Brian Thiessen is stoked with how busy Morden’s Lake Minnewasta has been not only through the summer, but also during the fall and winter months.

The mild weather during the month of January has been spectacular for outdoor enthusiasts.

The Lake Minnewasta Camp Ground and Beach Host says ice fishing for black crappie has been very popular.

“It started last year when we saw a huge number of shacks on the ice,” Thiessen said. “I think it was because COVID was starting and people were wondering what they were going to do. They can spend some time on the lake and do that in small groups and still get to do some fishing.”

“It really took off,” added Thiessen. “I think that’s what has been encouraging people to come back and, of course, the beautiful weather. It’s easy enough to drill a hole and pop a line in without even needing a shelter so far.”

An ice sculpture class will be happening next month with support from Sputnik Architecture who have ice artists that do a lot of the displays at the Forks in Winnipeg.

A Crokicurl rink has just been built on the ice and Thiessen is patiently waiting for a few feet of snow to fall so trails around the lake and the toboggan hills can be groomed.

The Pembina Hills Arts Council will show an art exhibit on the trail in March and that exhibit will stay up all year round.

Thiessen noted that COVID-19 did add an extra curve to winter planning.

“We were hoping to have a 4-on-4 or 3-on-3 hockey tournament on the lake which would have been a lot of fun. Maybe some pond curling. That would have been a great thing to do as well. You just can't gather and that’s the thing.”

“The ice skating is something that’s always been there thanks to some public help. Levi Wiens of Elite Crushing came out with his skid steer and scraped off a great big skating area for us. This is something that gives a lot of space for people to still come out and enjoy. It gives you a lot of room between each group of people so we're not going against the public health regulations.”

“It’s been an extra challenge,” added Thiessen. “We were really hoping for a lot more. We've had to spend some time coming up with different things that we can do that could encourage people to still get outside and enjoy this beautiful weather that we've been having so far, unreal for January but still understanding the restrictions that we have in place and how we can still work with that.”