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Festival du Voyageur has been wowing Winnipeggers with sculpted snow and tres bien bannock for the past 37 winters -- but its future will truly be the stuff of legend. <br /><br />"We've created a legend," says Dan Lussier, executive director of the annual francophone fest. "It's the legend of the Snow Bison. That legend and the semantics felt within the legend will be primarily seen throughout the Festival Park." <br /><br />Lussier says each Festival from now on will feature a different tale -- but what's the deal with this year's snowy creatures? <br /><br />"If you read some of the elements of the Snow Bison, it's really about communities coming together," he says, adding that, historically, the animals helped join Voyageur and fur-trading clans on either side of the river. "The Snow Bison provided them with the tools they needed to create the canoe." <br /><br />Local writer Janine Tougas penned a mythological tale called The Legend of the Snow Bison to go with the theme that Lussier says will "bring a new spirit to the Festival." <br /> <br /><br />"Festival du Voyageur isn't just, you know, a St. Boniface francophone thing," he says. "This celebrates the Voyageur and the fur trader, which belongs to all of us. It's your Festival." <br /><br />And there's a ginormous welcome mat to prove it. <br /><br />This year, Voyageur Park's front entrance is adorned with two five-metre-tall Snow Bison heads made of snow. <br /><br />You'd think this would be a tad problematic, since we haven't had the whitest winter. <br /><br />Lussier admits pulling off the fest in milder-than-usual conditions "hasn't come without its challenges." For example, the Assiniboine River-held sled dog races had to be nixed. <br /><br />A secret Floodway snow stash is keeping potential sculpture shortage problems at bay. But whether the sun decides to melt the carefully carved creations is beyond organizers' control. <br /><br />"Mother Nature is going to have the final say," Lussier says. <br /><br />Here's hoping she'll give us time to see this year's sculptures, which fall under the legends theme. Sculptors from the U.S., France, Bulgaria, Latvia, Mexico, Guatemala and our own country have churned snow into folklore with their renditions of creatures like the North's Windigo, sorcerer El Nahual and explorer Nemo. <br /><br />If and when you get cold, a concert will be waiting on the other side of the door at venues around Voyageur Park. <br /><br />East Coast fiddler Ashley MacIsaac headlines the Feb. 17 & 18 bills at Rouge Trading Post. Bald-headed cartoon boy Caillou comes to life at the same venue Feb. 18 at 1 p.m. Local acts Men in Kilts, Steeple Chaser, D. Rangers and Sierra Noble -- playing a backup fiddle after her mom accidentally crushed her old one last weekend -- are also slated to perform throughout the 10-day fest. <br /><br />The concert series returns with three themed nights: Cajun-spiced New Orleans Hurricane Relief Fund benefit Laissez le bon temps rouler, with locals Johnny Cajun and Louisiana's Hadley Castille and Lost Bayou Ramblers Feb. 14; Patrimone en coeur, with local talents Daniel Lavoie, Madrigaia and Kraink Feb. 16; and We Joggin', featuring Churchill-born songstress Susan Aglukark Feb. 18. Tickets cost $25 - 30 at 237-7692. <br /><br />Fully costumed military demos outside Fort Gibraltar and an interactive historic play Our Forgotten Heroes are new to the activity list this year. Popular returning attractions include endurance test Voyageur Survivor, the equally brawny Voyageur Games, the 35th Fiddling and Jigging Contest, a swanky Governor's Ball, enhanced snow bar and -- yes!! -- maple syrup pops. <br /><br />Festival kicks off at 6 p.m. tomorrow with a torch walk from The Forks to Provencher for a street party and opening ceremonies at 7 p.m. Voyageur Park and Franco-Manitoba Cultural Centre will open shortly after. <br /><br />"It's a great opportunity not only just to kick off the Festival but it allows some folks who have not ventured into the Festival world to see what it's all about," Lussier says. <br /><br />Advance daily passes for Voyageur Park are $13. For $27 ($18 students/seniors, $6 youth 6 - 17), you can pick up a Friends of the Festival package, which gets you into most activities. All passes and programs are available at Safeway and www.festivalvoyageur.mb.ca. <br /><br />--- <br /><br />FESTIVAL DU VOYAGEUR <br /><br /> |
