We’re ready for spring! Are you ready for some fresh fun? We’re looking for vendors for our upcoming craft sale April 25th. Details are in the registration form available online.

Shoppers, mark your calendars.

For all sports, please consider how you can support your players and their teams. Leagues will be looking for coaches. Valley Gardens is still seeking volunteer conveners for Baseball, Basketball, and Soccer. These positions are crucial for ensuring access to community sports. If not yourself, then a family member or neighbour may be ready to help in their community - please help us to find these volunteers.

The [Future of Sport in Canada] Commission heard compelling stories of the role sport plays in bringing people together, fostering social connections, creating friendships and enhancing community life. Whether it is playing on a team, interacting on a playground, or participating in recreation leagues, sport allows children (and often parents or guardians), teens, and adults, to connect with others in healthy and socially positive ways. These relationships, which transcend winning or losing, create supportive networks that promote belonging.”

Government of Canada Why Sport is important to Canadians and Canada.

At Valley Gardens, we know how important community sports are to our youths. Community leagues are supported by local volunteers like yourself who also understand this value! We hear from many community members with stories that start “back in the day when I was a kid…” and we need you to return to your community centres so that local kids will have those same memories. Community programs at your local Centres have always been led by volunteers. You don’t have to have kids here to volunteer and ensure your friends, family, and neighbours have those same opportunities that you remember fondly.

How can you join in?

We are seeking Conveners and Coaches for the 2026 Spring Season of Baseball, Basketball, and Soccer (in-house Mini/TimBits; we will also be looking for grassroots coaches for our local youths).

We can’t start the season without Conveners!

Join the Valley Gardens Community Centre Board of Directors as a convener and be a part of something that uplifts your community.

• Basketball fans - get in now as we plan for a beautiful new outdoor court!

• Baseball fans - ensure local youths can play on our freshly upgraded diamonds!

• Soccer fans - share your joy of the beautiful game!

Valley Gardens CC and other local community centres in the area will continue to work with Winnipeg Phoenix FC to ensure that our local youths have access to local soccer. We will continue to seek local parent and community support for our soccer programming and will be improving our supports for grassroots coaching.

The first phase of the new grassroots programming will officially take effect in Spring 2026 and will apply to U8-U10 players (players born 2016-2018). To facilitate that transition, WPFC is offering a transition season this winter. Details and registration are available HERE.

To better understand the new programming, WPFC has prepared a video.

Youth soccer is changing — and for good reason.

Participation in Canada dropped by 20% before COVID, even as the population grew. Kids were leaving the game because it wasn’t fun anymore.

Grassroots Soccer fixes that by shrinking the game to fit the player:

• Smaller fields

• Fewer players

• More touches

• More decisions

• More FUN

In this video, we break down:

• Why youth soccer had to change

• Why removing league standings matters

• How Game Leaders replace referees

• What station-based training looks like

• How your child benefits from this model

At Winnipeg Phoenix FC, we are fully aligned with the Canada Soccer Grassroots Standards and are already using:

• Station-based training

• Fluid rosters

• Game Leaders instead of referees

• Small-sided formats (4v4, 5v5, 7v7)

• No cuts. No tryouts.

• Just soccer, smiles, and skill development.

We are looking forward to a fresh season of fun on the soccer pitches!

VGCC will continue to host TimBits mini soccer in house. Details will be shared soon and registration is anticipated to open in March for TimBits (play starting in May). Stay tuned. Community members are encouraged to sign up for our newsletter to keep informed.

Enjoy delicious pancakes and sausage, say hi to Santa, and listen to him read a story! Make some holiday memories with your neighbours at your Community Centre.

Tickets are $5 per person, children under 5 are free! Payment will be taken at the door

Register here!

Registration deadline is December 5th!

Unfortunately, due to a low response we have had to cancel this event.

Here are some highlights for the adults in our community:

Tae Kwon Do (all ages - youths and adults) runs here Monday and Wednesday evenings.

Basic Self Defense classes are offered Monday evenings after Tae Kwon Do.

Thursday afternoons we host folks who want to work on their stitches (crochet, embroidery, knitting, beading, etc) for Community Stitches.

Every third Saturday you’ll find folks spinning yarn here in the afternoon.

On the second Tuesday of the month, the EK Garden Club meets here in the evening.

