Surprise, surprise! Winnipeg has been officially designated as a winter city by the World Winter Cities Association for Mayors, thanks to a submission by the City of Winnipeg and Economic Development Winnipeg. Winnipeg joins Edmonton as the second Canadian city on the list, followed by numerous other cities across the world.

What does this mean for Winnipeg? It gives us a reason to be proud of (and celebrate) who we are. Winnipeg has been catching more and more national and international attention, as people recognize all that we have to offer. This is an opportunity to show the world that we’re a great place to live in or visit, even in the winter. Although Winnipeg has been a target for winter jokes and stereotypes (“Winterpeg”), more and more people are seeing first hand how wonderful Winnipeg is in the winter!

Here are some of the ways we enjoy winter at Green Action Centre:

Heather: I love wildlife! So, I really enjoy going for walks at Assiniboine Park and FortWhyte Alive, looking for wildlife to admire and take pictures of. I also enjoy spending a full day at The Forks, skating down the river trail and warming up inside with a hot chocolate! When it’s not too cold out, I also enjoy walking home from work. It gives me the chance to enjoy the sights of downtown, while also getting some physical activity. I would also like to treat myself to a day at Thermëa Spa this winter!

Teresa: Although I don’t do it as often as I’d like, I love to grab my cross-country skis and head out to one of our many beautifully groomed trails, like those at Bird’s Hill or Windsor Park, and glide through stands of bare trees. I also still enjoy heading out for walks around my neighbourhood, checking out the houses and any lights and winter displays people have put up! The cold doesn’t stop me from doing a lot of the same things I do in summer.

Lea: I won’t lie, I’m actually a Summer person all the way. I thrive in heat. But….in the last year (last winter and this winter) I’ve really started enjoying cross country skiing. I tried it for the first time last year and loved it. This year, I went out to Riding Mountain to go 6.5km around the park and really enjoyed getting outside, hearing the silence in the dead of winter, seeing wildlife (I almost plowed right into 2 deer coming down a hill!) and getting some fun exercise in. It’s something I’m definitely going to continue in the future, and I’ll probably end up investing in some good skis for us to make sure of it.

Beth: For me, winter is all about cross country skiing. Gliding quietly on a single track trail through the forest, with mounds of snow perched precariously on tree branches. Doesn’t get better than that!

Jamie: I enjoy winter by skiing with the family several times a week, biking to work, and walking my dogs!

Liz: I am excited for The Jack Frost Challenge this month! There are so many benefits to accepting the challenge that Jack Frost brings; from witnessing the beauty of sun dogs in the sky, snowflake patterns and the dusting of snow on treetops to the satisfaction creating your own microclimate underneath your jacket by working up a sweat and having icicles form on your eyelashes. It’s also so much fun seeing people share their time outdoors with us using #JackFrostChallenge (@GreenActionCtr on Instagram and Twitter).

Get out there and enjoy winter, Winnipeg!