Manitoba, Canada: The Ultimate Winter Family Destination

Traveling with family means great memories and doing what you love with the people you love, and choosing the perfect destination makes it even better. So, when planning your next family vacation, look to a destination with something for everyone, like Manitoba.

Located in the heart of Canada (the longitudinal center, to be exact!), the province of Manitoba is home to year-round fun, from cultural activities and incredible culinary experiences to immersive nature and wildlife adventures. During the winter months, it is an especially magical place to explore, where you can get a true understanding of why they say in Manitoba, “You feel like you are in the middle of nowhere but at the center of everything.”

During the winter families can take advantage of great indoor activities like visiting Canadian Museum for Human Rights, a great way to facilitate some difficult but necessary conversations with kids. You can also grab the little ones and head to Canadian Fossil Discovery Center or Children’s Museum (located in the cities of Morden and Winnipeg, respectively) to make sure the kids get to have fun with both learning and playing.

Indigenous experiences are a large part of discovering the unique history and traditions of Manitoba. Locally owned restaurants like Feast Café Bistro in Winnipeg introduces you to Indigenous flavors and First Nation ingredients, while a visit to Prairies Gallery at Manitoba Museum gives the family a glimpse into the history of Manitoba’s unique ecosystem and the peoples who have forged a life here for centuries.

Family-friendly celebrations and events happen throughout the year and, although festival season doesn’t officially kick off until June with the Pride Winnipeg Festival, during the winter, you can still enjoy plenty of fun with Festival du Voyageur. This event, the largest winter festival in Western Canada, runs for more than a week each winter (this year’s festivities begin Feb. 16) celebrating the area’s French heritage and fur-trading past with entertainment, food, activities and exhibits.

If you are willing to brave the elements, winter is also a great time to get outdoors to experience the Aurora Borealis in Manitoba, where Aurora season in Manitoba peaks from January to March. Also known as the Northern Lights, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for those who don’t live in a far-north climate. It is sure to leave a lasting impression on the little ones and will likely instill a life-long love of nature, something Manitoba certainly has an abundance of.