My favorite parts of Winnipeg are the pockets of nature and wildlife. These areas are great getaways from the city and hold numerous critters, beautiful sites, and fun activities. I still have lots to explore in the city and province, but here I try to describe some of the locations I enjoy in and near Winnipeg.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Fort Whyte Alive is reliably wonderful throughout the year. With a small entrance fee (totally worth it!), you can access wooded trails, ponds, and wetland boardwalks. This place is booming with birds during migration and breeding season, and also filled with little mammals, reptiles and amphibians, and a field of bison. Fort Whyte also has great educational interactions, including an interpretive centre and historical stations on the trails. There’s also a tipi, treehouse, bird blinds to explore, and rentals for biking and canoeing. Even though there are fewer birds and other animals in Manitoba during the winter, the festivities at Fort Whyte keeping going, including tobogganing, snow shoeing, and events that include games on the ice and cooking bannock over a fire! There’s also has a super nice gift shop and a café.

Bunn’s Creek is a birding hotspot. Since it’s at the north end of the city (I’m in the south end) I’ve only been here a couple times, but each time has been fantastic. I really should come here more often. It’s a great place to catch rare vagrants (for example last year there was a worm-eating warbler), and it is phenomenal for migrants. Last time I came here, I probably spent three hours standing in just a couple spots just listening to and watching warblers, waxwings, vireos, sparrows, siskins, and more. For a trip focused on birding, I highly recommend this creek (specifically the “Bunn’s Creek Centennial Park” portion)!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

St. Vital Park is a treasure in the city, a place for dog-walks, birding, boat launching, tobogganing, hand-feeding chickadees, and more. Since I bring Mocha with me every time I come here, my focus has been more on the numerous squirrels as she likes to point those out, but I have seen some goodies such as Indigo Buntings. The park is along the Red River, and the shrubs and trees along the edge are great for birding. There’s also a pond in the middle with lots of wood ducks and mallards, and then becomes a place for ice skating in the winter. This location is also one of the Canada Geese’s favourite places to flock. There are both open spaces and wooded trails, perfect for people who want to host parties or socials, and for those who want to walk in peace.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Assiniboine Forest & Park are two separate areas but are close to each other. The Assiniboine forest is a great sheltered and wooded area, and includes a wetland area in the middle – when walking through the trails here you may forget that you are in a city! North of the forest is the Assiniboine park, and this is much more open where people have picnics and events, and is right next to the city’s zoo. A great birding attraction in the park is the English Gardens, probably the best place in the city to find Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. These gardens are also filled with various types of flowers in the spring and summer, and are next to some trails leading to a bridge to cross the river to reach Sargent Sundae for ice cream.

Bois des esprits, or also known as the spirits of the woods, is a popular area for walks and has beautiful carvings embedded inside the forest. In the wintertime some people will hang Christmas ornaments from branches, which provide a nice touch. I haven’t been here very often yet, but it is definitely worth a look! I usually go from the John Bruce Rd entrance, but there are multiple access points throughout the park. Many deer enjoy this location, a good forest to find them!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

LaBarriere Park is my favourite park in the area, because it’s closeby for me (just south of the city) and has lots of open space and wooded trails for me to walk and run with my dog Mocha. Through this park runs the La Salle River, great for canoeing and fishing, and lots of people here play frisbee golf, host marathons, and have picnics. It can get crowded on a good afternoon over the weekend, so I tend to come early mornings on a weekday. Sometimes Mocha and I end up having the whole park to ourselves and it is absolutely wonderful! It’s also a good reliable spot for birding.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Birds Hill Park is just north-east of the city, and has a lot of great trails, numerous camping sites, and a man-made beach! Since this is a provincial park, a parking pass is required. I used to get the passes at Canadian Tire, but lately they’ve moved purchases online so you can buy provincial day and season passes at home and print them before your trip. Birds Hill is also a great place to hand-feed chickadees in the winter; simply bring a bag of sunflower seeds and you may end up with some chickadees following you for a snack! Because the park is so big, it’s easy to find secluded areas away from high foot traffic. Beautiful park for dog walks, exploration, and birding.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Oak Hammock Marsh is a bit of a drive north of the city, and is booming during migration and breeding seasons. Numerous swallows, blackbirds, waterfowl, shorebirds, and more take advantage of the plentiful resources here in the spring and summer. Many mammals take residence up here as well, including Richardson’s ground squirrels, minks, and muskrats. In the wintertime, it is also known to be a great spot for Snowy Owls. The interpretive centre is really well done (one of my favourites) – very interactive and educational – and they host many events and activities that are family friendly. Great gift shop, and I recommend the quesadillas in the café! The Oak Hammock Marsh team also invite the public to their bird mist-netting mornings, a great way to connect people with nature and teach them about birds.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Manitoba is filled with many gorgeous parks and areas. For longer drives from the city, I also recommend Delta Marsh & Beach, Riding Mountain, Victoria Beach, and Spruce Woods park. I hope to plan more frequent trips and look forward to exploring more in the upcoming years!

-Evelien