Take a tour of Manitoba’s history at Fort Gibraltar

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/08/2016 (3328 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There’s still plenty of time to visit one of St. Boniface’s most historic treasures this summer.

Fort Gibraltar, located at 866 St. Joseph St., will continue to hold its historic tours until Aug. 28.

Created to give visitors an idea of what life was like at the fort around 200 years ago when it was a trading post, the tours are billed as lasting approximately two hours, although this isn’t set in stone, according to one key organizer.

“It depends on how interested people are,” said Monique Olivier, a heritage and education programs assistant at Festival du Voyageur, who is also a historic interpreter at the fort.

“Sometimes, the tours can last up to three or four hours.”

Olivier, 34, said the tour starts with a short introduction on the fur trade and the North West Company, which “is good because many visitors are from out of town.”

Guests then take in a number of stations, which include a trading post, workshop and blacksmith’s shop, before learning about shipping and the key role that provisions played at the fort.

“It ties into the cultural history of the Métis people and visitors say it gives them a good sense of this period in Manitoba’s history,” said Olivier, who has worked in similar roles at historic sites such as Riel House, and Lower Fort Garry, and prides herself on preparing for the interpreter role by doing a lot of research and visiting archives and museums.

“I’ve always liked the history of the fur trade and it represents an interesting, collaborative period,” Olivier said, noting her interest in the historical template for “hundreds of years of routes for colonization and settlement” due to her love of cartography and navigation.

Looking at the more immediate landscape, the West Broadway resident is hoping more local families consider visiting the fort.

“Lots of people have been to Festival du Voyageur during the winter and the fort this time of year isn’t as busy and it’s warm, so they don’t need to bundle up the kids. People can just turn up and we’ll start the tour and personalize the experience,” Olivier said.

“And we’re in the heart of Whittier Park, which is a great location.”

Olivier said the tours currently attract a significant number of retired individuals, as well as visitors from Quebec and an increasing number of visitors driving up from the U.S.

Right now, the fort also features a garden bursting with produce such as beans, corn and squash, some of which are heritage varieties, which “are traditional First Nations things to plant.”

Go online at www.fortgibraltar.com for more details, including booking information and hours of operation. Free parking is available at the site. 

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com

Facebook.com/TheLanceWPG
Twitter: @lanceWPG