Summer Starts Here

TIS THE TIME TO CELEBRATE OUR DIVERSITY Music, live theatre and heritage celebrations help make Winnipeg the place to be in the summertime. Here's a look at some of the events that will transform the city into a cultural hub. One of the largest celebrations of aboriginal culture in the country will take place Sat., June 25 at The Forks. Aboriginal Day Live (aboriginaldaylive. ca) is a showcase designed to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding achievements of First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples. The daylong event will offer family-friendly activities as well as live music performed by indigenous musicians of all genres, regions and nations. So, you want to explore the world but simply don't have the time. Think again. Folklorama (folklorama.ca) is Winnipeg's annual multicultural festival and offers visitors a chance to sample culture and cuisine from around the world at more than 40 volunteer-run pavilions. This year's festival takes place July 31 to Aug. 13 at various locations throughout the city. Fringing season officially begins in Winnipeg on July 13 when the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival (winnipegfringe.com) begins and continues for the next 11 days. More than 170 theatre companies from across Canada are expected to take part in this year's Fringe Festival and will perform on stages at various downtown locations including the Exchange District. There's also a Kids Fringe to keep the little ones entertained as well as a free outdoor stage and beer garden. By Jim Timlick for the Free Press PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU MAY HAVE IMPRESSED DELEGATES AT THE RECENT FEDERATION OF CANADIAN MUNICIPALITIES ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN WINNIPEG, BUT IT WAS A LOCAL STAR WHO STOLE THE SHOW. More than 100 municipal leaders who attended this year's conference took part in a walking tour of the city's French quarter in St. Boniface. While most of the delegates were already aware of the area's historical significance, they gained a new appreciation of what is has to offer culturally, says Michelle Gervais, director of Tourisme Riel, the non-profit agency tasked with promoting Francophone tourist activity in the city's French district. "They were awestruck by the richness of this area. It was something they hadn't seen elsewhere," Gervais says. Gervais says more than 10,000 people visit Winnipeg's Riel District (which includes St. Boniface, St. Norbert and St. Vital) in a typical summer. That number would be considerably higher if you added the thousands of individuals who visit the area but don't take part in organized tours and activities, she says. A popular starting point for any tour of St. Boniface is the St. Boniface Cathedral at 190 de la Cathédrale Ave. Built in 1968 and designed by renowned Franco-Manitoban architect Étienne Gaboury, it incorporates the façade and remaining walls of the 1908 structure that was destroyed by fire. The cathedral is located just a short distance from the St. Boniface Museum located at 494 Taché Ave. A former convent of the order of Grey Nuns and one of Winnipeg's oldest building, the museum is home to one of the largest collections of artifacts and displays of French-Canadian and Metis history in Western Canada. Another popular St. Boniface landmark is Fort Gibraltar, situated at 866 Saint-Joseph St. A reproduction of the original built by the North West Company around 1810, the modern day fort offers a glimpse of what life was like for the early voyageurs, from working at the store to baking bannock. Gervais says one of the most popular tourist destinations with visitors from Quebec is Maison Gabrielle-Roy or Gabrielle Roy House. The two-and-a-half storey house was home to world- renowned Franco-Manitoban author Gabrielle Roy and has been completely restored to its original state. In addition to being home to a public museum, it features a gift shop that offers a variety of items including both new and used books written by the author. "We get a lot of visitors from Quebec who visit the museum and they're often surprised to learn she was from here. Most of them think she is from Quebec," Gervais says. "When they find out she was from here they have to go visit her house." For visitors with only a limited amount of time to explore, Tourisme Riel offers walking tours of St. Boniface beginning at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The 90-minute tours begin at the former St. Boniface city hall building and are available on request seven days a week. For guests who have time to go a bit further afield, Gervais recommends checking out Riel House, a Parks Canada national historic site on River Road in St. Vital. The house was home to Louis Riel's family and his descendants who continued to reside there until 1969. It regularly offers tours hosted by guides dressed in authentic period costumes. A little further south in St. Norbert, visitors can take a trip back in time at McDougall House, a log cabin that dates back 105 years and once belonged to the family of Daniel McDougall, one of the area's earliest Metis settlers. McDougall House is located near Place St. Norbert, a stone's throw from the St. Norbert Famers Market and one of the province's most popular summer destinations. For more information about Winnipeg's French quarter visit the Tourisme Riel website at www.tourismeriel.com/en. ✹ The former St. Boniface city hall (top left) is the starting point for walking tours of the city's French quarter. The area is also home to a wide variety of other attractions including numerous eateries (right) and the St. Boniface Cathedral (below). SUPPLIED PHOTOS PHOTO BY DAN HARPER PHOTO BY MIKAELA MACKENZIE PHOTO BY PHIL HOSSACK

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