The heart of Canada isn’t a dot on a map or a line on a postcard. It’s the people who fly in from around the world to experience epic prairie winters.
For us, “Canada’s Heart” isn’t loud or flashy. It’s the people who bundle up, head outside, and somehow still find warmth: in each other, in the landscape and in the shared “we’re really doing this, huh?” energy of a Manitoba winter, always making room for one more person.
So how do you turn that feeling into a structure on the ice that also works as a bold, memorable marketing moment for Travel Manitoba?
The Heart of Canada on The Nestaweya River Trail
Our concept was simple but ambitious enough to keep things interesting: a heart that people can literally step into and find themselves.
From the outside, the hut is a bit unassuming, much like Manitoba.
It just sits there, at the start of the trail, quietly inviting you to take a peek.
Suddenly, you’re surrounded by mirrors that turn the space into a kaleidoscope of reflections. From every angle, you see yourself, loved ones and total strangers bundled in this experience.
For a moment, visitors aren’t just hiding from the wind, but they’re part of a shared moment at Manitoba’s historic gathering place.
From a marketing perspective? Every reflection, every photo op, every smiling moment becomes organic storytelling for Travel Manitoba.
As Travel Manitoba’s President and CEO said best, “It’s the people who make Canada’s heart beat, sharing a warmth that has nothing to do with the weather. It’s a chance to sit, share, and reflect on all the things that make this province a place we love.”
Bringing the Concept to Life (On Ice, In Winter)
Of course, brainstorming is one thing. Making it stand solidly in the middle of Manitoba’s harsh winters with a steady stream of visitors? That’s where the fun really starts.
As a graphic designer stepping into this kind of project, the role goes far beyond designing the outer structure. It becomes about:
- Turning feelings into physical space: How do you turn “warm,” “welcoming,” and “this feels like us” into actual shapes, materials and sightlines people can experience
- Balancing aesthetics with reality: The hut has to survive wind, ice, snow, and kids who will touch everything. Every decision has to look great and stand up to real life.
- Designing for play and selfies: This isn’t a “do not touch” structure. It’s built for exploring, photographing, spinning around in, and saying, “Okay, now you stand over there!” Every moment inside is designed to be both memorable and
- Working with a whole crew of experts: Engineers, architects, fabricators and designers all bring something different to the table. Our job is to keep the core idea strong while making sure the hut is buildable, durable, and actually fun to be in.
- Protecting the heart of the idea: At every stage, we kept coming back to one question: does this still feel like the heart of Canada; for the people inside it and for Travel Manitoba as a brand?
The Role of the Marketing Team
Behind the scenes, our marketing team was the glue, helping shape the Heartwarming Hut from concept to completion as a marketing piece for Travel Manitoba. In close collaboration with the client team, we helped translate their vision into a clear creative and strategic direction – one that could be carried through design, partnerships, and on-site experience, with intention guiding each step.
As the project took shape, we managed the flow of communications and decision making at every stage of the process. Working closely with Sputnik helped bring the concept into the built world, ensuring the structure and details reflected the design we envisioned. Alongside this, The Forks played a key supporting role, offering guidance throughout the process and working closely with us to shape sponsorship agreements that aligned naturally with the overall experience.
Within the agency, we guided our creative and design teams through every phase of the project, ensuring decisions stayed true to the client’s goals and the nature of the experience.
The result was a cohesive, collaborative build; warm, welcoming and unmistakably Manitoban: one that connected people to place in a way that felt genuine and lasting.
A Marketing Moment You Can Stand Inside
Visitors don’t just see Manitoba’s story… They see its heart. They step right into it and become part of the picture. Because the design is interactive, photogenic and just a little unexpected, it naturally encourages people to:
- Take photos and videos
- Share their experience on social media
- Tag Travel Manitoba
- Talk about “that mirror hut on the ice” long after they’ve gone home
In other words, the installation turns real human experiences into a steady stream of authentic, user-generated content. Instead of one polished campaign, Travel Manitoba gets hundreds (or thousands) of real stories, in real time.
In the end, this warming hut is a small, walkable reminder of what makes Manitoba special: we show up for winter, and we show up for each other.
So, step inside and find yourself reflected back alongside strangers, friends, family and everyone in between.
The heart of Canada isn’t loud.
It’s warm.
It’s welcoming.
And in this little hut on the ice, there’s room for everyone.
