Kenora 2014

February 2014

Winnipeggers love cottage country and we love to head out to the lakes.  When you hear people talk about “the lake,” they often refer to Grand Beach or the west side of Lake Winnipeg, including Winnipeg Beach and Gimli.  There’s also Whiteshell, Falcon Lake and West Hawk Lake, but they’re not as mainstream.  If you’ve never travelled farther east than the Manitoba, border, consider going the extra half-hour to check out Lake of the Woods and the Kenora area.

Don’t get me wrong here—I’m not trying to disparage our Manitoba lakes, but I love Kenora.  The water is pristine; the scenery is breath-taking, and now, thanks to a renaissance of restaurants, the food is fabulous. 

Now before I get too far into the food, I want to talk more about Kenora.  Most people associate lake activities with summer activities.  The Kenora area is rich with activity that extends well past the summer staples.  Over the last few years, I took in a number of beautiful winter hikes that take you through untouched forests.  Although the temperatures may hover well below zero, the abundance of forestation blocks out a lot of the wind, leaving the sun to beam on you as you wander through the trails. 

Aside from hiking, people in Northern Ontario love to ice fish and cross-country ski.  About skiing, I prefer downhill to cross-country.  Whenever I wanted to do a day trip downhilling, Holiday Mountain at La Riviere seemed my only option, although I could do Frost Fire if I wanted to cross the U.S. border.  Asessippi is too far for a day trip, at 4½ hours by car.  I never even thought of Kenora.

Today, I visited Mount Evergreen (http://www.skikenora.com/dh/), which is a mere two-hour drive from Winnipeg, and quite comparable to Holiday Mountain.  The area has full rentals, a terrain park and offers lessons.

If you prefer to stay indoors Matiowski Farmers’ Market runs once a month in winter, and every Wednesday from mid-June to early October http://www.kenora.ca/visiting/events-festivals/matiowski-farmer's-market.aspx.  The Market has a “make it, bake it or grow it” requirement, so you know the goods are local and carefully prepared.  Today, there were over 30 vendors, and the number swells to well over 100 in summer.  While I love our Farmers’ Market at St. Norbert, Matiowski offers some local goods that you cannot find here (and it’s year-round!).  Check it out—you’ll be guaranteed to find something you like!

After a full day of activity, a delicious meal is the perfect way to wrap up the evening.  This is the first year that Kenora has run Winter Bites, a food festival featuring twelve local restaurants showcasing their foods.  Winter Bites is similar to our own Ciao! Dine about Winnipeg.  Instead of having two tiers, all restaurants charge a fixed rate of $25, and you have a choice of two appetisers, two mains, and two desserts at every location.

The event runs all through February (except Valentine’s Day).  During our visit, we had the good fortunate to visit a couple of the participating restaurants.  Check them out:  The Boathouse and Bijou Steakhouse.  We also tried to check out the Best Western, but alas, they did not serve the Winter Bites menu over lunch. 

We’ve stayed at the Best Western a number of times in the past, and they’re a great facility with a great view of the city.  Of course, the view comes with a price.  If you want to save a bit of money, the Travelodge is an established location that has undergone extensive upgrades and refreshing.  They’ve very close to the heart of the city; they have an indoor and outdoor pool; and (best of all), they’re pet friendly.  And speaking of friendly, each staff member we encountered at the Travelodge provided us with exemplary treatment.  I forgot to pack the power cord to my computer and they were willing to unplug their live computer to allow me to charge up!    

Whether you come for the outdoor activities, the farmer’s market, or the food, Kenora is a great escape destination that’s only a couple of hours away by car.