MBiz

30 MBiz | november 2015 o ld St. Boniface is full of unique attractions. But to see a recent driver of increased tourist traffic to Winnipeg's "French quarter," people who live and work there need only glance west across the Red River. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) has had a noticeable impact since opening just over a year ago. "We watched the museum from across the river as it was being built. We could feel the momentum and hear the talk about it," says Michelle Gervais, a director with Tourisme Riel and owner of tour company Ô TOURS. "It's always been a struggle to get people to cross the river and come into the French quarter. The minute the museum opened its doors, we saw an increased visitation over the Esplanade Riel." With an access point right behind the CMHR, the Esplanade Riel footbridge to Provencher Boulevard provides a natural pathway towards some additional cultural exposure, plus bistros and shops. The proximity of the museum was a driving force for business owners like Shawn Brandson to choose the area. The owner of Promenade Café & Wine says diners' view can't be beat. "When we were deciding where to open, we knew the museum was being built within the sight lines of the restaurant. There's a lot more action in the area now, a lot more people walking around the streets, especially in the summer," says Brandson, who also chairs the Provencher Biz. While pedestrian numbers have been rising ever since the Esplanade Riel first opened in 2003, Gervais says they've never been higher. And once people see that "everything's in French, and how unique the area is, and how many attractions there are" including the St. Boniface Cathedral, Fort Gibraltar and Riel House, they are surprised and impressed. The bilingualism of the national museum is definitely a plus, she adds. "I've heard that 21% of the museum's visitors have been French- speaking. That's huge, and it's clearly attracting people of francophone heritage and from Quebec." And it's not just the CMHR drawing them in. Other improvements — the new airport and stadium, Assiniboine Park Zoo's Journey to Churchill, even the return of the Winnipeg Jets – all seem to have helped put Winnipeg, "back on the map," Gervais says. "It used to be, if I had a 15-minute meeting with a tour operator at a trade show, I'd spend 10 of those minutes trying to explain where Manitoba is. Now the word is out, people know where we are and they want to come see us." It helps that the Canadian Tourism Commission has started paying more attention to Manitoba, she adds. And now that operators in Churchill offer bilingual tours, more tourists are discovering our French communities. In St. Boniface, a slew of new initiatives have also attracted visitors. For example, the Festival du Voyageur partnered with the Provencher Biz to start a lunchtime concert series this summer, and the St. Boniface Cathedral has embraced tourism by offering new programs and access. "It's like everybody's working together towards the same goal," says Gervais, adding that there will be even more in store as the groups work towards St. Boniface's bicentennial in 2018. But Gervais feels the province could be doing more to promote the vibrant French community. "People from Quebec head out west to see the Rockies, but they drive right by Winnipeg because they don't know there is a French community here. We're the only ones promoting the French product," she explains, referring to Tourisme Riel. "Travel Manitoba and Tourism Winnipeg do a great job of bringing the media here, but I'd love to see more francophone travel writers, to help get the message out. We all need to promote our big French population, so people will stop, spend a day or two, and drop some money in our province." ■ tourisMe rieL The FreNCh Connection human rights museum drives "tourisme" to st. Boniface By Sherry Kaniuga

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