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- I believe that museums are a value to a society,
just like education and health care,
and it's up to us all to visit them
and to see the wealth we have all around us.
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The Saint-Boniface Museum
is currently celebrating its 50th year.
We are a heritage museum
so the major themes that we address here
are the French way of life in Manitoba,
the creation of the province, the Métis
and the province's development over the years.
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The Saint-Boniface Museum is an interesting museum
because it is there for the Francophone
and Métis communities of Manitoba.
In the sense that it's the objects from this cultural heritage
that we accept into our collections, that we preserve, that we repair,
it's these objects that we take care of.
It's the treasures from our collective past.
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Every year, our acquisition committee
receives probably about 150 donation offers.
So that means that every two to three days,
someone comes to us when they're looking for a home
for their family treasures.
We have a large social cohesion role to play
here in Manitoba, in fostering a sense of learning or curiosity
of other people, of other cultures.
People who are looking to learn more
about the Francophones and Métis of Manitoba
often come to us. We are a bit like a... a lighthouse
if you will, shinning a light on the heritage,
the French way of life,
the French-Canadian-Métis reality in Manitoba.
But we also need to turn to others and share
this cultural background with the rest of society
and we do this with heart and pride.
It is a magnificent building,
it's the largest building with an oak frame in North America.
It's the oldest building in the city of Winnipeg,
and was built using tongue and groove construction,
the typical building method on the Red River at the time.
And I like putting myself in the shoes of the people
who would have seen this building go up
because it would have been something exceptional to see.
One of the things we try to do of course is provide
greater access to our collection.
Riel was a major figure, the leader of the Métis.
It's undeniable today to recognize his role
in the creation of the province of Manitoba,
in the defence of Métis rights,
whether they are Anglophones or Francophones.
And when we look at it another way,
I think we can also acknowledge that Riel
has become a symbol,
he is someone who lost his life for the cause,
but it must be remembered that there was a cause.
Without the ten thousand Métis that lived here on the Red River,
there wouldn't have been Riel the leader.
So he's someone who represents a whole community,
and an entire culture.
We have the tendency of grabbing on to Riel
as a hero and as a symbol,
but we must remember what he represents
and that's the Métis community that was here,
upon which all the other communities were built.
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We are in the process of collecting objects from the 1950s and 1960s
because we can already see
that they will have value in the future.
We assess the objects that come in and we accept them
always with a view of the past or the future,
of the traces we must preserve
for the researchers of tomorrow.
And we continue to have an open-door policy,
we continue to be a place of learning,
we continue to be a place where people can gather,
we continue to offer workshops on traditional art forms,
we continue to be relevant in the community
because we know we have these things
that people will want to see later,
and I think that this is our role.
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