As Manitoba heads into a bitterly cold stretch of the season, the tourism industry has put out a call for residents to embrace — and explore — the bone-chilling beauty.
Travel Manitoba has highlighted some areas for residents to consider adding to their travel list, no matter what the weather.
Wandering through the winter
Travel Manitoba CEO Colin Ferguson said there are numerous areas to take advantage of, while the mercury is below zero.
“I would say our largest growing tourism activity right now is hard water adventure, which is ice fishing,” Ferguson said.
“There are tons of Millennials out there. We have about 100,000 lakes in Manitoba. It’s not surprising people will be fishing on them,” he said.
Ferguson noted there is one key thing to do in order to enjoy the winter.
“Dress for it. Get out and enjoy it. Snowmobiling, cross country skiing and downhill skiing,” he said.
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Museums
Ferguson said there are about 230 museums for residents to explore, even if it’s for not what’s inside the building.
“The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is incredible. Even if you don’t like the subject matter, the building itself is a remarkable tour.”
“There’s the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre in Morden. It gives you the opportunity to see numerous aquatic dinosaurs which are 80 to 90-million-years-old,” Ferguson added.
WATCH: Exploring the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre
Festivals
While the province is known for summer festivals, Ferguson noted there is something going on in any given season.
“Coming up very shortly is the 50th Festival du Voyageur, even if you have been there a long time ago, I would explore it again and explore the French culture, cuisine and brews,” Ferguson said.
“There’s also the Trappers Festival up in The Pas, Folklorama, Folk Fest, Dauphin Country Music Fest. There is an event in virtually every part of this province,” he said.
WATCH: A look back at how Dauphin Country Music Fest has changed over the years
Northern Lights
Many people have experiencing the Northern Lights as an item on their bucket list, and Manitoba has quite a few days where that’s possible.
“There’s about 300 days of the year when you can see the lights in parts of Manitoba. The province is recognized as probably one of the top three places to see the lights in the world,” Ferguson noted.
Customize your trip
Travel Manitoba encourages anyone that could be looking for a more custom trip to get in touch.
“You can challenge our very well-educated travel counselors to find a bucket list adventure that fits your needs, budget and people you may be bringing along with you,” Ferguson said.
To find out more about hot (or cold) spots and ways to explore the province, you can visit Travel Manitoba’s website.
WATCH: Getting your bucket list trips ready with Travel Manitoba