Eastman Stories

Things to do with the Family During Spring Break

Spring is here, and with it, Spring Break.

By Eastman Tourism

March 26, 2021
Read time: 25 min

Spring is here, and with it, Spring Break. This year, enjoy some family time while experiencing the great outdoors! With these wonderful Eastern Manitoba destinations, you and your family will have incredible adventures while indulging in quality time.

*Disclaimer*

  • Stay home if you have been travelling or do not feel well. Here is an excellent resource if you are quarantined. This will help you find people in Manitoba who are willing and able to help you while quarantined. Help Next Door Manitoba
  • Go out with people within your household, but practice social distancing (2 metres away) with other groups.
  • Please call ahead before visiting a business and inquire about their regulations to enter the building, such as capacity, sanitation, etc. Also, consider using curbside pickup where possible.
  • Please practice Leave No Trace. Clean up after yourself and leave nothing behind, such as trash and waste.

 

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Birding in Eastern MB

There are some fabulous places in the Eastman region to hunker down and do some birding. Whether you’re a pro and wanting to teach your kids the magic of birding or trying out a new family hobby, you will fall in love with this activity!

Before heading out, don’t forget your rubber boots!

The Alfred Hole Goose Sanctuary and Visitor Centre is a must when it comes to birding! This amazing park offers visitors to get up close to geese and, with their interpretive building, presents the history of the sanctuary and the biology of Canadian geese.

The Weston Family Tallgrass Prairie Interpretive Centre is a fantastic destination for birding. With 160 acres of land and home to over 1,000 species of birds, mammals, insects, grasses, and wildflowers, it promises a great family activity full of nature, and of course, birds!

Sandilands Provincial Forest is another must when it comes to birding. Close to 3,000 km, experience the sandhills, forest, and wetlands that offer a mix of many different species of birds.

Whitemouth Falls Provincial Park won’t disappoint when it comes to birding! American White Pelicans frequent the falls, and the park is known as a provincially significant staging and migration area for the Great Gray Owls.

Wherever you go to experience the incredible activity of birding, you and your family will have a great time while creating lasting memories.

 

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Experience Some of Eastman’s Small Treasures

There’s always something to do in Eastern Manitoba, and with these gems, you can experience something like never before!

The Tourond Creek Discovery Centre is a fantastic outdoor environment to explore! While here, you can discover the diversity of plants and animal species, take in the breathtaking sights of grassy meadows and trails, and check out the five micro-ecosystems throughout the centre.

Niverville’s Wetlands, part of their Green Initiatives, is not only great for the environment and first-of-its-kind project in Canada but is also a breathtaking experience.

This multi-award-winning project (most recently the 2019 CAMA Environment Award – Under 20,000 Population Category) offers an experience of beauty, education, and wonder. The project started with the Town of Niverville’s decision to decommission the 12 ha Niverville Lagoon System (that had reached the end of its life) in a responsible, environment-friendly way. Native Plant Solutions came to Niverville to propose an in situ treatment of bio-solids (sludge) using Phyto- and bio-remediation, and with that, the Niverville Wetlands were born.

The Wetlands are thriving, and development for visitors of the land continues. In 2018, 270 trees were planted, a viewing hill constructed, an educational kiosk along the Crow Wing Trail was added, and walking paths that connect to soccer fields, the splash pad and Wetlands interpretative recreational park were developed.

The Top of the World trail is perfect for those looking for an ‘out of this world’ sight or photo! This trail is 4 km and leads to the highest elevation in Falcon Lake. The view is awestriking and provides a lookout above Falcon Lake.

The Centre of Canada is located right here in Eastern Manitoba in Tache! Tache marks where East and West meet, creating the center of Canada – longitudinal 96° 48’ 35. This 20-acre park is the perfect place to celebrate Canada! Trek along the landscaped paths and examine the interpretive plaques, enjoy a picnic by the “Little Canada” natural playground, and simply immerse yourself in the feeling of being in the center of our beautiful country.

 

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Geocaching in Sunrise Corner

What better activity to do with your friends and family than geocaching? And going on this treasure hunt is never better than when you’re in the Sunrise Corner!

With more than ten caches waiting to be found, you’ll spend hours having fun, exploring nature, and leave with amazing treasures! But remember, there is an etiquette to geocaching. If you take anything from the cache, you must replace it. For additional information about the etiquette of geocaching, visit our blog, Hot This Week: Geocaching.

While out on your hunt, it’s more than just searching for the caches. Many of the caches are near the RMs of Stuartburn and Piney’s local attractions and historical sites.

Try Out Some Workshops

Nothing creates better memories than learning a new skill together. With these businesses offering workshops and classes, you can learn a new hobby and have a whole lot of fun!

With Borealis Beading, you can learn the art and skill of 2-needle beading along with the cultural and historical significance to the Metis people. Owned and operated by Melanie Gamache, a Manitoba Métis beadwork artisan who started beading in 2015, you will be taken down a path of art, culture, and history.

Bridgehill Pottery Workshop is dedicated to helping you develop your “voice” through design. With these three-hour sessions, learn about pottery and honing in on your creative side!

Prairie Shore Botanicals wants to teach you what useful plants are growing on your land! Attend their classes to learn what you can eat, plant identification, family foraging and wilderness skills, willow basket workshop, and reed basket workshops. Or even take a few of their online classes!

 

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Visit Some Farms

Get those cowboy boots on; you’re heading to the farm! With these ranches and farms, you can learn all about farming, horseback riding and enjoy the outdoors in a whole new way.

Green Pastures Farm offers a variety of workshops for all to love! Learn how to make your own wool comforter. Be guided through the process of the traditional skill of hand-stitching a wool duvet, use wool produced on their farm and even visit the sheep farm.

Partake in creating your own pair of sheepskin-filled, moose-hide moccasins. This all-day workshop will take you through hand stitching leather, using sheepskin from their farm, and using durable moose-hide to create the comfiest pair of slippers.

Or get the full farm experience. For small school or youth groups, you can learn about a variety of topics like Equine Leadership, nature, working with wool, caring for sheep and lambs, gardening, and more.

Want to feel like you’re on cloud 9? Well, look no further! At Cloud 9 Ranch, you can have an incredible day interacting with and riding horses. They offer various services like lessons, camps, therapy rides, and more.

 

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