Take a walk on the whorl'd side: winter 'Helix Path' takes shape along Assiniboine River

A group of friends has again bandedtogether this winter to make a small spot along theAssiniboine River in Winnipeg a peaceful and safe outdoors destination for COVID-19-weary wanderers.

Part meeting spot, part poetry contest, a DNA-strand-shaped snow path is now a feature on the river near the boat dock at Hugo Street at Wellington Crescent.

Dubbed "the Helix Path at Hugo Dock" by co-creator Hazel Borys, the goal of the infinity-symbol pathway is to give people a "fun and playful" meditative space where it's safe to enjoy the outdoors over winter, Borys said.

Borys, the president of PlaceMakers, a multi-faceted international urban design and planning firm, said the well-treed spot is ideal to reduce stress.

"Being outside in every season helps make you a healthier, happier human," she told CBC in an interview at the path Tuesday.

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Visitors will find the path adorned with nearly 60 ice lanterns and movable chairs to relax in.

"It kind of becomes a living room on the Assiniboine River," said Borys. She said she hopes the site also helps people's understanding of the health and well-being of the city's rivers and the need to protect water.

Last winter, Borys and her group of friends shovelled out a serpentine maze in the snow at the site, decorating it with frozen sculptures and donated art.

She said a poetry contest, running again this year, saw submissions come from all over the world. Winning entries will be displayed, frozen into ice blocks which will remain at the site for visitors to read through the winter.

This year's theme is "light"and can be emailed to Borys at wintercities@placemakers.com. Borys askedthat entries be able to fit on a standard 8.5-by-11-inch sheet of paper at a 25-point font.

The path project is on major social media platforms (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook) under the hashtag #beherewinnipeg.