Crowds embrace winter during Wonderful Weekend in Winnipeg Beach

Winnipeg resident Troy Smith kiteboards to some strong winds on Lake Winnipeg Sunday afternoon. 

Travis Franz fishes patiently at the Sunday ice fishing derby put on by the Winnipeg Beach Firefighters’ Association.

Winnipeg resident Silas Gershmans (left), 7, along with Stonewall resident Wyatt Mitchell (centre), 9, and Alyssa Gusta (right), 7, from Thalberg Manitoba all make their way around a frozen racetrack on Lake Winnipeg. 

By Austin Grabish, The Express Weekly News 

If you were looking to have some winter fun Winnipeg Beach was the place to be last weekend.

Hundreds came out to the 49^th annual Wonderful Winter Weekend to take in some of the activities that were jam-packed into the weekend’s schedule.

Curling, snowmobile races, skating, ice fishing, horse-drawn wagon rides and a chili contest were just a few of the many activities that took place on the long weekend.

Dozens of ice fishing shacks were set up on Lake Winnipeg for the annual Winnipeg Beach Firefighters’ Association Fishing Derby.

Fishers braved the cold for the competition and a total of nice fish has been caught at the derby when the Express stopped by early Sunday afternoon. 

Organizer Steve Gerbrandt said the fishing derby continues to go strong every year.

He said funds raised from the derby’s canteen will go to the breakfast program at Winnipeg Beach School, and money from derby tickets sold will go to a community group at a later time.

“If something comes up we just give,” Gerbrandt said.

Gerbrandt said Winnipeg Beach public works staff made the derby possible by prepping the ice on the lake.

He said the staff cleared space for the derby and flooded cracks on the lake to make it safe.

While fishers waited patiently in hopes of getting a catch youngsters raced sleds nearby on another part of the lake.

Kids aged four – 14 came out to race on the lake.

Dave Cole, the president of the Manitoba Mini Sled Racers’ Association said kids in the group had so much fun they’d come back next year.

“Great really really good,” Cole said when answering a reporter’s question about how the day went.

It was the group’s first time racing in Winnipeg Beach.  

Winnipeg resident Troy Smith made the trip out to the lake to kiteboard with a friend.

He said a windy Sunday made for a great day of kiteboarding.

“It’s all about getting in the right zone,” Smith said.

“Today’s beautiful not cold for us anyway lots of wind out here.”

Temperatures on Sunday hovered just under -30 C with the wind chill in Gimli according to Environment Canada.

But no one the Express talked to complained about the weather, at least on the record.

-- First published in the Express Weekly News print edition February 19, 2015 p.12