An urban escape is just a stone’s throw away
Winnipeg’s rivers, creeks offer wilderness right in the city
WINNIPEG — The deer raised its head and froze, silent and still amid the tall grass on the river shoreline, as two canoeists drifted by.
It’s a scene played out in wilderness areas across Canada. But this is roughly one kilometre from downtown Winnipeg, arguably the most paddle-friendly city in the country.
Four rivers cut through the Manitoba capital. There are countless access points, official and otherwise, that offer residents a quick journey from downtown office buildings or suburban homes to the lush green shorelines and wildlife-filled waterways.
“It’s great. You can go all of the sudden from a residential area to an escape,” said Charles Burchill, an enthusiast and instructor who, aided by his four canoes, has mapped out several dozen places in the city where people can drop in their canoe, kayak or paddle board.
The rivers offer a view of the city that’s completely different from the bustling streets just a stone’s throw from the shoreline. In the river valleys, you take in green forests on the shore and hear the gurgling sound of the water.
Each river has its own personality and offers a different experience. The Red, which comes from the south, is akin to a wide aquatic autobahn — a strong current means fast speeds downstream and there are often motorboats rushing by. It’s a busy river used by, among others, a rowing club just south of downtown.
Bu the Assiniboine, coming from the west, usually has the fastest current. In two hours, it can bring you from the wilderness at city limits past parks, residential backyards and the provincial legislature, right into the heart of downtown.
The Seine — much smaller, narrower and shallower — offers a quieter, meandering ride through a green belt before emptying into the Red. It’s the Sunday drive of rivers and can take eight hours or more to navigate.
The fourth river — the Lasalle — lies almost entirely outside city limits and empties into the Red on Winnipeg’s southern edge. Its current can be quite strong, depending on the time of year, and it offers more wilderness than the other waterways.