WINNIPEG -- With the COVID-19 pandemic cancelling hockey leagues and closing some ski hills, one group of Winnipeggers decided to bring the fun to their backyard with their very own snowboard park.

When Mark Antonishin’s son was younger, they would use their backyard as a toboggan slide. However, as time went on, their backyard activities evolved as well.

“Basically for years, we started as a toboggan slide, and as my son got older, it evolved into a snowboard park,” Antonishin explained.

“This year, we opened the last piece of the fence and it goes all the way down to the river now.”

He said due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there wasn’t much for kids to do, especially considering that most of his son’s friends are hockey players.

“Their outdoorsy types of guys. They just want to be outdoors and have fun, and they all snowboard,” Antonishin said.

“They worked on it just as much as I did, so they get most of the credit, let’s say.”

He added the more sports and outdoor stimulation the kids can get, the better.

The kids said it has been a lot of fun to be able to get outside and stay active during the pandemic.