WINNIPEG’S winter sport enthusiasts have more places to go for a ski, snowshoe or hike now that Winnipeg Trails has broken ground on more than 30 cross-country ski and walking loops in neighbourhoods around the city.

“One of the most beautiful things about winter is the new trails that it opens up for people,” said executive director Anders Swanson.

“It basically creates bridges all over the city on a temporary basis. So it inspired us to see what we could do about increasing access to trails, at least for the winter, in places close to people’s homes.”

Planning for the extra trails began in July as Winnipeg Trails started thinking about what a second wave of COVID-19 cases and lockdown rules would mean for Winnipeggers this winter.

“The idea ultimately comes from the need for human beings to connect, and it turns out one of the few places we can do that has been outside,” Swanson said.

“We are in the business of community-building more than anything else. We do that by connecting people with safe and comfortable ways to be outside and to move so that we can see each other face to face.”

More than 30 sites are underway in neighbourhoods such as St. Boniface, Dufferin, Garden City and Tuxedo. Dozens more approved by the city are still to come.

“The whole point of this project was to make sure there was some winter fun near you for Winnipeggers; there are sites in every neighbourhood basically,” Swanson said. The trails are built and maintained by a team of volunteers, Swanson said. The crew can make three or four trails a day, and the sites come with benches and sculptures — built of snow, of course — for visitors to use to put on skis or sit for a cup of cocoa.

The trails are made by a machine Swanson describes as the “Swiss army knife of trail building.” It looks like a snowmobile cut in half, he said, and can be fitted with different attachments to carve out ski trails or pack snow for walking and biking. The broader Winterpeg project is designed to “spark a little joy” in the city, Swanson said. For those who may not be into skiing, there are opportunities to walk, bike, snowshoe, build snowmen or ice candles, among activities showcased on the organization’s website.