Tuque-wearing ice cream lovers welcome back old favourites

Despite brisk weekend temperatures, some Winnipeg ice cream stores opened their doors to tuque-wearing customers eager to get their first cold treat of the year.

"Unexpected but I’m pumped for sure. Who doesn’t like ice cream?” said hot fudge sundae buyer Ken Wiebe at Bridge Drive-In (BDI) ice cream shop. “Got to keep the heat up on such a cold day."

But not everyone was concerned about the weather.

“We live in Winnipeg. We’re the city that goes through a -40 blizzard and goes to 7-11 to get a Slurpee. It’s ice cream season,” said Quentin Dorwood, another BDI customer.

With a daytime high of only -12 C on Saturday, opening day weekend at BDI stands in stark contrast to those of last couple of years where temperatures were about 15 degrees warmer.

“We know it’s going to warm up eventually so it doesn’t really matter,” said BDI owner Justin Jacobs.

The temperature is not the only difference. Loosened COVID-19 restrictions have made opening weekend a little easier for Jacobs. He said the parking lot is fully open and he does not have to worry about socially distant lineups.

While new treats have yet to hit the BDI menu, it is only a matter of time. Jacobs said he has small batch ice creams plans and some collaborations with other local businesses in the works, but warned you can’t dismiss the old favourites.

“I think it’s the nostalgia for sure. That’s a big part of it,” said Jacobs. “A lot of people remember coming here as kids and they kind of keep those memories and do that with their children and family.”

Over on Portage Avenue, Sargent Sundae also opened their doors this weekend. The family-owned shop has been serving up cones, sundaes and more for 39 years.

For owner Andrew Dusessoy, the biggest thing about this ice cream season is being able to catch up with his customers.

"It's bringing back the people where I can interact and talk with them. It’s an experience that we didn’t have for two years and it’s really enjoyable to have people face to face and talking to them again," said Dusessoy.