Roland,

Have no fear you can still paddle on Cooks Creek, just down stream from the steam plant in Selkirk. The thermal pollution keeps it open almost all winter.
Looks like it will be a while before we're skiing in Winnipeg, no snow in the forcast.

I'll check Cooks Creek out when I go to shut off the water at the cottage this week, if it's open for a mile or two it might be worth a paddle on a mild day.

Ken