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travel / adventure zone
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| Photo courtesy the Winnipeg Foundation |
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Leone Banks, Kathleen Leathers, Sheila Spence and Wendy Wilson
are intrepid explorers of Winnipeg's urban pathways. The
foursome first shared their love of walking and their city's
finest routes in their Canadian best-seller Winnipeg Walks,
published in 1998. Their goal — to get Manitobans moving — also
inspired Prairie Pathfinders Inc., an all-season walking group
that hits the city's walkways Monday and Tuesday mornings.
The city dubbed "Winterpeg" may be best known for
its record-breaking wind chill and brutal temperatures, but it also
ranks as the second-sunniest winter spot in Canada. The city's
clear blue skies are the silver lining that motivates the Prairie
Pathfinders, which currently boasts close to 600 members, to make
a bi-weekly adventure of the city's wilderness and nature
trails. December outings, such as a 3.3-kilometre nature hike along
the Cedar Bog Trail in nearby Birds Hill Provincial Park; a visit
to the 700-acre Assiniboine Forest, Canada's largest urban
park; a stroll around The Forks past storied downtown hallmarks
such as Union Station and the Fort Garry Hotel, prove that for weather-hardy
Winnipeggers, outdoor adventure is as near as the neighbourhood
sidewalk. In the New Year, the group teams up with
local environmentalists at Save Our Seine for a January 14 hike
along the city's frozen Seine River. On February 4, the Pathfinders
are once again walking the frozen LaSalle River in conjunction with
the St. Norbert Heritage Trails Association.
The co-founders share both administrative and active duties
for the Pathfinders' events and since founding the Prairie
Pathfinders, they've published two additional popular
walking guides, Manitoba Walks and Manitoba Picnic
Perfect.
For a $20 fee, members receive a detailed walking schedule,
which allows them to pick and choose preferred dates and routes.
For information about the Prairie Pathfinders and their year-round
events, visit www.prairiepathfinders.mb.ca
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