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St. Boniface catHedral and ceMetery
hiStory
LiVeS here
Take a night tour of the St. Boniface
Cathedral and cemetery
(www.cathedralestboniface.ca)
during Culture Days Sept. 27 from
8:30 p.m.-1 a.m. Father of Manitoba
Louis Riel is among the prominent
Manitobans interred in the cemetery,
and the cathedral's magnificent facade
is a sight to behold in ambient light.
Walk a short distance to check
out a pair of Riel's moccasins at
the St. Boniface Museum
(www.msbm.mb.ca) on Tache Avenue.
The two-storey oak log structure
is the oldest building in Winnipeg,
constructed by the Grey Nuns who
arrived in Manitoba from Quebec
in 1844. It served as an orphanage,
hospital, seniors' care home and
school, and was occupied until 1956.
Special programming often includes
Halloween tours, during which staff
share ghost stories of St. Boniface. In
December, the museum is decorated
for the holidays. It's open weekdays
from October to May.
The house where celebrated author
Gabrielle Roy was born in 1909 has
been restored as a museum at 375
Deschambault St. Maison Gabrielle Roy
House (www.maisongabrielleroy.mb.ca)
is open year-round, and Père Noël often
drops by in December. Roy, whose
novels include Governor General's Award
winners Bonheur d'occasion and Rue
Deschambault, was a teacher and an early
member of Cercle Molière. Her books are
available for purchase in the gift shop.
St. Boniface MuSeuM
