An ‘ambassador for Festival’

St. Boniface

Southdale

It’s fair to say it takes a community to run a festival, and this will certainly be the case at Voyageur Park and beyond this month.

Volunteers are the heart of the community that ensures Festival du Voyageur runs smoothly each year, and more than 500 have signed up to lend a helping hand at this year’s event.

Maëlle Joubrel, volunteer co-ordinator for the organization, said the many volunteer positions folks have chosen from include bartender, cashier, ticket scanner (at the entrance), food server, snowshoe assistant, and supervisor at the winter playground for kids.

“I love the atmosphere around Festival. The volunteers are so committed, and without them, there would be no Festival,” Joubrel said.

She said the volunteer group includes “young people, older people, and people from different countries and backgrounds.

“There are lots of different positions. Bartending is maybe the favourite one, as that position is always busy,” she added.

Co-ordinating the volunteers at this year’s festival is the latest part of Joubrel’s personal FDV adventure. Originally from France, she was an intern with the organization last year and was excited when she became the volunteer co-ordinator this year.

Longtime volunteer Daniel Labrie is still passionate about dedicating his time to the cause after more than two decades of volunteering at Festival. For him, it has been a family affair, as his wife and children, who are now grown, have all been involved at one time or another.

The Southdale resident currently volunteers with the school program, which includes helping make crafts with the kids, and he’s also been involved as an eco-traveller, which focuses on “garbage and recycling and compostables, and keeping the tents ecologically friendly and the park as clean as possible.”

Originally from Quebec, Labrie said he was immediately drawn to Festival du Voyageur when he came to Winnipeg.

“The folk music, dancing and food were really popular in Quebec when I grew up, and they are a reminder of back home,” said Labrie, who was also an FDV board member for six years. “When you come from outside, it’s important to focus on community. I made friends volunteering, and every year I looked forward to seeing them again.

“It’s a great way to meet other people, whether they’re from the francophone community, anglophones, or immigrants. It’s also a great way to take a break in the winter, get fed, receive passes, and listen to music in a tent.

“Every volunteer has a job to do, and it’s not like working a nine-to-five job and there’s no boss over your shoulder. Every volunteer is an ambassador for Festival du Voyageur,” he said.

St. Boniface resident Daniel Kim, who previously lived in Minneapolis before moving to Nice, France, is preparing to volunteer at the event for the first time this year.

He first visited Winnipeg several years ago and moved here last July.

“Before I visited Winnipeg, I didn’t know much about the local culture, so this is a great opportunity … to learn about Franco-Manitoban and Métis people,” Kim said.

“Working as an archives assistant at the Société historique de Saint-Boniface, I’ve spent a number of hours immersed in the storied past of the Festival du Voyageur,” Kim explained. “Exploring these records inspired me to do more than just document the history — it moved me to become a part of it. This year, I’m stepping out of the archives and into the snow as a festival operations team leader.”

Kim said he enjoys volunteering at big events, and his impressive resumé includes stints at Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis in 2018, the Tour de France in Nice in 2020, and Grey Cup 2025 in Winnipeg.

This year’s Festival du Voyageur, the 57th edition, runs from Feb. 13-22 at Whittier Park and other official festival sites. Visit heho.ca for more information.