Виннипег қаласындағы «Voyageur» қыс фестивалі

Winter festival in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

The Festival du Voyageur is an annual 10 day winter festival that takes place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The event is held each February in Winnipeg's French quarter, Saint Boniface, and is western Canada's largest winter festival. It celebrates Canada's fur trading past and unique French heritage and culture through entertainment, arts and crafts, music, exhibits, and displays. The word "Voyageur" refers to those who worked for a fur trading company and usually travelled by canoe. In the case of Festival du Voyageur, the title of "Official Voyageur" is given to ambassadors of the festival.

The idea for a winter festival to celebrate Manitoba's Francophonie was first proposed in 1967 by Georges Forest, who became the first official "Voyageur". The proposal was put forth to the then City of St. Boniface, but the city's offer was insufficient. In the summer of 1969, mayor of St. Boniface Ed Turner, along with city council, granted their support under the condition that Festival became an incorporated organization. Judge Robert Trudel became the first president of Festival du Voyageur. Festival du Voyageur Inc. was incorporated under the Companies Act of Manitoba on December 18, 1969. It received a city grant of $35,000 but had to give back all profits up to $35,000. At a press conference held on January 13, 1970, mayor Turner announced that the city of Saint Boniface would present a festival honouring the Voyageur of the fur trading era, in celebration of Manitoba's centennial. The first Festival du Voyageur took place that year from February 26 to March 1, at Provencher Park, with an estimated attendance of 50,000 people. In 2021, due to the COVID 19 pandemic, Festival du Voyageur offered virtual programming and broadcast its concert events over YouTube and Facebook.

In 2023, the festival saw 858 volunteers donate 9,573 hours of work. Official partners: Air Canada, Bell MTS, Caisse Financial Group, Canada Life, Fairmont, Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, Nonsuch Brewing, Outfront, and Sirius XM. Official sponsors: Red River Co op, Power Corporation, Prairie Mobile Communications, Université de Saint Boniface, and Kinsmen Club of Winnipeg. Major sponsors: Brio Insurance, Franco Manitoban Cultural Centre, Conseil jeunesse provincial (“Provincial Youth Council”), HelloWebsites, Royal Canadian Mint, Qualico, Compassion Network, Francophone Society of Manitoba, and Via Rail. Media sponsors: CTV, Envol 91 FM, ICI Manitoba, La Liberté, and Winnipeg Free Press. "Friends of Festival:" 100 Nons, Avenir IT, Beaver Bus Lines, Country John's Portable Toilet Rentals, Éducatrices et éducateurs Francophones du Manitoba, Maxim Truck & Trailer, Musique et Film Manitoba, and PepsiCo. Funders: Governments of Canada, Manitoba, and Winnipeg; FrancoFonds; and Musicaction.