The News Room
Warm weather closes the ACU River Trail
March 5, 2010 UPDATE - With the continued warm weather, the Assiniboine Credit Union River Trail has officially closed for the season. Surface runoff has created ponding on the surface ice, making it impossible to maintain the trail. This year the trail extended 7.5 kilometres from Churchill Docks on the Red to Hugo Dock on the Assiniboine. See you next year!
February 17, 2010 - The Assiniboine Credit Union River Trail is now open to Hugo Street along the Assiniboine River, and the Churchill Docks along the Red river.
Skate, ski, snowshoe and walk the river trails between the banks of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, right in the heart of the city.
Despite issues with "frazel" ice, and a mid-January thaw that flooded the Assiniiboine end of the trail, the River Trail has been a huge success with Winnipegers and visitors alike.
This year you can also enjoy warming up in huts designed by world-renowned architects and artists. This new event, called The Warming Shed: Art and Architecture on Ice, had sheds built outside on The Forks plaza, and then hauled to their locations on the ice.
We now have six access points on the Assiniboine Credit Union River Trail: four on the Assiniboine River and two on the Red River. Unfortunately, due to unstable ice conditions, the river trail will not be able to go west past the Hugo Dock this year.
As of February 16, the following access points are open:
The Forks Historic Port Skating Rink
The Forks - Legislature/Louis Riel Park
Legislature/Louis Riel Park - Osborne Village
Osborne Village - Hugo Street Dock
Norwood Dock - New!
Churchill Park Dock - New!
Links
In the news
- Smooth skating up ahead - Winnipeg Free Press, Dec 18, 2009
Forks plans to use water pumps to fine-tune river trail.
- Almost time to break the ice: River trail at The Forks should be ready next week - Winnipeg Free Press, December 30, 2009.
Dust off your skates, Winnipegers. The Forks river trail is well on its way to being open...
- Super skating created at forks - Winnipeg Sun, December 31, 2009.
Mother Nature and icemakers have conspired to create the largest skating rink ever at The Forks.
- 'Love huts' to keep skaters warm - Winnipeg Free Press, Jan 8, 2010.
Skaters on Winnipeg's river trail will soon be able to thaw out in five imaginative new warm-up "love shacks," including one that resembles a tinfoil igloo and one in the form of an ice-covered hanging orb.
- Lovely day lures crowd to Forks river trail - Winnipeg Free Press, Jan 11, 2010.
Teenagers with hockey sticks and wobbly kids on new skates converged on The Forks river trail Sunday to mark the first warm day since the trail opened and the first full weekend of family programming.
- Streetcar named desirable for warm-up hut - Winnipeg Free Press, Jan 11, 2010.
Skaters at The Forks can warm up in the most famous streetcar in Manitoba history. A wooden replica of 1919 Winnipeg General Strike-era streetcar 596 that was used in Danny Schur’s May 23 production of his musical Strike! has found new life giving shelter to skaters.
- Portions of river trail all wet - Winnipeg Free Press, Jan 19, 2010.
Paul Jordan, chief operating officer, said plans to expand the River Trail beyond Hugo Street have been postponed because water is flowing over the ice between Arlington Street and Omand’s Creek.
- Surface pond nixes longer river trail - Winnipeg Sun, Jan 20, 2010.
Plans to extend the Assiniboine Credit Union River Trail this weekend have been cancelled after water pressure cracked the frozen Assiniboine River and created a surface pond stretching from Omand’s Creek to Canora Street.
- Water on ice stumps Forks officials - Winnipeg Free Press, Jan 20, 2010.
Officials at The Forks are stumped about why water was flowing over the ice along portions of the Assiniboine River on Tuesday.
- Weather, not runoff, to blame for soggy river trail - Winnipeg Free Press, Jan 20, 2010.
The water on Winnipeg’s river trail is due to recent mild weather, not runoff from the city or sewage, says Manitoba's flood forecaster.
- Video: River trail under water. Winnipeg Free Press, Jan 20, 2010.
- Thaw, not runoff, sinks river trail - Winnipeg Free Press, Jan 21, 2010.
Don't blame the City of Winnipeg if you can't skate as far as you'd like this weekend. Part of the city's river trail is underwater because of recent mild weather, not street runoff or sewage outflows, says Manitoba's flood forecaster and chief expert in water dynamics.
- River trail opens for skating again - Winnipeg Free Press, Jan 29, 2010.
The cold weather is good for something. After a bout of balmy weather benched skaters, Winnipeg's River Trail is making a comeback. Today, the Assiniboine Credit Union River Trail reopened to Hugo Dock and the trail crew is trying to open up new sections for skaters.
- 'Love shacks' ready for chilly skaters this weekend - Winnipeg Free Press, Jan 29, 2010.
Winnipeggers wanting a warm respite from the cold can start taking shelter in the arty new "love shacks" on the river trail this weekend.
- Visitors warm up to unique warming huts - Winnipeg Free Press, Feb 1, 2010.
They came, they saw, they shivered... but what did visitors to The Forks think of the site's funky new warming huts?
- 'Love shacks' hit the ice - Winnipeg Free Press, Feb 5, 2010.
Five warming huts designed for people using the River Trail are now on the ice after spending the past week on display. The Forks said the huts have been set up on the skating trail. Skaters can cast their votes for which hut they consider to be the best by voting online.
- Video: Forks huts taking shape - Winnipeg Free Press, Feb 5, 2010.
- Too nice to be on the ice - Winnipeg Free Press, March 2, 2010.
Officials ready to shut trails.
- River Trail closes - Winnipeg Free Press, March 5, 2010.
Mild early-March temperatures hastened the closure, producing surface ponding and runoff.
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