• Recreation in the city
  

• Sense of place
  

• River ice conditions
  

• Commemorative Integrity
  

• References
  

Recreation in the city:

In the winter, the Red and Assiniboine Rivers provide a different experience for Winnipeggers than they do over the rest of the year.  Trails along the ice are cleared to transform the surface into what is, at times, the largest outdoor ice-skating surface in the world with a network of over 5.5 km of skateable trails.  An additional 1.2 km of trail is found “on-shore” at the Forks.  Only the Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa is longer, with 7.8 km when fully opened (National Capital Commission, 2007).  The trails are a popular choice for outdoor recreation: skaters use the ice surfaces; walkers and joggers use a parallel trail; and cross-country skiers and snowshoers use the rest of the river.

These trails promote a stronger connection between the citizens of Winnipeg and the city’s rivers.  No matter what type of land use is present along the shoreline, the river itself is always public.  Trails on the river make its entire length accessible to a wider range of citizens than at other times of the year when one would need access to a boat.  While providing recreation options to city dwellers, the trails also raise awareness about the city’s history, its climatic conditions, its wildlife, its riverbanks, and its urban forests.