One of the biggest advantage, beyond having extra hands to move more items, is that movers will pack all of your stuff into their truck and move it all at once! If you are moving yourself, you may need to find a truck/van for larger items, hiring movers covers all of that for you!
Rent a box truck!
When moving larger items, you will likely be limited on space in your vehicle – renting a box truck (ex. Uhaul) or a sprinter van to move the larger objects will save you enormous amounts of time! Going back and forth from property to property to move 3-4 boxes or 1-2 larger items is incredibly time consuming and can get costly when adding up fuel costs. Using a large vehicle to transport most of your items at once can make your move significantly shorter!
Havehot chocolate or coffee!
Keeping warm is a lot easier with a hot drink in your hand – especially when it’s as cold as Canadian winters are! Make sure all those hands in the move get a hot drink at some point during the move, if not just to warm up your hands but also to brighten your mood during what can be a bit of a stressful time!
Adding colour to your space not only changes the look of your space, but can change how your space feels! By adding bright colours, you can even evoke emotions like happiness and love by using bright colours like red or yellow, or calmness and peacefulness by adding cooler colours like blues and greens!
Adding different colours to your space can also help to radiate confidence if you are unable to paint the walls! A colourful piece of furniture is hard to miss, and when it fits properly can deliver that “wow” factor! Here’s some of our favourite colours to use when decorating our space! Starting by outfitting the bedroom, Ikea has a wonderful selection of furniture is soft, pastel colours which add a pop of colour without being overpowering!
Take this IDANÄS Upholstered bed frame, especially in the pale pink – it adds a beautiful splash of colour to the room while being a very soft a subtle colour! You can find this piece on the Ikea site in two different colour tones HERE. Cost: $599
If pink isn’t your colour, the VADHEIM upholstered bed is another great splash of colour for your bedroom without being overpowering! You can find a link to it HERE. Cost: $599
If bolder colours arent your thing, but you still want to add some colour to your space, the HAUGA upholstered bed frame from Ikea provides a wonderful balance of a soft yet subtle touch of colour to change up your space! You can find a link to it HERE. Cost: $329.00
Moving to other spaces in your home, add a splash of colour to anything by adding plants to your counters, sidetables or putting a larger plant in a corner! Hanging art on the walls is also a fantastic way to add colour to your space – check out local art stores, Esty stores and find a piece that suits your taste! You can also find great wall art at places like Bouclair, who have hundreds of options in a huge variety of sizes, as well as greenery options!
Wall art examples – Photo by Bouclair.com
One of the great things about summer is the ability to enjoy our patios – good thing Winnipeg has a huge selection to choose from! We thought we would give you some inspiration with a selection of some of our favorite patio’s! And don’t worry, we’ve included pet friendly patio’s too, so make sure your furry friends don’t miss out on the great weather!
Fionn MacCools
A classic Irish pub that boasts 2 locations at 1582 Regent Ave & 1180 Grant Ave, these patio’s are wonderful spots to meet up with friends for a cold drink or some great food! Not only that, your furry friends are welcome on their patios as well, so make sure to bring the whole family!
Don’t miss out on their incredible blarney fries or weekly fish and chips lunch specials, or try your hand at any of the gluten free or vegetarian options. And even better? Towers benefits cardholders receive 15% off their food orders (Takeout or Dine-In).
With 2 locations at 101 – 1001 Corydon Ave & 9A – 20 Island Shore Blvd, Eva’s is can’t miss gelato, especially on those warm summer nights! With ingredients sourced directly from Argentina, you’ll be hard pressed to find a tastier scoop of gelato in the city! Even better? Towers benefits cardholders receive 15% off of their orders – so run, don’t walk to grab your scoops!
Located just past Osborne Village at Granite Curling Club (1 Granite Way), the Beer Can is a wonderful outdoor space featuring live music, drinks and food to go along with an incredible atmosphere in the summers!
Not to mention the stunning views of Osborne Village, the Legislative Building and downtown Winnipeg that accompany the wonderful evenings here!
Located in the heart of Assiniboine Park, this pop-up patio is in a perfect spot to grab some refreshments, whether on a run through the park, just hanging out or even on a quick picnic break! With a rotating menu, live music, latin nights and sometimes “poptails” pop-ups, be sure to check out Cargo Bar this summer! And don’t forget to bring your furry friends as well – this patio is pet friendly!
Featuring a beautiful patio located at 450 Rue Deschambault in St Boniface, Kilter brewing is not only known for wonderful brews, but their love of games as well! Recurring Wednesday board game nights, having books and games to use while you enjoy their space and a wonderful patio with plenty of shaded tables, and a love of seeing your furry friends on their patio all contribute to making this one of our favorite patio’s in the city!
Located right in the middle of Corydon (651-A Corydon), this intimate patio is absolutely worth making a reservation for!
With rooftop views of Corydon from the heart of Corydon Village, The Roost features exceptional cocktails & food from some of the top bartenders and chef’s in the Winnipeg food and beverage industry!
Located at 274 Gary Street in the heart of downtown, Local boasts a wonderful patio with classic pub food to go along with live music, views of the downtown skyline and great drinks!
A great stop on your way to a Goldeye’s game or for a night out with friends!
With 2 locations at 275 Broadway St & 3116 Roblin Blvd and great patio’s at both spots, Capital Bar & Grill offers a fantastic dining experience with top tier service and incredible food and beverages. These patio’s offer both views of downtown Winnipeg and Union station at Broadway, and an intimate yet outdoor experience on Roblin! Book your reservation today!
