The journey to Winnipeg
DURING MY VISIT to Winnipeg, Manitoba, this August, I heard
a lot about Churchill. Heck, one of the attractions we visited,
Assiniboine Park Zoo, even has an exhibit called “The Journey
to Churchill.” Apparently, lots of travelers spend a couple of
days in Winnipeg before heading up to Churchill to see the
polar bears and belugas.
While I have no doubt that Churchill is outstanding—
clearly taking a ride out onto the tundra with long-time NTA
member Frontiers North and doing a whale-watching cruise
around the Hudson Bay is bucket-list stuff—I’d caution tour
operators about cutting their time in Winnipeg short.
You see, there is just too much good stuff to see and do in
Manitoba’s capital city.
The three-day itinerary was packed with visits to a range of
interesting attractions and plenty of cultural experiences that
left me feeling as if I’d only scratched the surface.
Our group, which also included four Canadian tour opera-
tors, was led by two of the friendliest, funniest and most
accommodating hosts you could ask for, Sarah Robinson and
Michelle Gervais. Sarah is the business development manager
for Tourism Winnipeg’s travel trade department, and Michelle
is the director of Ô TOURS, a local receptive company.
HENDERSON
BY PAT HENDERSON
Hart Jacob (Folklorama), NTA’s Pat Henderson and Sarah
Robinson (Tourism Winnipeg) at Folkorama’s Cuban Pavilion
Getting Folk-sy
Traditional dance performance at Folklorama’s Irish Pavilion
One of the highlights for me was getting to experience
Folklorama, which I had written about many times in Courier.
The festival, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2019,
showcases the multiethnic heritage of the dozens of cultural
groups that call Winnipeg home. More than 30 international
cultures are represented in the various pavilions that are spread
across the city, and each pavilion offers live music and dance
performances, as well as traditional food and drink.
Folklorama’s group tour manager, Hart Jacob, was our guide,
and he had lined up evening visits to the Cuban and Irish pavil-
ions. Both venues were abuzz with activity, and from my per-
spective, there was no downside to mojitos and Latin rhythms,
and talented river dancers and a large dose of Irish festiveness,
at the respective stops.
The performances take place three times a night, and the
typical group VIP package includes visits to three pavilions.
While the festival runs for two weeks each August, Hart
says he regularly organizes live performances and meals for
groups visiting during other times of the year.
In addition to seeing the entertainment at Folklorama, we also
took in a production of “MAMMA MIA” at Winnipeg’s Rainbow
Stage the previous night. I have a soft spot for musicals—thanks,
Mom—and, while I’m not a big Abba fan, the show was wonderful.
To learn more about tourism product in Ottawa, reach out to Kelly Dean of Ottawa Tourism at [email protected]
or go to ottawatourism.ca. To learn more about tourism product in Winnipeg, reach out to Sarah Robinson of Winnipeg
Tourism at [email protected] or go to winnipeggroups.com.
NTAonline.com
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