{"id":281,"date":"2020-07-29T18:33:06","date_gmt":"2020-07-29T22:33:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/passionethistoire.ca\/?p=281"},"modified":"2021-04-12T12:49:06","modified_gmt":"2021-04-12T16:49:06","slug":"passion-histoire-blog-a-visit-to-the-saint-boniface-museum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/passionethistoire.ca\/en\/passion-histoire-blog-a-visit-to-the-saint-boniface-museum\/","title":{"rendered":"PASSION & HISTOIRE BLOG: A Visit to the Saint-Boniface Museum"},"content":{"rendered":"

I don’t know about you, but I love museums. At home or while travelling, I visit them regularly; they are extremely important in order to better understand history, culture, art, traditions and the place we’re in.<\/p>\n

There are many ways to learn more about the history of Saint-Boniface: the documentary\u00a0At the Heart of Manitoba’s Francophone Community<\/i>, guided walking tours with Tourisme Riel and the Saint-Boniface Museum.<\/p>\n

Today, I’m going to be talking about the museum! Even from the outside, it’s worth the detour; the Saint-Boniface Museum is, in fact, the oldest standing building in Winnipeg!<\/p>\n

I had the opportunity to speak with the director, Vania Gagnon, and following her wise advice, I’m going to present to you the must-see pieces of the Saint-Boniface museum.<\/p>\n

The Red River Ox Cart<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The cart was used by the M\u00e9tis during the bison hunt and quickly became a privileged means of transporting heavy loads long distances, before the steamboat and the train. Today it is a symbol of the M\u00e9tis people, their strength and their knowledge.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

The Mayor’s Livery Collar<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Not so long ago, Saint-Boniface was its own city. The amalgamation with the city of Winnipeg took place in 1971 and the mayor’s livery collar became a historic artifact. It’s tempting, but no, you can’t try it on!<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

Andy Dejarlis’ Violin<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Andy Dejarlis was a M\u00e9tis violinist from Woodridge, Manitoba and his rich career took him from one ocean to the other. He composed more than 200 pieces and the Saint-Boniface museum now has his violin on display (middle).<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

Elz\u00e9ar Goulet’s Ceinture Fl\u00e9ch\u00e9e<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Elz\u00e9ar Goulet – you might recognize his name thanks to the park in Saint-Boniface – was a M\u00e9tis leader, a supporter of Louis Riel in the Red River Rebellion. He was stoned to death while swimming across the river to find safety in Saint-Boniface.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

The Statue of the Virgin Mary<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This paper m\u00e2ch\u00e9 statue of the Virgin Mary dates back to 1848! It has survived time and fires alike. It’s the first classical artwork in the west, created by Sister Lagrave, who learned the technique in Montreal.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

Mathilde Carri\u00e8re’s Leggings<\/strong><\/h3>\n

These leggings are a rare piece since although moccasins can stand the test of time, few leggings have survived. Made completely by hand, they belonged to Mathilde Carri\u00e8re, the wife of Joachim Perreault. Her brother, Damase Carri\u00e8re, faced a tragic fate at Batoche.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

Louis Riel’s Coffin<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It’s impossible to visit the Saint-Boniface Museum without taking an interest in Louis Riel. A whole section is dedicated to him and a number of his belongings are on display. The most impressive (not recommended for young children) is his coffin, one of three that held his remains. Do you see the burnt corner? The coffin was on display in the basement of the Saint-Boniface Cathedral when it caught fire in 1968. Luckily, it was saved from the flames!<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

Practical Information<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Saint-Boniface Museum is open all summer, Tuesday to Saturday from 12:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and admission fees are by donation. The museum has been reorganized by zone to guaranty social distancing and the protocols are clear and respected. The visit is completely safe!<\/p>\n

After your visit, don’t forget to tour the boutique! The Belle Boutique Blanche offers beautiful items, delicacies and books on Manitoba and M\u00e9tis people. You won’t leave emptyhanded.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

You’ll find more information on the\u00a0<\/strong>Saint-Boniface Museum<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0website or by calling 204.237.4500 ext 400. Enjoy your visit!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ah! The Saint-Boniface Museum! This magnificent ode to Manitoba’s history holds thousands of treasures from back in the days. What could be better than following along with Kenza to explore this building and its history to give you a little taste!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-museums-and-historic-sites","category-st-boniface"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/passionethistoire.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/passionethistoire.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/passionethistoire.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/passionethistoire.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/passionethistoire.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=281"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/passionethistoire.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2349,"href":"https:\/\/passionethistoire.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281\/revisions\/2349"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/passionethistoire.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=281"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/passionethistoire.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=281"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/passionethistoire.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}