Mine was virtual! Through the Tourisme Riel / Passion Histoire Facebook page July 1st, I followed along with Barney Morin for an hour while he wandered through Saint-Boniface on his bike. 

But who is Barney Morin?

Barney Morin is a Métis author, comedian and producer. He was the perfect master of ceremonies for this Canada Day 2020 celebration unlike any other.

Saint-Boniface Celebrates Canada

Barney’s special Canada Day adventure started on the Esplanade Riel with a crêpe from Ker Breizh. The savoury buckwheat crêpe made right in front of our eyes is the perfect culinary mix of France and Canada: one of the ingredients of the day being maple syrup!

Next, the host heads to Tourisme Riel’s little kiosk next door and visits certain must-see sites in Saint-Boniface: the Saint-Boniface Museum, Louis Riel’s grave, Elzéar-Goulet Park, Fort Gibraltar and Gabrielle Roy’s House.

The sequences of visits around the neighbourhood are interspersed with musical pieces filmed at the Maison des Artistes Visuels. We get to hear Adriana Turenne, Justin Lacroix, Madame Diva and Micah as well as Hakim Moussaoui.

I don’t want to reveal everything because I hope you watch the video yourselves, but I want to share with you three things that I learned:

The Saint-Boniface Museum is the oldest building that still has its original foundation in all of Winnipeg!

Social distancing to a voyageur means staying one paddle-length apart.

It’s possible to visit the attic of Gabrielle Roy’s House, which is the exact spot in which Gabrielle decided to become a writer. It’s inspiring!

Plus, gastronomy isn’t missing from Barney Morin’s tour: a trip to Bothwell, a store full of local Manitoban products, and to Chocolatier Constance Popp reminded me that I have to go for a tour myself!

The ”Saint-Boniface Celebrates Canada Day” video is still available on the Passion Histoire Youtube page, so don’t hesitate to watch it! And visit the sites next year!