Festival du Voyageur (#FDV2011) - The Parties!

These three photographs completely encapuslate the Festival du Voyageur experience for many people.

Date: February 18, 1975; Photographer: Jim Walker

Source: Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12) - Box 37, Folder 3005-3006, Item 70

This photograph contains three key ingredients to a successful Festival du Voyaguer: beards, beer, and merriment.  The top three beard growers, Georges Forest, Nelson Fournier, and Paul Delveaux, join together in song and a toast to Festival.

Date: February 25, 1972; Photographer: Jim Haggarty

Source: Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12) - Box 37, Folder 3005-3006, Item 158 

At the Cabaret du College, Raymond Ouimet, Régine Datremont, Gerald Laboissiere, and Pierre Palud (seated at the table) are joined in a toast and a song by a traveling pack of Voyageurs who led people in sing songs throughout the night.  Standing are Gisele Philippot, Jean-Pierre Dubé, Louis Dubé (whose expression could not be any better if he tried), Michael Langlois, Lina Legal, and Joanne Bonlet.

Date: February 25, 1972; Photographer: Jim Haggarty

Source: Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12) - Box 37, Folder 3005-3006, Item 180

Andre Cote, Jean-Paul Bergeron, Johanne Robinson, Michel Cote, Danielle Sauve, Dennis Mavillierat, and Jeanne Pare raise a glass while at the Trading Post in St. Boniface.

A fitting sendoff to my Festival du Voyageur series.  Enjoy the weekend.  Hé ho!

Festival du Voyageur (#FDV2011) - Cabbage Roll Romance

Date: February 19, 1975; Photographer: Jim Wiley

Source: Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12) - Box 37, Folder 3005-3006, Item 68

Christine Chernichko is charmed by Nestor Budyk's playful offering of a cabbage roll.  The two were entertainers at the Festival's Ukrainian night.  The chemistry here is palpable.  Love is definitely in the air.  Nestor's got the right idea.  Diamonds are expensive.  Flowers wilt and die.  But cabbage rolls are forever.

Tomorrow I'll conclude my Festival posts with some photos depicting the true spirit of the event.

Festival du Voyageur (#FDV2011) - Creepy Parade Floats

The Festival du Voyageur used to feature a parade.  The parade is no longer part of the annual festivities, most likely because the floats caused children to experience horrific nightmares, judging from these two entries.

Date: February 15, 1976; Photographer: Jim Wiley
Source: Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12) - Box 37, Folder 3005-3006, Item 44

Here is the parade entry of the Red River Community College.  Yes the polar bear with the dead eyes and pom-pommed hat rowing a canoe is creepy but it doesn't even come close to the pure spectre of evil that is seated behind him.  Row faster polar bear!!

 

Date: February 16, 1975; Photographer: Jim Walker

Source: Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12) - Box 37, Folder 3005-3006, Item 57

When I think of Festival du Voyageur I naturally think of amphibious beasts wielding snowshoes.

More great photos to come tomorrow.

Festival du Voyageur (#FDV2011) - Snow Golf

Festival du Voyageur continues this week with lots of great events happening around the city.  One event that does not seem to be happening this year is a round of snow golf.  Here are a few shots of what we're all missing.

Photographer: Hugh Allan

Source: Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12) - Box 37, Folder 3005-3006, Item 89

St. Boniface golf pro Jimmy Roy attempts to correct this gentleman's form.  Because that should help.

 

Photographer: Hugh Allan

Source: Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12) - Box 37, Folder 3005-3006, Item 117

Here we see Ron Simenik, Coach Gerry Turenne, and Itz Jacobs of the Bell Acres Golf Club pretending not to notice how absolutely ridiculous Mr. Simenik looks with that thing on his nose.

Tomorrow: creepy parade floats.

Festival du Voyageur (#FDV2011) - Beards!!!

Festival du Voyageur begins today!  The beard growing contest is one of the more popular customs associated with Festival, mostly because it gives guys the opportunity to look as slovenly as possible, and all for a good cause.  Fellas, you've got some work to do if you want to measure up to these classics.

Date: February 7, 1975; Photographer: Jim Walker

Source: Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12) - Box 37, Folder 3005-3006, Item 10

Karen Love trims Bernard Olson's beard with ridiculously long shears.  Santa Claus looks on smugly knowing that he has the competition in the bag.

