LOUIS RIEL DAY: A WIN-WIN PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE ST. BONIFACE MUSEUM AND THE MMF

The first edition of Louis Riel Day at the St. Boniface Museum, in collaboration with the Province of Manitoba and the Manitoba Metis Federation, was held in 2007. The MMF used the opportunity to showcase new artifacts belonging to Louis Riel, including his sign and his Métis sash. Last year marked the tenth anniversary of Louis Riel Day as a statutory holiday in Manitoba, but a lack of funds threatened the celebration. "We immediately informed the community that we were having financial difficulties," says Vania Gagnon, the Museum’s director. "It was going to be too costly to have two employees working on a holiday and to provide a full day of programming, given that we weren't allowed to open or do anything. We needed to be able to offer first-class programming that was worthy of the event's namesake." The next day, the MMF got in touch with the St. Boniface Museum and offered to help. "We began by discussing the dollar amount of the sponsorship, and went on to explore how we could work together. It was a generous and greatly appreciated gesture. The $3,000 contribution would have been enough, but it is a true partnership with both parties working together to provide the best possible programming." And, as we know, Louis Riel Day has become a huge success for the Museum, with over 1,000 visitors to the annual festivities. The Louis Riel Institute, an affiliate of the MMF, facilitates a Métis beadwork workshop. Philippe Mailhot, former Museum director, passionately talks about "the origin of each object in the exhibit," and Lawrie Barkwell of the Louis Riel Institute shares his expertise on the Métis Nation and culture. "It’s truly a wonderful partnership. The Museum’s atmosphere is unparalleled. We are pleased to be able to offer this event, at no cost, to all Winnipeggers and Manitobans who are Métis or who want to learn more about the Métis people." This collaboration between the MMF and the Museum goes even further: in 2015, a plaque commemorating sisters Angélique and Marguerite Nolin was unveiled on the Museum grounds. The stone recognizes the educational contribution of these first two Métis teachers – who did not belong to any particular religious order – in Western Canada. The director has high hopes of making the partnership a permanent one so that fiddle, jigging and waltz tunes continue to ring in the Museum chapel for many years to come.