Sinister secrets, macabre tales

St. Boniface

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/10/2024 (741 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Story time in St. Boniface is taking an eerie twist this month.

That’s because Tourisme Riel and Ô Tours are running a seasonal walking tour called The Dark Stories of Saint-Boniface until the end of October.

The Dark Stories of Saint-Boniface is a two-hour, three-kilometre tour which begins at 219 Provencher Blvd. As dusk falls on the evening of each tour, attendees — guided by a local expert — will “embark on a chilling journey through the streets of (the) neighbourhood, where (they’ll) uncover sinister secrets and macabre tales that shaped its past,” organizers say.

The tours started at the beginning of the month and continue, from 6 to 8 p.m., on Oct. 18 to 20, 25 to 27, and 30 and 31.

“These are walking tours in old St. Boniface that coincide with Halloween,” said tour co-ordinator Sheri Desrosiers, emphasizing that the stories told aren’t ghost stories.

They are, however, true, and focus, in the main, on times gone by. Subjects range from corruption within the police force, problems involving the old St. Boniface fire hall, different fires, murders in the area, and insurance fraud, Desrosiers said. There’s also a nod to a rumour the Ku Klux Klan tried to start a chapter in Winnipeg last century.

“This a unique event, as a lot of times people don’t know about things that happened in St. Boniface,” Desrosiers said. “These are lesser-talked about things, but they happened.”

Tour guests are reminded to dress according to the weather and wear comfortable shoes. Tickets are $20 per person, plus GST and an online processing fee.

Visit otours.net/tour/the-dark-history-of-saint-boniface for more information.

The event is not recommended for children.