Valley Gardens and White Tail Sports are hosting 8 weeks of sports-related camps. Weeks 3 and 7 are focused on soccer! Register now!

Lucania FC is hosting their inaugural spring FREE Youth Academy Camp for boys U7 and U8 (born 2017-2018) June 19-29. See below for more details. Training will take place at Clara Hughes and Sherwood Park fields in the Elmwood area. Future sessions are being planned for different age groups and for girls, so please reach out to the organizers for more information and to register your interest for your players.

Winnipeg Phoenix FC is hosting their annual skills camps in July for all age groups. More details on their website.

Hello Soccer community,

 We are happy to share that our inaugural Spring Lucania Football Club Youth Academy Camp, sponsored by the Lucania Football Club, will be taking place from June 19 to June 29. The goal of this camp is to lower the expectation barrier of entry for kids interested in taking steps to the next level of youth/developmental soccer. Doing so will help families have a better understanding about whether they want to pursue a program geared towards commitment and development over simple recreation in the future. Full details on the camp can be found below. If you have a child who would like to participate, or if you have any questions feel free to reach out to lucaniafootball@gmail.com

 Who is this camp for?

 The camp is targeted towards players with aspirations of taking their game to the next level. LFC will provide equipment for this event. Players/families are responsible for bringing shin guards, water bottle and to wear a white shirt for training. [First sessions are for U7 and U8 boys]

 When and where is the camp happening?

 The camp will run out of Clara Hughes Recreation Park, 281 Henderson Highway, on Fridays and Sundays, with the field and parking located in the back.  Our Tuesdays and Thursdays will be at Sherwood Park, 715 Robin Hood Crescent.   Dates are June 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27 and 29.  Start time will be 7 pm and lasting until 8:15 pm.

 What is the format of the camp?

 All players will work their way through a 4-station circuit spending 15 minutes at each station. The entire circuit will take approximately 60 minutes. Each station will be run by certified coaches from the soccer community. We will have

experienced coaches at each station to help demonstrate proper technique for the drill(s).

 Costs

 There will be no cost to participate in this camp. If you have used sporting good items you would like to donate, we would be happy to provide them to players in need.

 Volunteers

 This camp will be run by experienced, certified coaches and players from our community looking to give back and create a positive experience for our participants. If you would like to help and can demonstrate proper technique, we would love to have you involved. Additionally, if you would like to help with the equipment drop off or check-ins, please let us know. 

 How to Register

 To register please email lucaniafootball@gmail.com. When registering please provide the following information:

• First and Last name of participant

• The participant’s birth year

• Any additional email addresses to include in communication

We have capacity for 30 participants in this camp, with the hopes of increasing the size through the summer, fall and winter.

 Thank you for reading this email. Please feel free to reach out if anything is unclear, or if you have any questions.

 Take care,

Lucania Football Club Youth Academy

Get ready to move! Join Valley Gardens Community Centre and White Tail Sports for our first active summer camps here at VGCC.  From July 7th to August 29th, Monday to Friday, we’ll be hosting 8 weeks of fun for youths aged 6 to 12 years. Sign up for 1, 2, 3 or all 8 weeks if you want.

Learn the fundamentals of a variety of sports through games and play at Let’s Get Physical.

Learn to bat and bowl like the professionals and join one of Canada’s fastest growing sports with Mini-Cricket.

Develop soccer skills and team-work with our Mini-Soccer weeks as we engage with the most popular outdoor game for youths in Canada.

Follow in the footsteps of your Olympic heroes while learning a variety of new skills culminating in a Mini-Olympics where campers can showcase their skills.

Camp will run from 9am to 3pm with an option for earlier drop off and pick up between 8am and 4pm. We’ll be outside as well as inside the skate room for lunches, rest, and crafts.

TimBits microsoccer - hosted here at VG. Opened today. Registration closes April 9. (Late registration until April 15). In-person registration support Saturday March 15 from 11am-2pm.

U7 & U8 mini soccer - teams will be hosted by VG. Registration is centralized through Phoenix soccer. Registration closes March 27.

U9-U18 rec soccer - teams will be hosted by VG. Registration is centralized through Phoenix soccer. Registration closes March 27.

Baseball - teams will be hosted by VG. Registration is centralized through RRVB. Registration closes April 1 (late registration fees apply after April 1)

Basketball - teams will be hosted by VG. Registration is centralized through WMBA. Registration closes March 20.

