Things to Do in Winnipeg

At the five-star, PADI-authorized training facility, certified instructors teach recreational and technical diving skills in classes that range from introductory dive lessons to Divemaster accreditation courses. PADI Discover Scuba sessions let sub-aquatic hobbyists dive into the world of underwater inhalation without any previous experience, and open-water certification classes test candidates with course materials, pool trainings, and four open-water dives at West Hawk Lake, mortal enemy of East Falcon Lagoon. Along with certification courses, Underworld Scuba & Sport trains people in specialties such as cavern diving, wreck diving, and ice diving. When staffers aren't readying the next generation of divers, they lead trips to Grand Cayman and Bonaire or supply customers with brand name diving gear in the shop.

For 29 years, Cinematheque, which is operated by The Winnipeg Film Group, has devoted itself to screening a wide variety of independent and international films while exposing audiences to local filmmakers and special events. The intimately sized theatre's vast programming includes restored 35mm classics, contemporary Canadian and aboriginal films, and films that demonstrate unique and innovative approaches to the art of cinema. During weekly and one-off presentations, special guests such as directors, actors, and scholars place selected works into context by explaining the director's intentions, the film's impact on other filmmakers, and why dogs were used on set instead of ottomans. Similarly, the ongoing Cinema Lounge: Critical Dialogue on Canadian Cinema series features Canadian artists introducing a contemporary or classic Canadian film that has personally shaped their career, thus encouraging a public debate about the film's importance and influence.

Inside the Windsor Park Shopping Center, Windsor Bowling Lanes provides invigorating breaks from power shopping with a series of backlit Brunswick lanes. The five-pin lanes boast newly renovated surfaces, which leave few excuses for gutterballs but provide an excellent opportunity to hone curves. Overhead flat-screen monitors track the in-game action, and a video jukebox prompts adrenalin surges by filling the alley with inspirational ballads. Leagues are available throughout the week for children, adults, and seniors. The alley also takes on incandescent hues on select nights during cosmic bowl, simulating the rainbow-coloured dreams of My Little Ponies.

The bowler releases the ball so smoothly that it barely makes a sound upon hitting the lane, heightening the crack when the ball finally collides with the pins. You can witness this scene at Academy Bowling Lanes' trio of locations—Academy Lanes, Academy Lanes West, and Billy Mosienko Lanes—where Brunswick automatic-scoring systems record each roll down the alleys' polished lanes. Bumpers are on hand to clog the gutters and improve scores. On select evenings, the concourses transform into a cosmic-bowling arena with laser systems, black lights, fog machines, and music leading up the night's closing event, the landing of a real spacecraft. Food and bar services supply guests with refreshments such as pizza, popcorn, and fountain pop.

World Soccer Academy's goal is to elevate Canadian soccer to an elite level with training regimens culled from the world's finest soccer programs. The Academy instills sound fundamentals in young trainees with the help of the Coerver Method, a methodology developed by the late Dutch soccer manager Wiel Coerver designed to develop skills in a pyramidal fashion, beginning with individual ball-handling and advancing to more nuanced material, such as group attack tactics and covert hand-balling.

Though committed to fostering young talent, the Academy's seven-stage player development program prescribes proper training methods for players of all ages. The Academy also sponsors WSA Winnipeg, a team of elite players that compete against squads from Toronto, Michigan, and St. Louis in the USL Premier Development League.

A quarter-kilometre track serves as Speedworld’s centerpiece, goading drivers around nine turns ranging from wide sweeping bends to hairpin curves. The straightaways allow easy passing for the track’s fleet of vehicles, which include sprint cars that accelerate up to 40 km/h and race karts that max out at 50 km/h. 13-horsepower Honda engines power the cars and propel drivers across the finish line as the ChronX automatic timing system documents their journey more swiftly than an hourglass containing only one grain of sand.

Outside the driver’s seat, visitors can cheer on other racers from a viewing area framed in floor-to-ceiling windows and sound-insulated walls that block out the sound of rival fans cheering from the track. A mezzanine area outfitted with a refrigerator and microwave can seat parties of 7–30, rendering it an ideal venue for birthday parties, corporate events, or car-eating truck-rally monsters trying to stick to their diets.