Sports and Athletics in Winnipeg, Manitoba: What do you need to know?

Winters in Winnipeg will be one of the most frustrating parts of your daily life should you decide to make this city your new home. By the end of your first winter, you will be an expert at maneuvering your body from point A to B with five layers of clothing. Despite sixth months’ worth of experience, you will still struggle to avoid slipping on thin sheets of ice, which are particularly tough to spot on sidewalks. The uncoordinated will have a difficult time. Learn to fall on your butt, as my mishaps taught me in the last ten years. Even worse than walking around the city is driving, particularly around the suburbs. The roads transform into a beautiful skating rink, which your car will enjoy but you as a driver will despise and never be accustomed to. The roads in Winnipeg are mostly flat, as if that is some form of consolation. As a driver, you must learn the art of simply allowing your car to drift on ice and to ever so carefully (and gradually) press on your pedals – gas or brakes.

Residents of Winnipeg have a love-hate relationship with the city. It is too cold in winter, too hot in summer, and the public transit system is awful. At the same time, Winnipeg is a hotbed for culture, hosting countless festivals, concerts, and sporting events throughout the year. It feels like both a bustling metropolitan city and a small-prairie town where everyone knows each other simultaneously.