Downtown Buzz News from the Downtown Winnipeg Business Improvement Zone SPOTLIGHT


Verde Plant Design


Verde Plant Design D - 419 Graham Avenue


had 13 years of professional painting and a fine arts degree under her belt before she started hosting terrarium build- ing workshops, floral arranging and consulting on plant design. Born from a passion for colour composition and a grow-


I


ing green thumb, Dratwa began Verde’s journey hosting occasional workshops and popping up with various other makers and artists. In October 2015, she took part in CentreVenture Develop-


ment Corporation’s Pop Up Shop Hop program, manning a storefront at Main and Bannatyne, and its success steered her toward opening a permanent space. Since June 2016, Verde’s shop on Graham has been


bustling with sold-out workshops; relaying plant care knowledge to its many visitors; and giving workshoppers a chance to be creative and to play with live things. “We love to educate people,” describes Dratwa. “It’s re-


ally important to us to facilitate a place of creativity with plants.” Whether it’s helping a client pick a delicate-yet-hardy


house plant, or shaping the look of an office or home, Verde is determined to help contribute to a livelier Winnipeg – particularly to ease people’s anxiety in the harsh winters. “We really want people to connect more with nature


SPOTLIGHT Snap Fitness Downtown


f you’ve ever Pinterest-failed a DIY wreath or terrarium, don’t feel too bad. Verde Plant Design’s shop owner, Dominika Dratwa,


and bring nature into the home, especially in Winnipeg,” explains Dratwa. “It feels pretty amazing and makes winter way more bearable. It just changes the space.” Verde specializes in tropical plants, succulents and air


plants that do well in the home and can endure Winnipeg’s harsh climate. It has earned its place as an authority on all things plants


in Winnipeg – with consulting work visible in some pretty statement-making corners, like the living wall just down the street from Verde at Tom Bargen. Rigged with a wall irrigation system and set up with com-


plementary, hardy plants, the living wall at Tom Bargen dazzles for the very reason that it is alive – skip a few weeks of takeout coffee and bear witness to its brand-new shape. Whether it’s scooping up a tiny, impressionable gift of


a terrarium or developing your skills in a macramé work- shop, Verde offers something unique to the downtown, constantly carrying out its mission. “It can be a long and sort of depressing winter,” reminds


Dratwa. “Our goal is to make a greener Winnipeg and teach people about plants – to demystify and help people have the most beautiful, natural home.”


Snap Fitness Downtown 323 Portage Avenue


T


he 323 Portage Ave. address belonged to a nightclub, big-screen sports bar and was once destined to welcome


the very first brewpub downtown. But the multi-level space, most notable


for its floor-to-ceiling windows, now of- fers bright vantage points for downtown’s newest fitness tribe at Snap Fitness’ largest location in Canada. “Everything is brand new,” describes the


manager of the location and fitness instruc- tor, James Perrini. “It’s very bright – it’s not like you go (work out) inside a cave.” The bright and expansive two-storey


space on Portage Avenue allows Snap to offer regular fitness classes – a first for the club in the city – due to newfound studio space. Classes run primarily through the lunch hour to accommodate downtown office workers, and include proven hits like hot yoga, TRX and Zumba classes, as well as a variety of strength and aerobic training. Not least of the benefits of the roomier


location are the steam rooms in both gen- ders’ locker rooms, and even the option to squeeze in a tan pre- or post-workout. There’s also the spa-like towel service


component to ensure fitting in a work out is as convenient as possible during a busy workday, and won’t drag down your pol- ished 9-to-5 look.


Though loaded with upgrades, Snap’s


premier downtown club doesn’t completely shake things up from its original formula. As with all Snaps, the downtown location


is open to members 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year, with some staffed daytime and evening hours Monday to Saturday. The cost of being a member at Snap’s


downtown location has only a small pre- mium above the usual Snap memberships, and includes access to classes and to any other Snap location around the world. While there are other established fitness


clubs in the area, Snap is most certainly the most visible, with a storefront facing MTS Centre. (Members will be hard-pressed to forget about leg day if passing Snap is part


downtownwinnipegbiz.com (204) 958-4640


info@downtownwinnipegbiz.com 426 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3C 0C9 10 Smart Biz www.smartbizwpg.com May 2017


of their everyday commute.) “Te quality in terms of the space and


quality of equipment is the best,” says Perrini, referring to its popular S-drive and water rowers for cardio fiends, plus its punching bags and boxing gear that cater to a Rocky Balboa-type training regime. Plus, Snap downtown has the added


value of fitness trainers’ professional input. “Our instructors are very well prepared to help people with the different goals that they have,” says Perrini. Snap Fitness is open 24 hours a day, 365


days of the year to members. Staffed hours are Monday to Tursday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., and by appointment Sunday.


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