January 20. 2022 (3 Minute Read)
By Nicole Cedrone, Managing Editor of Community and Culture Events
Canadian winters can be long, cold and depressing, especially when the days are short, and the nights are long. Once again, the pandemic is making the matters worse.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
With the pandemic lockdowns, some people could be excused for thinking that there was nothing to do. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
The good news is that the City of Brampton has plenty of outdoor activities for residents to enjoy in a safe and friendly environment.
Mayor Patrick Brown has been a vocal supporter for keeping outdoor activities available throughout the pandemic to keep people mentally and physically healthy. Winter is especially challenging given the fewer opportunities for residents to enjoy outdoor activities. For his part, Mayor Brown is committed to keeping outdoor options available.
Mayor Brown states, “Brampton is building outdoor amenities across the city as we want to have many outdoor options for residents to use. It’s great for physical health and mental health.”
Brampton’s Outdoor Activities include:
- Outdoor Skating Rinks: Mount Pleasant, Gage Park, Gore Meadows, Chinguacousy Park, Flower City, Earnscliffe and Jim Archdekin will have operating hours extended from 10 am to 10 pm.
- Outdoor Walking Programs: Residents can walk, play and enjoy Brampton Recreation’s outdoor walking programs which are led by trained instructors. Programs are dependent on weather as they require cleared pathways and registration is required. Programs include: Family Hike and Scavenger Hunt (all ages), Nordic Walking (ages 14+ and 55+), and, Walk and Tone Drop-In Sessions (ages 14+ and 55+).
- Mount Chinguacousy drop-in skiing, snowboarding and tubing opened on January 14, 2021, weather and snow conditions permitting. Masks are required while in the chalet (to purchase tickets and for rentals) and while waiting for the ski lift line. Other safety measures are listed on the City’s website.
Families can also enjoy:
- Free outdoor games and activities including archery and frisbee disc golf.
- Recreational trails and sports fields. Enjoy a beautiful winter stroll through one of Brampton’s recreational trails and enjoy the city’s outdoor sports fields and fitness equipment this winter. All main recreational trails and outdoor fitness equipment remain open and are maintained through the season.
- Select outdoor fields and courts also remain open for soccer, basketball, tennis and ball hockey (weather conditions permitting).
- The city also offers live virtual workouts where you can join 55-minute live virtual workouts with trained fitness instructors for free and from the comfort of your own home. The city is now taking registration for the following classes: Power Sculpt, Zumba TM, Bootcamp and Meditate and Rejuvenate.
There are lots of activities for children too including the Winter-in-the-Park After School Drop-In Program, where children and youth aged 6 to 14 are invited to enjoy instructor-led outdoor games and activities at select locations.
Don’t let the winter, or the pandemic, get you down!
Get out and enjoy Brampton’s many opportunities to help beat the winter blahs.