Note: Not the actual Santa Claus.  But is the actual Fred Olson.

 

Date: February 17, 1976; Photographer: Jon Thordarson

Source: Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12) - Box 37, Folder 3005-3006, Item 13

Veronique Arpin, 1976 Festival Queen, is the meat in this old, scraggly beard sandwich.  Vic Girard, the winner of the 3 month or younger beard, is on the left and Bob Boittiaux, 1974 and 1976 winner of the older than 3 month beard competitions, is on the right.

 

Date: February 17, 1977; Photographer: Jim Wiley

Source: Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12) - Box 37, Folder 3005-3006, Item 37

Susan Waldie threatens to trim her husband Dennis' beard/handlebar combo.  She wouldn't dare!! 

Date: February 22, 1973; Photographer: Jim Walker

Source: Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12) - Box 37, Folder 3005-3006, Item 106

Gertrude Mousseau and Denise Kotowitch size up Bob Hauser's beard while Elsie d'Eschambault checks out the pathetic entry in the back.

Date: January 16, 1974; Photographer: Gerry Hart

Source: Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12) - Box 37, Folder 3005-3006, Item 173

It was at this moment as Robert Boittiaux gazed at his hairy reflection in the ashtray that he knew the 1974 competition belonged to him.  Louis Dubé, Gil Boissonneault, Alphonse Hince, Larry Weselake, and Jean-Louis Hebert (L-R) look on in embarrassment.

 

Date: February 21, 1974; Photographer: Jim Walker

Source: Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12) - Box 37, Folder 3005-3006, Item 181

And to the winner go the spoils.  Boittiaux claims his prize and is instantly hit on by Festival Queen Lynne Normandeau.  Queen and beard losers Valerie Chatain, Paul Delveaux, Albert Dube, and Colette Carriere console each other in the background.

Date: February 16, 1977; Photographer: Jim Wiley

Source: Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12) - Box 37, Folder 3005-3006, Item 38

"Peter Rottentail" (aka Edmond Beaudry) measures up Wally Berrie's beard.  What?!  Don't act like you've never seen a grown man dressed in a bunny suit measuring another man's beard before.

Date: February 15, 1976; Photographer: Jim Walker

Source: Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12) - Box 37, Folder 3005-3006, Item 42

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!

Enjoy the festivities.  More to come on Tuesday after the long-weekend.

Festival du Voyageur (#FDV2011) - Ice Sculpture Fail

Festival du Voyageur is renowned for its spectacular ice sculptures scattered throughout St. Boniface.  Here are a few that made me scratch my head though.

Date: February 12, 1978; Photographer: Jim Walker

Source: Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12) - Box 37, Folder 3005-3006, Item 26

OK, this sculpture of hunters encountering a bear by Denis Foidart is actually really good but for some reason the bear still makes me giggle.  I blame the movie Anchorman.

 

Date: February 12, 1977; Photographer: Gregg Burner

Source: Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12) - Box 37, Folder 3005-3006, Item 32

Great frog sculpture but something is off with what's on top of his head.  Either a mushroom is growing out of there or someone has impaled Kermie with some sort of short staff and then cruelly placed a voyageur toque on top.  What the what?!

 

Date: February 19, 1974; Photographer: Jim Walker

Source: Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12) - Box 37, Folder 3005-3006, Item 179

Here we see students from Pierre Radisson Collegiate (Ron Lewis, Phyllis Aitken and Debi Sandst) working on their sculpture in the Provencher Park maze.  Better luck next time kids.  What is this thing and why so much attention to that particular area?

OK, Festival officially begins tomorrow.  To celebrate tomorrow's topic will be about the true essence of Festival: beards!!

Festival du Voyageur (#FDV2011) - Weird and Wonderful

Photographer: Hugh Allan
Source: Winnipeg Tribune fonds (PC 18, A.81-12) - Box 37, Folder 3005-3006, Item 110

Welcome to the first of a series of weird and wonderful photographs of the Festival du Voyageur.  Every day for the next week and a half while the Festival is going on this blog will display a photographic nugget or two on one aspect of the Festival du Voyageur that we have all come to know and love.  Tomorrow's topic: Ice sculptures!