Two sections of a collapsed walkway are shown behind tape at Fort Gibraltar in Winnipeg, Wednesday, May 31, 2023. (CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)
WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government is providing a $50,000 grant to Festival du Voyageur for structural repairs to Fort Gibraltar.
A wooden walkway collapsed in May, injuring 18 people during a school field trip. To further increase the safety of the fort, the walls will come down prior to next year’s festival.
“Festival du Voyageur is a flagship cultural heritage festival and our government is committed to supporting this inclusive celebration of francophone, Métis and First Nations history,” said Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism Minister Glen Simard.
“This grant provides essential funding for required structural work that will allow the organization to safely host the 2024 edition of the festival.”
As part of the project, the existing wooden walls surrounding the fort are being replaced with temporary fencing that will serve as a backdrop to art installations and cultural displays while necessary work continues on the site. The work responds to the engineering safety assessment conducted after a structural failure last May.
The province says work at Fort Gibraltar will continue into spring 2024 after the festival concludes.
Tickets for the 2024 Festival du Voyageur, being held February 16-25, went on sale Thursday.
