La Broquerie skating trail open for season

A southeastern Manitoba municipality’s ice skating trail is open for the season.

The Rural Municipality of La Broquerie’s winter trail was ready for skaters on Jan. 9. The nearly 500 metre trail is located behind La Broquerie’s HyLife Centre along the Tetrault Park trail.

“It’s an awesome opportunity to have something local and close where people can come and skate outside in a beautiful environment and to be able to get some exercise and meet up with friends and family,” said Ian Dickey, the RM’s leisure services programmer.

Crews were flooding the ice and clearing snow throughout December to get the trail ready for skaters, he said. La Broquerie has operated the winter trail since 2020, but keeping it open is weather dependent, Dickey said. Two years ago, the trail couldn’t open because of the abnormally warm January, he noted.

He’s noticed both local residents and people from other communities have taken advantage of the trail when it’s open. Haybales are scattered along the ice for people to lace up their skates so they don’t have to walk across asphalt and damage their blades, he said. Municipal staff regularly check the conditions of the ice and will put notices out if the ice is unsafe for use, Dickey said.