In just a few days, summer will officially be here. Is there anything better than celebrating with a picnic in a park?

The supplies

To stock up, head to Bothwell Cheese and choose from their wide selection of local products. I love the Cocina corn chips, made right in Sainte-Anne, Manitoba. On the bread side of things, you can find baguettes from La Belle Baguette right at Bothwell if you don’t have the time to go to the actual bakery on De La Cathédrale avenue. Of course, in my basket, I’ll have Bothwell cheese.

For fresh produce, fruits and veggies, St-Léon Gardens is the best place to go. I have never tried kombucha but Prism, brewed in Manitoba and owned exclusively by St-Léon Gardens, seems to be the right choice for a first experience!

For dessert, there are treats from the St-Pierre Bakery sold at St-Léon Gardens. Another option would be a pastry from Le Croissant on Taché ave, or a milkshake from Colosimo, the new coffee shop on Provencher!

Where to?

The errands are done, now to the park: Whittier Park, Provencher Park, Happyland Park on Marion street, or St. Vital Park.

Some of the parks have tables and benches, but just to be extra prepared might as well bring a blanket !

A trail in Saint-Vital

What now?

You can stretch your legs and take advantage of the numerous trails and paths in Saint-Boniface and Saint-Vital, find some historical buildings, see the painted bridges on the river Seine (here’s the map), do some geocaching… Or grab some ice cream !