YYZ to YWG
Toronto to Winnipeg Pet Relocation
We move dogs and cats from Toronto to Winnipeg on WestJet Cargo and Air Canada Cargo flights. We pick up your pet at home, supply the airline crate if you need one, handle the paperwork and check your pet in at Pearson.
Moving your pet to Winnipeg
Sending your pet on its own as airline cargo is the fastest way to get from Toronto to Winnipeg: about 2.5 to 3 hours in the air, instead of days in a car.
You can fly on the same day or on a different day from your pet. Some owners fly first and send their pet a day or two later, so the new home is ready. We look after everything in Toronto, and you choose who collects your pet at the airline's cargo office in Winnipeg.
We choose the flight and the timing that are easiest on your pet. Every booking depends on airline space, the time of year and the breed rules, so we confirm the flight with the airline before anything is final.
Quick facts
- Airports
- Toronto YYZ to Winnipeg YWG
- Airlines
- WestJet Cargo and Air Canada Cargo
- Flight time
- About 2.5 to 3 hours (scheduled)
- Check-in
- At YYZ cargo, about 3 hours before the flight
- Pickup
- About 1.5 hours after landing on WestJet, about 3 hours on Air Canada
- December
- Holiday embargo by air, very limited space
- Taxes
- Plus applicable taxes, based on where the move ends
Your price
What your Toronto to Winnipeg price includes
Your price depends on your pet's size (it sets the crate size, and the airline charges by crate size or weight), your address in the Toronto area, and the extras you choose. Fill in the form and you see your exact price in about three minutes, plus applicable taxes, with a list of what is included.
Included
- Home pickup anywhere in Toronto and the GTA
- Pearson cargo check-in, forms and labels
- Airline cargo booking, with all airline fees
- Flight tracking and updates for you and whoever collects your pet
Extras
- Airline crate in the right size, ready to fly
- Ride to your vet for the health check (you pay the vet directly)
- More than one pet: each pet flies in its own crate unless two small pets can share
Step by step
How it works on this route
- 1
Get your price
Fill in the form with your pet's size and your dates, and you see your exact price in about three minutes.
- 2
Crate and vet
We confirm the crate size and supply it if you need one. If your pet needs a health certificate, we can drive your pet to your vet (an extra).
- 3
Flight booked
We book the cargo space and send you the flight details and the air waybill number.
- 4
Pickup and check-in
On the day, we collect your pet at home and check them in at Pearson cargo about 3 hours before the flight.
- 5
Landing in Winnipeg
The person you choose collects your pet at the airline's cargo office at YWG. We send them the address, the opening hours and the air waybill number.
Airline rules that matter on this route
- Health certificate: Air Canada needs one for every pet, WestJet for some pets. We tell you which applies and by when. See vet health certificate for flying.
- December and winter: holiday embargoes limit space in late December, and some aircraft take no pets in the coldest months. See winter and holiday embargoes.
- Breeds: snub-nosed and strong breeds have extra airline rules, and pit bull type dogs cannot travel through Pearson. See snub-nosed breeds and flying.
- Pickup on time: collect your pet as soon as it is ready. A pet not collected within 4 hours is moved to a kennel (or a vet) at your cost.
More questions? See the FAQ and our guides to WestJet pet cargo and Air Canada pet cargo.
Local guide: Winnipeg
Moving to Winnipeg with a pet
Weather and the best time to move
Winnipeg has long, very cold winters, and minus 30°C is not unusual once wind chill is counted. Summers are warm and often humid, with hot spells and storms. Spring snowmelt and rain bring lots of mosquitoes in early summer.
May, June and September are usually the easiest months, with mild days; December to February are hardest because of extreme cold, and July and August can bring heat waves.
Arriving at Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (YWG)
The cargo campus is at the end of Sargent Avenue, just past Flight Road, on the east side of the airport, away from the passenger terminal. Pets are collected at the airline's cargo office, not at the passenger terminal. From the airport to downtown Winnipeg is about 9 km, 10 to 20 minutes.
Pet licence and local rules
The City of Winnipeg Animal Services Agency requires a licence for every dog and cat over six months old. Licences must be renewed each year.
- A home can keep up to six dogs and cats over six months old, with no more than four dogs, unless it has an Excess Animal Permit.
- Pets cannot be left alone in a vehicle at 22°C or warmer, or minus 10°C or colder, unless the climate control is running.
- On Winnipeg Transit, pets must ride in a small closed carrier that you can hold safely.
Where to walk your dog
Off-leash areas include Maple Grove Park (100 Frobisher Rd, south Winnipeg, with a fenced area for puppies), Kilcona Park (1229 Springfield Rd, northeast Winnipeg, off-leash area on the hill east of the parking lot), Bonnycastle Park (260 Assiniboine Ave, downtown, small and fully fenced) and Charleswood Off-Leash Dog Area (Grant Ave at Haney St, a former golf course). Check the posted rules before you let your dog off leash.
The Forks and its Riverwalk, and the boardwalk trails of Assiniboine Forest, are popular places to walk a dog on leash.
Dates to know in Winnipeg
- February: Festival du Voyageur in St. Boniface. This 10-day winter festival brings crowds and busy roads, and it falls in the coldest part of the year.
- July 1: Canada Day fireworks at several sites around the city. Fireworks can be heard across many neighbourhoods late at night, so keep pets indoors and secure.
- Early to mid August: Folklorama. Two weeks of cultural pavilions across the city mean extra evening traffic and busy parking lots.
- December to February: Deep winter cold. Extreme cold and wind chill make outdoor waits unsafe, so pickups and handovers should be quick.
Renting with a pet in Manitoba
Manitoba landlords decide whether to allow pets, so get written permission before you move in. If pets are allowed, the landlord can also ask for one pet damage deposit of up to one month's rent.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check your lease, and contact the Residential Tenancies Branch if you are unsure.
Pickup areas in Toronto
We pick up anywhere in Toronto, including Downtown, North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, East York, York, and across the GTA: Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill. We also cover Oakville, Burlington, Milton, Caledon, King, Aurora, Newmarket, Whitchurch-Stouffville and nearby towns. The form shows the price for your address.
Settling in Winnipeg
- Book a visit with a new vet in the first few weeks and bring your pet's records.
- Update the address on your pet's microchip record.
- Keep your pet's routine, food and bedding the same for the first week.
Toronto to Winnipeg: questions
How much does it cost to ship a pet from Toronto to Winnipeg?
How long is the flight from Toronto to Winnipeg?
Who picks up my pet in Winnipeg?
Do I need to license my cat in Winnipeg?
How many pets can I keep in a Winnipeg home?
Can my pet wait in the car while I unload at the new house?
Get your Toronto to Winnipeg price
Takes about three minutes, and you see your price on screen.