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Bird's Hill: Popular
Pan Am Park
Cycling and in-line skating on the Pine
Ridge Trail, mountain biking on the Bluestem
Trail, hiking or horseback riding through
the back country under a cedar canopy-the
3,510 hectare Bird's Hill Provincial Park,
24 kilometres north of Winnipeg, is a favourite
year-round destination for outdoor enthusiasts.
In winter, the park offers:
• 8 kilometres
of snowshoe trails
• 5 groomed
cross-country ski trails
• 25 kilometres
of snowmobile trails.
Beaches and Blades:
Current visitors to Bird's Hill are reaping
the benefits of an extensive re-design completed
for the 1999 Pan Am Games, including newly-paved
multi-use trails and the revitalized Bird's
Hill Lake and beach. Since the Park played
host to triathlon, equestrian, cycling and
roller sports events during the Games, special
events at the Park have included horse shows,
polo tournaments and cycling races.
Pipers
and Paddlers: Selkirk's Highland
Gathering
Each summer in July, outdoor adventure
meets highland tradition in Selkirk
Park, on the banks of the Red
River. Along with the massed bands,
sheep dog herding, and tossing
of The Caber, The Sheaf and The
Stone in the Heavy Games events,
Selkirk's Gathering includes the
Manitoba Marathon Canoe and Kayaking
Championships, and other world-class
paddling events. |
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"Cats"
and "Eyes": Trophy Fish of the
Red
If catching a big fish is one of your goals,
consider these statistics: Manitoba's walleye
record stands at 8.4 kilograms and channel
catfish catches over 10 kilograms are commonplace.
Greenback Giants:
Trophy-sized walleye (known as pickerel
to Manitoba's commercial fishers) are abundant
in the Red River during the fall, when they
move south from the waters of Lake Winnipeg.
Sometimes known as "greenbacks"
to local anglers, the Red River walleye
have a distinctive iridescent green colour.
In addition to being a thrill to catch,
the delicately flavoured, white-fleshed
walleye are a delight to eat.
Enormous Cats:
Both fly-fishers and still-fishers reap
the rewards of monster-sized channel catfish
from the Red. A single hook and bait-goldeye
or shrimp-will bring success, while fly-fishing
below the bridge at Lockport (low water
years) or at the Red River Floodway outflow
(high water years) will also yield satisfying
results.
Several walleye and catfish guides and
outfitters are available to help you with
your big catch. Be sure to check out Manitoba
fishing regulations, including season and
size limitations.
Nature Outings
in the Red River Valley
In no more than a half hour's drive from
downtown Winnipeg, you can spend a day in
the grasslands, marshlands and woodlands
of the Red River Valley.
• Assiniboine
Forest, located within Winnipeg,
is one of the largest urban nature parks
in Canada. Hike through woodlands, meadows
and marshes in the Forest's 8.5 kilometres
of nature trails.
• Fort
Whyte Centre, south of Winnipeg,
maintains a 40-head herd of bison (buffalo).
The Centre also features hiking trails,
floating boardwalks, a bird feeding station,
fishing, hiking, snowshoeing, skating and
a toboggan slide. Canoe and rowboat rentals
are available. The 10,000 square foot Interpretive
Centre includes the Aquarium of the Prairies,
Manitoba's largest indoor aquarium.
• Oak
Hammock Marsh, directly north of
Winnipeg, offers year-round wildlife viewing
in its 3,600 hectare Wildlife Management
Area, as well as hiking access to tall-grass
prairie, aspen-oak bluffs and artesian wells.
Exhibits and workshops at the Oak Hammock
Marsh Interpretive Centre focus on the 280
species of birds and hundreds of mammals,
insects, amphibians and reptiles that inhabit
the Marsh.
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