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The planning for festival
The concept of a winter festival celebrating Manitoba’s Francophonie took root in 1967 among a few brave citizens of Saint-Boniface who organized themselves under the banner of the Saint-Boniface Chamber of Commerce. They approached the City of Winnipeg with a plan in the hopes of obtaining some financial backing. Unfortunately, the offer the city put forth could not sustain such an ambitious idea. They would have to wait. https://heho.ca/en/about-us/history/ (information and image) -
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It lives on!
Festival du Voyageur’s office is located on the lands of the Anishinaabe, Ininew and Dakota peoples and on the homeland of the Métis nation.
Festival du Voyageur Inc. respects the Treaties that were made on this territory.
Ongoing from 1967-today, they are getting ready for 2022 Festival! https://heho.ca/en/about-us/history/ (info and image) -
First Festival!
The initial Festival du Voyageur was held in 1970 as part of the official festivities of Manitoba's centennial after the City of Saint-Boniface granted the idea its full support. https://heho.ca/en/about-us/history/ (information and image) -
Log cabin
In 1977, construction began on a wooden log cabin in Whittier Park. It was the very first building to appear on the site where Fort Gibraltar would eventually be erected. The festival would take place in Whittier Park from then on and would continue to attract more and more visitors. -
Rendez-vous
Festival du Voyageur made the decision to buy a vacant warehouse at 768 Taché Avenue in 1981. The venue needed to be able to host the administrative offices as well as some significant festival events and performances. The structure, more commonly referred to as the Rendez-Vous, served as a venue for a variety of events, including banquets, dances, performances, meetings, concerts, exhibitions, and television programmes. https://heho.ca/en/about-us/history/ (info and image) -
The Maison Du Bourgeois
The Maison du Bourgeois officially opened its doors in October of 2001.
https://heho.ca/en/about-us/history/ (info and image) -
Everyone is welcome!
2005 saw Festival du Voyageur make the decision that it was time to make the most of Fort Gibraltar's historic assets. The planners made the decision to build a historical interpretive centre and make it accessible to the public only during the summer. https://heho.ca/en/about-us/history/ (info and image) -
Sold!
The Rendez-Vous was sold by the organisers in order to provide Festival du Voyageur some financial breathing room after a particularly challenging fiscal year in 2003. In 2006, it was ultimately sold. https://heho.ca/en/about-us/history/ (info) -
Happy days! Good money!
In 2011, a study revealed that Festival du Voyageur has an economic impact was of $12.9 million, while the company hires more than 200 employees at the festival’s peak. The number of visitors keeps climbing year after year; we welcomed around 97,000 visitors during FDV 2013’s public programme and more than 10,750 students for the Great-West Life School Program. https://heho.ca/en/about-us/history/ (info and image)