Other local youth community centre sports not hosted by VG:

Lacrosse

Softball (NESA) (late registration period)

Valley Gardens CC will also be hosting 8 weeks of summer camps this year in July and August in collaboration with WhiteTail sports. Stay tuned for more details!

Please RSVP if you plan to attend.

Do you have your tickets yet for our Quiz Night (Trivia Night) ?? May 3 from 6-10pm (doors open at 5:30)

We have a fun-filled evening planned and hosted by Quizzlers. If you’ve never attended a Quiz Night, you’re in for a treat. You don’t need to be the world’s best Trivia buff to win - it’s a team effort and you’ll be surprised by what you know. (Or maybe you’ll be surprised by what your family and friends know; either way, it will be entertaining.)

We can seat tables of 8 to 10 team-members, but we can also accomodate teams with as few as 4 members. Complete our registration form and we’ll send you details for e-transfer if that’s your chosen mode of payment or you can visit Mandy in the office.

Watch our Instagram and Facebook pages for regular updates on our fabulous sponsors and the amazing prizes available in our raffle.

Event tickets are $20 each. There will also be a cash bar with snacks.

We greatly appreciate your support as we prepare to build a full outdoor basketball court.

Thanks to a new team of volunteers, we’ll have our canteen open on Wednesdays and Thursdays* from 4:30-6:30 to warm you up with hot chocolate, French vanilla cappuccino, as well as popcorn and water.

During office hours, you can also check if the manager is available to serve drinks.

You’ll find us past the change rooms in the skate room to the right.

*Closed holidays. Additional days and times pending.

Valley Gardens Community Centre and the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service are offering a free 90 minute interactive workshop geared towards educating community about the importance of emergency preparedness while also aiming to provide accessible tools for individuals to use to create their own emergency plans, kits, and ‘go-bags’.

Winnipeg is no stranger to extreme temperatures, weather events, blackouts, air quality events, building closures, floods, and fires. These incidents have signifcant and long-lasting impacts on the individuals and families dispalced by them. Unfortunately, the people most directly impacted by incidents such as residentialfires, building closures, and extreme weather are those identiying as Indigenous, Newcomers, 55+, and other vulnerable folks in our communities.

The goal of our workshop is to provide an opportunity to build skills and confidence surrounding personal response to emergency incidents so that communities can prepare in advance, keep themselves and their families safe during, and begin the recovery process safely after an emergency.

Topics covered in our workshop include a brief introduction to the Office of Emergency Management at the City of Winnipeg, the “Three Steps to Emergency Preparedness” (knowing the Risks, Making a Plan, and Engaging with your Support Network), creating a 72-hour emergency kit, the importance of insurance and how is can help in an emergency, and an overview of smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector safety.

The WFPS team will spend time answering questions related to emergency preparedness and will bring handouts withinformation covered in the presentation for people to take home.

Space is limited, so use the link below to pre-register.

Ticket Sales have closed.

Entry is $2 for adults with entry into our door prize.

We’ll also have Quiz Night tickets for sale!! Stay tuned for more information on our upcoming fundraiser and mark your calendars for January 31st! We’re gearing up to bring an outdoor basketball court to VG.

Not sure what you can compost?? Compost Winnipeg has a full list of compostable and not-compostable items available in multiple languages!

Compost Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Food Council wants to remind everyone that your pumpkins can be composted with your City yard waste (rather than filling our bins) or at one of the Pumpkin Dropoff points across the city.

Did you know pizza boxes cannot be recycled? They CAN be composted AFTER you tear them up into smaller pieces.

The bins are available 24/7, but we recommend avoiding the parking lot between 8-9am and 3-4pm because of schools traffic.

Are you a resident of a larger complex with many residents interested in composting? Compost Winnipeg provides direct composting service; we recommend checking out their residential and commercial options. They also provide seasonal service for the cold-weather months.

We are looking forward to the day when the City of Winnipeg follows the example of many other Canadian cities in providing full residential composting services alongside our garbage and recycling programs.

Our Fall Market event is quickly approaching! Mark your calendars for October 19th 11am to 4pm and join your neighbours in browsing some local wares. Free entry, but we are gratefully accepting donations for Winnipeg Harvest.