Latest news with #Riel
CTV News
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
History comes alive in St. Boniface
Storyteller Rob Malo (TiBert) shares how the Tourisme Riel app uncovers hidden stories with AR tech—in English, French, and Michif.
Winnipeg Free Press
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Changing school's name carries risk of erasing colonist's racist history, MMF warns trustees
The Manitoba Métis Federation made a case Monday against trustees renaming a city school honouring a military leader who has gained infamy in recent years. Wolseley School is the latest subject of debate over educational sites named after historical figures whose actions do not align with 21st-century values. Col. Garnet Wolseley (1833-1913) played a key role in the colonial crusade against Louis Riel and the Métis people who lived under his provisional government in the Red River Settlement. '(He did) horrible things to our people, to our nation — murders, rapes, the reign of terror, burning homes down to the ground, chasing us away…. We need to make sure that the atrocities of people like Wolseley are never forgotten,' the MMF's Will Goodon told a school board meeting. The Winnipeg School Division has — at the request of the nursery-to-Grade 6 building's parent council — spent more than a year collecting community feedback on the decorated commander's legacy. Senior administration announced recently that it was committed to change and began accepting new name suggestions. Goodon, speaking on behalf of the national government of the Red River Métis, made a presentation to the superintendent's team and board of trustees Monday challenging their decision. The MMF housing minister was joined by the MMF education minister Joan Ledoux and a handful of other Métis supporters. Goodon warned about racism in the form of denialism related to Canada's historic treatment of Indigenous people. 'We need to fight hate with education,' he said. Goodon noted MMF president David Chartrand's concerns that renaming landmarks — streets, statues or otherwise — can erase history. If the school division cannot preserve Wolseley's history via the school name, there needs to be another way to do so, he added. The school's online biography currently states that Wolseley led troops who were tasked with an 1870 expedition 'to quell the Riel insurrection; it does not mention the accompanying bloodshed and the lasting impact on Métis people. Goodon suggested one option could be adopting a phrase in Michif — the Métis language, a blend of Cree and French — as the school name. Board chair Kathy Heppner thanked Goodon for his input. WSD initially asked community members to submit ideas that represented the neighbourhood and 'connect to learning for students' online before April 8. Suggestions for the facility at 511 Clifton St. 'must avoid the names of people,' states a March 28 social media post about the initiative. Maggie Macintosh Education reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press . Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press 's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press 's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
CBC
25-02-2025
- General
- CBC
St. Boniface Museum, Winnipeg's oldest building, gets funding boost for renovation
A major renovation to Winnipeg's oldest building is getting a nearly $2-million boost from the federal government with hopes the doors to the St. Boniface Museum will reopen by 2026, in time for the 175th anniversary. The museum, which has operated in the former Grey Nuns convent and mission house on Tache Avenue since 1967, closed its doors in June 2024 for the $4-million undertaking. In the meantime, it is running a gift shop and Louis Riel-related exhibit inside the old St. Boniface City Hall at 219 Provencher Blvd. The renovation project involves strengthening the roof structure, upgrading energy systems, including a new HVAC system, restoring windows, replacing damaged exterior finishes, refurbishing the lobby and reception area, resurfacing the floor, and building an accessibility ramp, said a news release from the government of Canada, which has committed $1,916,573 to the work. This is the first major infrastructure project since 1991 at the museum, which is the largest oak log structure in North America. The City of Winnipeg has pledged $300,000 toward the project. The renovation will create "a more functional, welcoming and accessible space for staff and visitors. It will also ensure the ongoing preservation and protection of the museum's extensive collection of historic francophone and Métis artifacts," the news release says. Construction of the building began in 1846 and was completed in 1851, almost two decades before Manitoba became a province. In addition to being a nunnery, the building has also served as an orphanage, a school, a seniors' home and the first location of the St. Boniface Hospital. As a museum, it is home to 30,000 artifacts, many connected to Métis leader Louis Riel, including strands of rope said to have been used in his 1885 hanging and the coffin that carried Riel from Regina to St. Boniface. Although Riel was hanged for treason, he is now recognized as the founder of Manitoba. It also houses the first bell to ring in the Red River settlement, a 100-pound chime that was commissioned by Lord Selkirk and cast by the same foundry in London, England, that cast Big Ben. It is stamped with 1819, the year it was molded and transported across the ocean to be installed in the first mission that would later become St. Boniface Cathedral. The project will create a more functional, welcoming and accessible space for staff and visitors. It will also ensure the ongoing preservation and protection of the museum's extensive collection of historic Francophone and Métis artifacts.
Boston Globe
19-02-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Spending on sports tourism has become a massive part of Rhode Island's economy
Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up 'The economy relies heavily on business booked by the Rhode Island Sports Commission,' Riel said. 'These events are crucial to filling rooms during the winter months when leisure travel is traditionally light.' Advertisement The bigger picture: Sports was one of the first types of live events that came back strong following the pandemic, and Rhode Island is increasingly becoming a hot spot for the big business that is youth athletics. The NCAA basketball tournament is the headliner with $3.7 million in projected direct spending, but the USA Gymnastics Championships in June, the Spirit Fest Grand Nationals cheerleading competition in March, and a 4th of July baseball showcase beginning at the end of June are all events that are each expected to generate more than $2.5 million in direct spending. The Athletic Championships Grand Nationals cheerleading competition and the NIKE VolleyFest were among the big events held this month, the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships is scheduled for next month. What's next: Rhode Island wants to be aggressive in courting these kinds of regional and national sporting events – especially as it ramps up to play a significant role in the World Cup in 2026. Advertisement In April, the PWCVB will send a team to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the Sports ETA Symposium, an annual event hosted by the Sports Events & Tourism Association. The goal is to position Rhode Island as a premier place to play. This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you'd like to receive it via email Monday through Friday, . Dan McGowan can be reached at
