CANADA LIFE SCHOOL PROGRAM

Festival du Voyageur recognizes the role the fur trade played in the colonization of these lands and the impact it has had on Indigenous peoples. We acknowledge that this festival takes place on Treaty 1 territory, the lands of the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe), Ininew (Cree) and Dakota peoples and the Homeland of the Red River Métis.

The Canada Life School Program gives students a chance to engage with the cultures, stories, and languages of our ancestors. This year, we are offering a hybrid program comprised of in-school craft programs for your classroom, 2 days of virtual livestreams at Fort Gibraltar, and of course, interactive demonstrations, plays, concerts, outdoor sports, dance workshops, and many free activities for all students to enjoy in-person at Parc du Voyageur.

We continue to work with Indigenous partners and educators to improve upon our existing programming. As such, we recognize that requiring Indigenous partners and artists to speak French and/or English can be a painful reminder of Canada’s colonial past. In the spirit of reconciliation, we will not require Indigenous performers to speak French or English, but we will provide translation into those languages where necessary.

HÉ HO!

Registering for the school program is easy! That said, please keep the following information in mind when planning your Festival experience.

• All programming on Friday, February 16 and Wednesday, February 21 will be presented in French. Please note that programming offered on Tuesday, February 20, Thursday, February 22 and Friday, February 23 are presented in English.
• Schools must book a minimum of one (1) paid activity.
• All school groups attending a full-day will be scheduled into a lunch time slot. See the Lunchtime section for more information.
• Transportation costs are the sole responsibility of the visiting school group.
• All programs operate regardless of extreme weather condition. As such, no refunds will be given due to school or divisional cancellation policies.

1. Choose your programs!

Take a look at our program guide in order to plan your day at the Festival du Voyageur.

2. Fill out the reservation form

The online registration form can be found here. All fields must be filled out to be considered admissible. Mark your desired activities in order of preference in the requested activities section of our registration form, please note that this does not guarantee your spot in those activities. The form is double-sided, the in-school craft programs and Fort Gibraltar Live! options are on the second page.

Reservations will be accepted as of October 17, 2023 at 8 a.m and until January 22, 2024.

3. State any special needs and comments on the reservation form!

We want all of your students to have an awesome day at Festival du Voyageur. Please be aware that the Parc du Voyageur is a stimulating environment, and there will be loud sounds and music. Also, due to winter conditions, not all programs are fully accessible. Please list any student accessibility requirements and be as specific as possible so we can help you to the best of our ability.

4. Submit your registration form via email.

All reservation forms must be submitted to [email protected].

5. We will acknowledge the receipt of your reservation form within three business days and you will be contacted in turn.

 If you do not receive this acknowledgment within the specified time, please contact us immediately at [email protected] or at 204-258-2562.

6. When Festival du Voyageur receives your form:

Based on your requested activities, the School Program Coordinator will schedule your students’ day. If your choices are not available, the School Program Coordinator will suggest alternatives by email and/or telephone.

6. Confirmation

   Festival du Voyageur will send a confirmation of your registration as well as a copy of your invoice. On your registration document you will find a confirmation number. Please keep note of it so that we can access your file more easily when we communicate with you over the phone or by email.

   1. You will receive a confirmation.
   2. Please request any changes by emailing or phoning the coordinator.
   3. Once all changes have been made, sign and send the confirmation to the coordinator
   4. Once confirmed, we will send you an invoice.

Payment / Invoicing

1. You will receive an electronic copy of the invoice.
2. Invoices are to be paid within 30 days of issue. The deadline for all payments is February 9, 2024. A service charge 2% will be charged to overdue accounts.
3. If we do not receive your payment within the timeframe mentioned above, your reservation may be at risk of being cancelled. Please make sure to verify the due date on your invoice.
4. Please indicate your confirmation number when making your payment. If your school division is paying for your outing, please request that your school name and your confirmation number appear on the cheque so that we may identify your payment as complete. We accept: Visa, Master Card, debit, direct deposit, cash, or cheque.

For secondary schools following a semester system: Teachers may reserve up to 50 spaces for students without paying a reservation fee. Upon the start of the second semester, you will be required to complete the reservation, including the final number of students and chaperones. Payment will be due in full.

Please make your cheque payable to:

Festival du Voyageur Inc.,
233, Provencher Blvd.
Winnipeg (Manitoba), R2H 0G4

Rules and regulations – modifications/ cancellations/ refunds

1. Since there are several fixed costs associated to the School Program, the Festival du Voyageur will not issue refunds due to illness, absenteeism or due to bad and/or severe weather.
2. All School Program components are subject to changes and cancellations without notice.
3. Festival du Voyageur will not issue refunds for bus breakdown or bus cancellations by the schools or school divisions.
4. The cancellation deadline is January 22, 2024. No refunds will be made after this date.
5. The deadline to bring modifications to your reservation is January 22, 2024. No modifications will be made after this date.
6. A REFUND MAY BE ISSUED IF:

• An activity is cancelled and not replaced without notice by the Canada Life School Program (refund is for the activity in question only)
• There is a change to your reservation before January 22, 2024.
• You decide to cancel your reservation before January 22, 2024.

Cost for students

There is a base registration fee of $6.50 per student. The cost of individual workshops varies between $3.00 and $4.00. GST is applicable to all registration fees. For example, the cost of one student’s visit might look like this:

$6.50 (base fee) + $3.00 (A Bourgeois’s Business) + $3.50 (Whitter Park Sleigh rides) = $13.00 plus GST

The base registration fee allows us to provide supervised lunch areas and safe outdoor spaces, among, others. In addition, every student receives a code that can be sent to teachers prior to your outing.

Cost for chaperones and extra teachers

A maximum of one chaperone for every 10 students is allowed access with the group at no extra charge.

Please remember to indicate how many chaperones will be attending on the reservation form, and notify us if this number changes, so we can adjust the cost and number of entry bracelets you will receive. Any additional chaperones will be charged $12.

Festival du Voyageur will not be held responsible for any theft or loss of items that may occur while visiting Parc du Voyageur or any of the Canada Life School Program sites.

Parc du Voyageur is closed to the public during the Canada Life School Program hours to protect the safety of attending students.