Festival du Voyageur marks 50 years with tribute to founders
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/02/2019 (2606 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
For its golden anniversary, the Festival du Voyageur is honouring two of its golden oldies: founder Georges Forest and his wife, Anita.
La Prairie tent has been permanently renamed the Forest tent in their honour and now boasts a wooden plaque paying tribute to the couple, who were the first “voyageurs officiels” during the inaugural festival 50 years ago.
Georges Forest died 29 years ago on Valentine’s Day at Festival du Voyageur while jigging in the crowd at a Cajun night event.
He will still be smiling down on the festival grounds this year as snow sculptors are carving a giant likeness of his visage near the entryway.
His son, Claude Forest, spoke at the festival’s media launch Thursday and briefly described the evolution of his parents’ pet project.
Festival has always celebrated turn-of-the-century voyageur culture and is now Western Canada’s largest winter festival.
“I want to say that there are aspects of the heart that are involved here. The term love was brought up more than once (by different speakers). But there’s also persistence and the ability to grow, and the ability to survive – and that also requires heart. In fact, the root of the word ‘courage’ is heart (in French),” he said.
“In each and every one of our journeys, we need to summon courage and I think the example my parents set was one of overcoming the challenges in order to bring their passion to life.”
Lynne Connely, president of the Festival du Voyageur’s board of directors, said she often thinks of Georges Forest in the weeks leading up to the winter event and how they must have had similar worries.
“Did we think of everything? Will it be nice out? Will people come?” she mused in French, as volunteers and staff laughed in recognition.
“I think of his tenacity, his perseverance, his dedication to his heritage and his love for St. Boniface,” she said.
“These values have guided us all in the months leading up to this 50th edition and will continue to inspire for generations to come, I’m sure.”
Festival du Voyageur officially opens its gates Friday and runs until Feb. 24.
jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: @_jessbu