Festival du Voyageur
festival du voyageur annual day winter festival take place winnipeg manitoba canada event held february winnipeg french quarter saintboniface western canada largest winter festival celebrates canada furtrading past unique french heritage culture entertainment art craft music exhibit display word voyageur refers worked furtrading company usually travelled canoe case festival du voyageur title official voyageur given ambassador festival idea winter festival celebrate manitoba francophonie first proposed george forest became first official voyageur proposal put forth thencity st boniface city offer insufficient summer mayor st boniface ed turner along city council granted support condition festival became incorporated organization judge robert trudel became first president festival du voyageur festival du voyageur inc incorporated company act manitoba december received city grant give back profit press conference held january mayor turner announced city saintboniface would present festival honouring voyageur furtrading era celebration manitoba centennial first festival du voyageur took place year february march provencher park estimated attendance people acting ambassador event george forest promoted event wearing clothing represented voyageurs initiated tradition official voyageurs continues day festival lasted four day featured walk provencher boulevard governor bal voyageur trading post large number attendee required unforeseen level expenditure festival organizer festival conclusion organization debt excess remedy financial situation organizer held horse race fundraiser conjunction festival festival success drawing nearly guest however instead resolving financial situation fundraiser pushed organization debt snow sculpture event pair boot toque sculpture inspired creation mascot léo la tuque introduced became trademark festival du voyageur grant city winnipeg secretary state allowed festival make arrangement creditor name changed festival du voyageur dropped festival arthur deschambault elected president hired number financial management director anglophone festival ran february profit amounted two school voyageurs appointed visit school teach child voyageurs festival construction began wooden log cabin whittier park accommodate festival log cabin constructed left yearround organization accumulated enough surplus fund make whittier park permanent site festival provencher park become small growing number attendee cabin formed foundation historic reconstruction became known fort gibraltar festival du voyageur purchased empty warehouse located taché avenue administrative office used additional venue building became known rendezvous eventually came include bar named le canot february october large house constructed fort gibraltar event house called maison du bourgeois rendezvous building taché put sale sold new administrative office found building provencher avenue came also feature store called boutique du voyageur yearround interpretive centre built fort gibraltar festival awarded award excellence – promotion linguistic duality commissioner official language graham fraser contribution vitality francomanitoban community due covid pandemic festival du voyageur offered virtual programming broadcast concert event youtube facebook festival saw volunteer donate hour work festival employ fulltime permanent staff employ approximately temporary staff february event festival revenue approximately organization affiliated festival du voyageur include official partner air canada bell mt caisse financial group canada life fairmont manitoba liquor lottery nonsuch brewing outfront sirius xm official sponsor red river coop power corporation prairie mobile communication université de saintboniface kinsman club winnipeg major sponsor brio insurance francomanitoban cultural centre conseil jeunesse provincial “provincial youth council” hellowebsites royal canadian mint qualico compassion network francophone society manitoba via rail medium sponsor ctv envol fm ici manitoba la liberté winnipeg free press friend festival nons avenir beaver bus line country john portable toilet rental éducatrices et éducateurs francophones du manitoba maxim truck trailer musique et film manitoba pepsico funders government canada manitoba winnipeg francofonds musicaction coureur de bois official website