Whyte Ridge summer carnival a success

Whyte Ridge

While it was a little cool and windy on the afternoon of Aug. 24, more than 250 people attended the Whyte Ridge Community Centre (WRCC) summer carnival for some family fun.

The carnival has been almost an annual event in the community for about 30 years, with initial events being held at the Whyte Ridge Elementary School, before the WRCC became fully functional. It’s one of the core events that really does reflect the main purpose of the community centre – to bring families and neighbours together to get to know each other and have fun, with sports, games, food and music.

Activities at the carnival included bubble soccer, with players playing inside inflatable bubbles, as well as mini golf, a hockey shoot, a giant Connect 4, an indoor play structure, glitter tattoos and crafts for the kids. Buzz and Boomer from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were a huge hit and put smiles on everyone’s faces, with live entertainment provided by Red Road Music Company.

The food was donated by Sobey’s Kenaston, who also provided a volunteer team to cook the more than 500 hotdogs and hand out the chips and drinks. MLA Obby Khan, MP Ben Carr, and Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West) were in attendance playing games, cooking hot dogs, and blowing bubbles with community members.

The WRCC board sends a big ‘thank you’ to all the volunteers and sponsors that helped to make the event a success. The next big event being planned is the winter carnival on Jan. 11, 2026, but there’s also a quiz night on Jan. 24, 2026, and a wine tasting night on Feb. 28, 2026.

September is typically a busy month for program registrations at the WRCC, with youth programs including indoor soccer, volleyball, badminton, basketball, and rhythmic gymnastics, and adult programs including pilates, restorative yoga, line dancing, nature and wellness, and general fitness classes.

In terms of site development plans, the WRCC is hoping to resurface the outdoor basketball court with its partner Winnipeg Minor Basketball Association. This is a massively popular facility in the summer that was installed about 20 years ago. Efforts continue to improve the grounds, with new projects planned to plant trees at the WRCC and in various community parks. In terms of the WRCC building, plans include improving the outside lighting to enhance usability and safety, with improvements to the inside space including replacement of the flooring in the multi-purpose room, new blinds for the foyer, and improvements to acoustics.

The WRCC board are always looking for anyone interested in helping to make events successful, or any suggestions on how to make the community centre even more enjoyable, through contacting office@whyteridge.ca anytime.