Nu Food Coming Soon

After being voted top burger by Le Burger Week Winnipeg for the fourth year in a row, we are counting down the days until Nuburger joins The Forks Market as our newest tenant to the Food Hall this November.

Their deliciously fresh, local burgers are a great addition to the Food Hall and really highlight what we are about here at The Forks- really delicious, local food. We want to showcase the best of Winnipeg, and Nuburger is part of that

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Manitoba-born and-raised co-founders Marc Priestley and Kyle Matheson, opened their first Nuburger location in 2011, with a focus on locally sourced ingredients.  They have been featured on television shows You Gotta Eat Here!, Prairie Dinner, and One Dish as well as the Canstars The Best of Winnipeg feature three years in a row.

The guys at Nuburger are just as thrilled as we are about being a part of The Forks Market. For them, they say it's like getting to be part of Winnipeg culture. And you can expect the same great flavours that they offer in their full-service restaurants but in an express kiosk.

Nuburger is scheduled to be flipping burgers in their new location starting this November. Stay tuned on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and theforks.com for the official open date.

All potential new food tenants are selected initially by a Food Hall committee, through a rolling Request For Proposals. The committee is made up of active Winnipeggers in the food community. 

Railway Days: History & Technology at the Winnipeg Railway Museum

It’s Railway Days at The Forks again this September when the Winnipeg Railway Museum celebrates our railway heritage, technology and culture on tracks one and two at Via Union Station.

Winnipeg’s importance in western Canada was cemented when the Canadian Pacific Railway built here and the old fur trading post became the new centre for banking, construction and agriculture. Our two major railways moved the lifeblood of commerce through Canada and beyond bringing goods to a growing city and beyond.

The jewel of our collection is the Countess of Dufferin, a little American Standard steam locomotive brought here by barge in 1877 to build track between Thunder Bay and Golden, British Columbia.

A visit with Railway Royalty, the Countess of Dufferin, CPR number 1. She's the first steam locomotive on the Canadian Prairies.

Not only is she important historically, she’s a living example of a truly North American technology. European locomotives of the time were small and delicate, built for short distances and smooth track. The American Standard, by contrast, was built for thousands of miles of rough track. Big boned and robust, tough and rugged, all the working parts placed outside the frame, they provided a stable, reliable engine for long haul and heavy haul.

Over the years, bigger and faster locomotives pulled longer and heavier trains delivering untold millions of passengers and billions of dollars worth of freight to stations and ports all across Canada.

The railways replaced steamers with diesels over 50 years ago but their legacy lives on in popular music. Anyone who’s ever heard Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash or Bring It On Home by legendary bluesman Willie Dixon will hear the unmistakable rhythms of a steam locomotive moving the song along.

Our summer student Jeremy Leathers shows some of our visitors the machinery that the railways use to build and maintain track. The rails must be kept clean and dry so that steel wheeled trains can run well on them. The result is an energy efficient system for long haul and heavy haul.

Come out and visit us. Take an up close and personal look at a technology that really changed the world.

Railway Days takes place September 17^th and 18^th on Tracks One and Two Via Union Station, 123 Main Street. We’re open from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, admission by donation. Hope to see you there.

Other posts that might interest you:

• The WRENCH: Learn How to Maintain Your New Bike
• Oodena Celebration Circle: Observing the Stars
• Prairie Garden: 8000 Years of Growth

The WRENCH: Learn How to Maintain Your New Bike

Recently, I found myself in need of a new bike. All summer, I’ve walked past The WRENCH pop up bike shop at The Forks, so it seemed like the perfect occasion to stop by and see what it’s all about.

The WRENCH provides mentorship to build, repair and maintain a bike. They have recycled bikes for sale and have experienced mechanics on hand to help you tune up your own bike. All bikes and parts are donated or ‘saved’ from the Brady landfill (how cool is that?).

