Summer wedding season slides away waiting for Fort Gibraltar report: caterer By: Tyler Searle Posted: 6:20 PM CDT Tuesday, Jul. 11, 2023

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This article was published 11/07/2023 (1184 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The indefinite closure of Winnipeg attraction Fort Gibraltar, pending an engineer’s report, has had a “devastating” impact on a catering service that has been forced to relocate, reschedule and cancel events at the Whittier Park site.

“It’s been incredibly difficult,” said Shawn Brandson, owner of Gibraltar Dining Corp. “I couldn’t have imagined something like this happening.”

Fort Gibraltar was shuttered after a section of its elevated palisade walkway collapsed May 31, sending 17 school children and one teacher to hospital.

Festival du Voyageur built the structure in 1978. The historic replica is now owned by the City of Winnipeg, and managed by the annual winter festival organization.

Gibraltar Dining, in turn, has held a lease under Festival du Voyageur for 12 years, Brandson said.

“When the accident happened, we figured they would cordon off that area and secure it, so we would be able to continue to operate. Then, we found out they were blocking off the entire facility, including our kitchen where we prep all our food.”

Brandson and his staff switched venues to the St. Norbert Arts Centre, hosting two weddings there within 48 hours of the closure notice. The company has continued operations at the new venue, but the adjustment has resulted in significant financial losses, he said.

The business has cancelled half of its previously scheduled events at the fort, returning advance deposits to customers. Although it operates year-round, up to 70 per cent of revenue is typically generated between May and September, Brandson said.

The caterer still has weddings and events slated for the fall, but those too may be affected.

“It’s a huge impact,” he said. “Our first priority was to take care of our clients; second priority was to take care of our staff… and third was to keep the company going.”

Festival staff recently told Brandson the engineer’s report could possibly be delayed for another month, he said, adding the City of Winnipeg has not communicated with him at all.

Festival spokesperson Chantal Vielfaure declined to comment Tuesday on a timeline for the engineer’s report. “As soon as we are able to release another statement, we will be doing so,” she said by email.

“It’s been incredibly difficult.”–Shawn Brandson, Gibraltar Dining

City representatives were similarly tight-lipped.

“We don’t have any updates to provide, and would suggest contacting the Festival du Voyageur regarding inquiries on the Fort Gibraltar assessment,” communications officer Kalen Qually said.

Brandson believes the kitchen area and building he leases for events is structurally sound and could reopen safely.

“Our venue is inside the fort’s walls. There’s nothing wrong with that space,” he said. “My wish is that we get the report done in a timely manner and are able to reopen.”

One client, who asked to speak anonymously, said she is frustrated by the uncertainty.

“It’s been a month-and-a-half. There should be something by now, but it’s been radio silence,” she said. “It makes me want to cry. It’s really upsetting.

“We have all our guests and family asking if we’ve heard anything, which just adds more to the anxiety of it all.”

“It makes me want to cry. It’s really upsetting.”–Gibraltar Dining client

The client, who is scheduled to get married at Fort Gibraltar in October, described the fort as an “iconic place” and a “dream venue.”

“In fairness to the business owners, my expectation is that they should be given a definitive timeline of when the report is coming, what the repairs will be and what is the (repair) timeline,” she said, adding she placed a call to the mayor’s office Monday, asking him to intervene.

“This is people’s livelihoods.”

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca

Tyler Searle
Reporter

Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press’s city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.

Every piece of reporting Tyler produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.