Changing of guard at three cultural organizations

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This article was published 11/07/2025 (437 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Cultural leadership in the city is undergoing a shuffle in triplicate.

This week, the Royal Aviation Museum (RAM), Manitoba Opera (MO) and Centre culturel franco-manitobain (CCFM) all announced they’ll soon have new general managers.

Starting next Monday, staff at the Aviation Museum will find Peter George in the company’s big chair. The museum’s new chief executive officer and president most recently served as CEO of McKim Communications Group, a well-known Winnipeg-based marketing agency.

He succeeds Terry Slobodian, who retires from the RAM after six years. Slobodian, noted for his strong record of capital campaigns, oversaw the construction of RAM’s new facility during the pandemic, finishing ahead of schedule and under budget.

“I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity to help this Canadian institution fulfil its potential,” said George in a release. “The RAMWC has been an icon in Manitoba for a generation. With the museum’s beautiful new home at the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport, the sky’s the limit to how we can further elevate its profile and celebrate the rich history and future of aviation in Canada.”

Meanwhile, over at the Manitoba Opera, Michael Blais is moving up from director of operations to executive director, effective Aug. 1.

Blais, a member of MO’s administrative team since 2010, takes over as general director and CEO from Larry Desrochers, who decided not to pursue a renewal of his contract.

“I’ve had the privilege of growing alongside the organization — working with the community, our board of trustees and staff, patrons, as well as donors, sponsors, and funders to support the great work our artists and company does,” said Blais. “I’m honoured to continue serving Manitoba Opera in this new capacity, and I’m excited to help lead this next chapter for the company.”

As part of his responsibilities as executive director, Desrochers also served as MO’s de facto artistic director, producing more than 50 productions and cast nearly 400 artists in his 25 years at the company. His “Manitobans first” hiring policy helped launch the careers of many well-known local singers, who through MO often shared the stage with leading Canadian and international soloists.

Opera production’s comparatively expensive nature tends to incline major companies to lean on trusted 19th- and 20th-century favourites. And while Desrochers produced sumptuous Mozart and Puccini megahits many times over, his commitment to local arts development led him to commission Transit of Venus, MO’s original opera (premièred 2007), and Keur: Riel’s Heart of the North, the first Indigenous-led opera on a Canadian mainstage (premièred 2023).

Desrochers will continue to serve as MO’s interim artistic director while a search is conducted to fill this role, now distinct from the company’s executive director position.

Across the Red River in Saint Boniface, the CCFM — Winnipeg’s flagship francophone cultural organization — will soon welcome Patricia Bitu Tshikudi as its CEO.

After 14 years as a cultural reporter, producer and host at Radio-Canada Manitoba — including more than five as host of Le 6 à 9 — Tshikudi will now oversee the 10-plus organizations housed at the CCFM, as well as the many creatives who pass through its doors.

“Patricia Bitu Tshikudi’s impressive background, her unwavering commitment to francophone culture and her in-depth knowledge of the cultural landscape make her an exceptionally qualified candidate to lead our institution,” says Alphonse Lawson Héllu, chairman of the CCFM board of directors. “We look forward to working with her in this new chapter for the CCFM.”

Winnipeg has seen an influx of French-speaking newcomers from African countries in recent years.

In this light, it’s unsurprising that Tshikudi emphasizes the organization’s role in promoting both cultural transmission and a diversified approach to Francophonie.

“Now more than ever, the CCFM must work alongside local organizations, broaden its scope beyond Saint-Boniface and Winnipeg, and reach out to new audiences, including youth, francophiles, and newcomers,” she said in a release.

“The CCFM must be a place for gathering and innovation, and a reflection of a changing Francophonie, while honouring our local history and roots. It should open itself to the world, yet remain grounded in its own reality.”

conrad.sweatman@freepress.mb.ca