Festival du Voyageur is
the largest winter festival
in Western Canada. Giant
snow sculptures, ice
climbing, French Canadian
cuisine, music, dance
and revelry take place at
Voyageur Park surrounding
Fort Gibraltar every
February.
In 1862, the bells of the old
St. Boniface Cathedral were
shipped across the ocean to
England for reconditioning. Coming
home, a storm blew the ship off
course and the bells ended up in
St. Paul, Minnesota. It would have
been too expensive to bring the
bells back to Winnipeg via Red River
Cart, so they were transported by
ship back to England and returned
to Winnipeg through Hudson Bay.
Métis leader Louis Riel was hanged in
1885 for treason after leading the
North-West Resistance. Today, that
opinion has changed and many
consider this man to be the
"Father of Manitoba." His life
is commemorated during Louis
Riel Day, which is a provincial
holiday celebrated annually on the
third Monday of February.
French
Connection
Université de Saint-
Boniface/St. Boniface
University is the only French
language university
in Western Canada.
