When most people think of CentrePort Canada, they picture industrial warehouses, construction sites, and transport trucks, but there are tons of fun things to do, taste, and discover for a great day in CentrePort.
Last year, we published an article called Savour the Summer in CentrePort Canda – encouraging people to check out the fun things to do here. This summer, we (Casey and Phaedra) took our own advice and spent a full day exploring the hidden gems, tourist attractions, and one-of-a-kind adventures waiting for you in CentrePort Canada.
Tim Hortons
The CentrePort Tims is a popular spot for construction workers and employees from CentrePort businesses to pick up a coffee or a doughnut before they start their workday. This sounded like the perfect place for us to start too.
July 15th also happened to be Camp Day where every hot or iced coffee purchased supports Tims Camps for underserved youth.
At 8:30 a.m., we pulled up to the local Tims, ordered coffees and bagels, and bought bracelets in support of Tims Camps, before heading to Little Mountain Park to walk the trails and meet some furry friends.
Little Mountain Park
Klimpke Rd., NW of Route 90 & Inkster Blvd
Little Mountain Park is a 160-acre nature-lover’s dream. We met a couple of women and their pups right away who kindly lent us their bug spray (a must-bring!) and gave us an incredibly helpful tip: Little Mountain Park is one big square. If you get lost, just find the periphery of the park and you’ll be reoriented right away.
It seemed like everyone at Little Mountain Park had a dog. It’s a beautiful and quiet off-leash park with winding pathways, wildflowers, birdsong, and friendly folks. There are even quiet picnic spots and firepits if you decide to bring along a bite to eat.
The “Cement Cemetery”
Off of Sturgeon Rd. between Park Royal Way & Prairie Dog Trail
Next, we ventured to a real hidden gem fondly nicknamed the “Cement Cemetery.”
Once part of a cement plant, this abandoned industrial site features rows of tall concrete pillars rising from the ground. It’s a very short walk from Sturgeon Road by foot, but probably easier to access in the Spring when the grass and wildflowers aren’t so high. Still, it’s something you can’t really find anywhere else, and would be fun to climb (for the more adventurous) and take photos at.
We recommend wearing runners and checking yourself for ticks after you go, just in case!
Prairie Dog Central Railway
Inkster Junction Station, 64099 Prairie Dog Trail
Just across from the “Cement Cemetery,” passengers were getting ready to board The Summer Fun Train at Prairie Dog Central Railway. Owned and operated by The Vintage Locomotive Society Inc. (VLS), this short line railway is one of the oldest, regularly scheduled operating locomotives in North America.
Families and daycare groups played on the play structure, checked out the souvenir shop and photo booth, and posed for pictures with special guests Spiderman and Deadpool (well-known railway enthusiasts, we hear).
Prairie Dog Central Railway has train rides all summer with fun themes like K-Pop Demon Hunters, Christmas in July and the Blue Bomber Alumni Train. Trains depart from Inkster Junction Station on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 11 AM and Fridays at 6:30 PM.
This is a super fun way to spend a few hours and experience the thrill of riding an old steam engine in rural Manitoba.
The Players Course
We waved goodbye to the passengers on the train and drove next door to The Players Course, Winnipeg’s finest nine-hole golf course, to grab some lunch. The Players Course is 100% First-Nation owned and is operated by Shawano Wapunong Investments Corp., a CentrePort Canada Partner.
If you don’t have time for a game, we recommend stopping in for a meal. The Players Course restaurant, Chrissea’s, has great food, good sized portions, fast service, and the patio overlooks the beautiful course.
One of the staff and an avid golfer, Emerson, was kind enough to drive us around on a golf cart to show us the course. Pro-tip: if you’re looking for a fun challenge, there is a massive tree in the middle of the fairway at hole 5 that you’ll need to clear if you want to shave a few strokes off your game.
Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada
After lunch we drove to the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada. Completely renovated in 2022, the Museum is a stunning collection of interactive exhibits and truly eclectic aircrafts!
You’ll see one of the first twin engine passenger planes (just like the one Amelia Eirhardt flew), replicas of the first Canadian-made aircrafts, a Mini Bell 500 helicopter you can sit in, and a collection of military planes and fighter aircrafts. Coming soon: the museum is building an interactive full-scale, walk-in mockup of NASA’s Orion spacecraft crew capsule.
We visited during Airport Extravaganza week, when the museum is transformed into an interactive experience for young children to practice every step of the airport journey from check in to touchdown. One of the volunteers, a retired pilot named Jerry, invited us to board a plane he called “Flight 0000” that would take us wherever our imagination could go.
Speedworld Indoor Kart Track
Our second last stop was Speedworld, where we put our driving skills to the test and raced each other on 50 KPH karts. We were nervous and drove slowly at first, but by the end of the five-minute ride, we were racing as fast as we could and trying to lap each other.
We also tried the full-motion racing simulators which move just like the D-BOX seats at the movie theatres. This is a great option for anyone looking to try a race without actually having to drive the go-kart.
We were impressed that there was something here for each of us: Casey loved driving the go-karts and Phaedra preferred the SIM racing.
Torque Brewing
We arrived at our last stop of the day, Torque Brewing’s taproom, just as the World Cup semifinals game was ending. We ordered a flight of local beers and a basket of popcorn and admired Torque’s great, chill vibe. There’s plenty of seats, a small stage for events (it was open-mic comedy later that night), and fun games to play (like a life-size Connect Four).
Of the beers we tried, our favourites were Torque’s Roadrunner Raspberry Wheat Ale and Namesake Brewing’s Straw Dog, two of 16 beers currently available on tap. It was a perfect way to wrap up a busy, fun day.
Create Your Own CentrePort Canada Itinerary
We’d like to give a special THANK YOU to all the companies who welcomed us and showed us some of the best spots to play, learn, and hang out in CenterPort Canada this summer. We had a full, wonderful day, and there was still so much more we could have seen and done!
Create your own itinerary by reading our “Savour the Summer in CentrePort Canada” guide here.
Wishing you a wonderful summer!
Casey and Phaedra