Summer should be spent outside, so make sure to enjoy that last bit of “patio season”, and remember to bring your resident benefits card!
Thank you to all of those who signed up for Zoo Day! We look forward to seeing you on July 24th!
Manitoba is a beautiful province, with much of the province being part of the prairie region of Canada, while the south & northeastern edges of Manitoba are part of the Canadian shield, as evidenced by all the rock formations in the area! Our province has so much to see, so why not check out some of the sites this summer!
If you don’t have a car, Peg-City Car Co-op and Chesskings are great options to get you there as well! Visit our benefits page for more information – click here!
Winnipeg Beach & Gimli
With these communities being just an hour and 70 minutes from Winnipeg respectively, these towns are a perfect spot for a day at the beach, or a little weekend getaway! With multiple beaches and plenty of food options along the downtown strip, Winnipeg Beach is a hugely popular spot for families!
The Icelandic town of Gimli, which celebrates Icelandic festival in late July has multiple beaches as well as a plethora of incredible food choices, not to mention summer concerts, skydiving, golfing, and more! Grab a bite and take a long walk out to the end of the harbor pier, and maybe even get a chance to see The Namao – the Lake Winnipeg research ship!
Although Pinawa is a bit further away from Winnipeg, this provincial park takes you into the start of northern Manitoba, showing off the diverse landscape and offering lots of options for activities! Cool off with a float down the lazy river in one of the tubes or rent a canoe/kayak with your friends and head down the river! If that’s not your style, there’s golf as well as the beach!
The provincial park also offers numerous hiking trails, with the longest being a 27.5km hike which takes you from the Seven Sisters Generating System to the Pinawa Dam Provincial Park. Along with that trail are plenty of other, much shorter trails (1.1km is the shortest). The town of Pinawa is close by, which has multiple places for overnight accommodations! This is a wonderful spot for a weekend getaway in a quiet and scenic spot!
Birds Hill Park, located within 30 minutes of Winnipeg, is a lovely provincial park with 2 beaches for swimming and plenty of hiking trails for a nice daytime trip! There are a total of 19 formal trails for hiking and some that park visitors have created which aren’t mapped. With spots for food, picnics, volleyball courts and fully serviced campsites, Birds Hill is a fantastic spot for a weekend day-trip with a group of friends, or to take your kids to the beach for the day!
Oak Hammock Marsh is a wildlife preserve in Manitoba which is dedicated to waterfowl and wetlands amphibians and reptiles! With 36km2 of space for the animals, and walking trails scattered throughout – this is a birdwatchers paradise!
Home to 25 species of mammals, roughly 300 species of birds, various amphibians and reptiles! During the waterfowl migration times, the number of birds in the park at one time can exceed over 100,000 birds! Less than a 45 minute drive from Winnipeg, this is a wonderful way to surround yourself with wildlife in the animals natural habitats!
Turtle Mountain Provincial Park is a large provincial park in southeastern Manitoba near to Boissevain, roughly a 3-hour drive away from Winnipeg. With plenty of hiking trails, and rolling hills of the red river valley, these trails offer views from some of the highest points in southern Manitoba! There are also 3 major lakes with camping in the park, and around 200 other lakes and wetland areas within the park!
There is a large variety of wildlife, with fishing that yields great results, to moose, white-tailed deer, beavers, raccoons and more – this park is a great opportunity to see some of Manitoba’s larger wildlife in their natural habitat!
St Malo beach is located ~1 hour south of Winnipeg, near to the town of St Malo! With 2 beautiful beaches surrounded by walking and hiking trails close by. The Rat River Dam and Dyke are also nearby and easy to explore, and this is a great spot for a beach day with your friends or family!
Summer is here, and with that means time spent outside! It’s important to both quench your thirst and enjoy a drink or two (responsibly). Here’s a list of simple “mocktails” you can make for yourself and guests to be sipping in no time! And not to worry – If you don’t understand any of the terms, there is a legend at the bottom to help you out!
The mojito is a classic patio drink which leaves you refreshed and wanting more! The tart lime mixed with the freshness of mint and crisp soda water combine to leave a light, bubbly mouthfeel that makes your tastebuds dance!
The margarita is the ultimate patio drink – Heavily utilizing both the tartness and acidic components of the lime, the delightfully sour drink is a staple on patios or around a dinner table (it pairs wonderfully with tacos!) Not only that, but you get to look cool shaking them up!
The paloma is a delicious “cousin” to the margarita! Combining the tartness in lime juice, with the more acidic and bitter grapefruit juice and cut with soda water – the paloma is a lovely, fresh and fizzy drink to sip on your patio or with a quick bite to eat!
Potentially the most filling drink there is – the caesar is a classic savoury drink, that is the perfect brunch drink! The salty clamato and worcestershire, mixed with the spicy tabasco leaves a heavy feeling on your tastebuds that satiates any hunger you might have had prior to making this. The best part? Garnish this with anything from pepperoni sticks to celery sticks, even use something like shrimp! Whatever snack you think you might want with your drink is ALWAYS the right choice!
Legend
Shaker Tin: A stainless steel cocktail shaker, which can be purchased at stores from Walmart, Bed Bath and Beyond and more; and can be found online at amazon as well!
Simple Syrup: a sugar syrup, creating by heating water and sugar at a 1:1 ratio until the sugar has dissolved – this is used to replace granular sugar in drinks.
One of the best things about all 4 of these drink recipes, is that you can scale them up to serve as many people as you need! If you make these, don’t share them on social media and tag us with #towersliving !
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