With snow finally hitting and sticking in my area for the winter, I figured it was finally time to look at some available winter activities; the cheaper the better.

Of course, 4x4 or snowmobiling are popular, but automatically off my list. They’re fun, but without a destination, it’s not as active as I would like. Plus, the extra gas and CO2 emissions just don’t sit right with me personally. Next on the list of popular winter activities are skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, tubing, and snowshoeing. I’m putting these 5 in the same category since they are all fairly similar and mostly involve a specific terrain of sorts. I definitely will be going to a mountain close by, either in Vallée du Parc in Shawinigan or Mont Gleason in Tingwick, to ski or snowshoe; depends on my mood. Lastly on the list, we have an easy favourite for everyone: skating.

“The free skating initiative is a great idea to help our mental health throughout these cold winter months when we tend to go into seclusion.”

Québec has indoor and outdoor rinks during the winter and many initiatives to be active all year. The free skating initiative is a great idea to help our mental health throughout these cold winter months when we tend to go into seclusion. I have yet to experience an outdoor rink, let alone skating *safely* on a river or pond, both of which are on my to-do list. I have gone to an indoor rink in Trois-Rivières and in Victoriaville as both rinks had free skating initiatives! If you don’t already have your own skates, then you do have to pay for rentals, but even still, it’s still really affordable as an activity for the whole family. Sadly, each time I have gone, it has mostly just been myself on the ice. While it’s nice to not worry about running into someone, I would like to see more people enjoying this fun event together. Skating with friends is a great pastime to exercise your mental health by being social without too much pressure. That being said though, any activity that gets you moving with friends is a wonderful and uplifting time. There are many indoor and outdoor arenas throughout the area available to everyone; so, this winter, grab your skates and your friends or family members and get active by going skating together! 

Main Photo Credit: Maxim Shklyaev on Unsplash