Town & Country

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, SATURDAY APRIL 21, 2018 5 W E S T M A N Covering all of Manitoba and the rest of North America. Less than Truckload/Truckload Flatbed Temperature-controlled Rail Intermodal Guaranteed Service Transborder Pri Private Fleet Dangerous Goods services: North American Coverage 77 Canadian Terminals & 200 U.S. Service Centres Over 3,000 Pieces of Transportation Equipment 24/7 On-line Customer Service Assistance Real Time Shipment Tracing special features: Shipping Your World TM 1.800.265.1485 www.manitoulintransport.com FORT LA REINE MUSEUM BY WENDY KING G reat museum pro- gramming gives visitors a hands-on learning experience. Fort la Reine Museum does just that with an annual event called Mystery at the Museum, a theatrical re-enactment of a murder mystery for guests to solve. The twist? Each mystery is based on a real Manitoba cold case. "We've actually opened up some ques- tions about some of the cold cases, for sure," says museum executive director and curator Tracey Turner. "We've had a few experiences where people related to the case have asked about things they hadn't known." Mystery at the Museum and the spine- chilling Ghost Walk — both night-time events which use the specially lit mu- seum like a theatre set — are just two of the reasons people flock to the museum located just east of Portage la Prairie. The site features 26 heritage buildings, each with their own artifacts displayed in context with the time period, starting with the early settlers in 1600 through to contemporary times. "Fort la Reine is not like a traditional museum, as most of our artifacts are not behind glass. The galleries are very experiential because you can walk right into the room itself, and that's quite unique," Turner says. "Guests can get some exercise and contemplative walks along their way as they explore the grounds." The museum saw more than 17,000 visitors in 2017. It's a first point of con- tact for tourists travelling east-west on the Trans-Canada Highway and is also a Travel Manitoba information centre. Turner says fundraising strategies for a new $2.5-million visitor centre are underway. "A contemporary facility would give us state-of-the-art collection and archival storage in the centre of the building as well as additional office space, a theatre, help introduce visitors to the region and be a fantastic resource for the commun- ity and for Manitoba tourism," she says. Turner, who was recently nominated for an excellence in marketing award by the Central Manitoba Tourism Associa- tion, developed the museum's signature programming by taking advantage of its unique character. "Coming into the directorship of this museum, I did inherit a collection and it's my job to strategically figure out how to work with it and to celebrate it," she says. This is the second year that the mu- seum will be premiering three travelling exhibits. The first is Clovis: The Cari- bou Hunters, a bilingual exhibit explor- ing and celebrating the development of Aboriginal peoples as distinct cultures, when the glaciers were retreating and nomadic hunters were coming into the plains to hunt land mammals. Both school and group programs will be of- fered starting May 10. "It's going to take us back to 10,000- 12,000 BC, where you can meet the ex- plorers of the new world, and look at the ways they were hunting and the tool kits they crafted," says Turner. "There are shelters you can climb into, hides you can put on, and com- puter screens where you can dive deeper into the story — it's going to be a fan- tastic exhibit." Next up, National Geographic's out- door photographic exhibit Climate Change Is Here will be on site from June 1-Aug. 31. "It's an engaging illustration of climate change issues from a global perspective and focuses on the Canadian technolo- gies that have been developed to help fight climate change," she says. "We can show it off at night because it is solar lit." Turner says that the Prairies, which are so reliant on agriculture, are vulnerable to the impact of climate change. "This is a real opportunity to think about those issues and to reflect on how we can engage in more sustainable prac- tises." The third travelling exhibit is from Parks Canada and opens on Oct. 1. Called Beyond Fiddles and Sashes, it tells the stories surrounding the culture and history of the Metis people. "The story will feature objects, photo- graphs and narratives that explore Metis roots in North America through the fur trade, voyageurs and domestic life right up to the turbulent events of 1870 and Louis Riel," says Turner. The bilingual exhibit will be part of an extended season, running through mid-December, which will allow the museum to be a more powerful resource for schools. Fort La Reine is plumbing its deep roots while growing to meet the needs of the local community and its visitors. Memberships are available and can pay for themselves in just three visits. "Museums have a way of trans- forming reality to let you learn creative- ly and experience things in a different state of mind," says Turner. "With the programming we're do- ing, people are coming to play and to be inspired and learn about global issues. That's the power of a museum." ■ Learn more at fortlareinemuseum.com A Museum and More Fort la Reine is a place to learn, play and explore Fort la Reine's collection of heritage buildings house many of its permanent exhibits. It will also showcase three exciting travelling exhibits this year. Photo by Darcy Finley

• Cover