Buying a new bike can be a bit overwhelming. There are a lot of bikes to choose from: cruiser, 10-speed, mountain bike, hybrid—it’s hard to know what works for you. I knew I wanted a bike to go to and from work and for evening and weekend cruising around town. Something comfortable and light, as I often have to haul it upstairs and maneuver it in elevators (part of both urban life and a complete cycling workout!).

The best way to try out a bike is to ride it and see how it feels. They had so many different kinds of bikes! It was good to get a feel for each one.

After a bit of deliberation, I selected this vintage green Sears cruiser. It was the perfect size and a light frame. But the seat wasn’t doing it for me — and this is the best part of The WRENCH…

You can modify and work on your bike right there! Out back, there is a train car full of bike parts to customize your bike to exactly your needs and taste. I found a very comfortable vintage seat and changed it MYSELF. The beauty of The WRENCH is that their experienced mechanics will teach you the skills needed to take care of your bike.

The WRENCH will be at The Forks every Sunday 11-4 from now until the end of September. You can follow cycling maps from all corners of the city leading to The Forks. We have lots of warm beautiful fall weather ahead, so ride on down to The Forks, get a tune up and check out what other cool recycled bikes they have!

Ride on!

Lindsay Somers is an urban lifestyle health expert. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram. All photos by Luckygirl Photography.

Other posts that might interest you:

• Getting Cool for School: Back-to-school Shopping at The Forks
• Three Ways to Active Play at The Forks
• Prairie Garden: 8000 Years of Growth

Soaking in Summer's Last Long Weekend

Oh, how we're going to miss the long days in the summer sun, biking around, and sipping caesars on the patio with friends. The air is starting to cool down, the sun is starting to set earlier, and the leaves are slowly changing from rich green to a yellow-ish tinge. 

BUT – it's not over yet! Luckily, we have one last weekend to adventure in the summer air, so let's make it the best one yet. 

Here are our top 5 things to do at The Forks this long weekend:

1. Take a photo-walk

A photo posted by Jessica Kalinski (@jkalphoto) on Aug 29, 2016 at 10:05pm PDT

It's beginning to feel all too real that summer doesn't last forever, so capture the memories while you can – especially in the gorgeous summer/fall lighting. Grab some friends, your camera or phone and snap away around The Forks. Be sure to tag The Forks on Instagram (@theforkswinnipeg) when sharing them with friends.

2. Drop a line

A photo posted by J Daniels (@jpox) on Aug 19, 2016 at 4:03am PDT

One of the best things about summer is the bragging rights of getting the catch of the season. Pack up your jigs and fishing poles, and pull up a chair with us along the Assiniboine River for the Fall Fishing Derby this Saturday. Registration starts at 9:00 a.m. under The Canopy. 

3. Go to the beach

A photo posted by Jordan Johnsen (@jordan_johnsen) on Jun 7, 2016 at 3:13pm PDT

Just because you're in the middle of Winnipeg for the long weekend, doesn't mean you can't take a trip to the beach. Grab an ice cream from Neon Cone and good book from Forks Trading Co. and snag a deck on the Beachscape. 

4. Spruce up the school bag

A photo posted by Generation Green (@generationgreenwpg) on Aug 3, 2016 at 5:18pm PDT

Okay, we know, you don't want to think about going back to school or your last long-weekend of freedom. But, school-supply shopping can be fun – we promise! Especially when your picking up eco-friendly goodies from Generation Green. 

5. Dance the weekend away

A photo posted by ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The Forks (@theforkswinnipeg) on Jun 20, 2015 at 2:37pm PDT

Take a walk down to Oodena Celebration Circle to see the Founding Nations Pow Wow. This will be their last one of the summer, so come soak in all the beauty of the colours, dancing and celebration of culture.

Whatever you do this weekend, have a blast and make the best of it!

Other posts that might interest you:

• Getting Cool for School: Back-to-school Shopping at The Forks
• Oodena Celebration Circle: Observing the Stars
• Prairie Garden: 8000 Years of Growth