Manitoba - Fabulous Western Canada: Capture the Excitement of the Great West! - page 218

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The Cathédrale de Saint-Boniface with its old facade in the foreground. © Philippe Renault

tapestry to modern art, and has a par-
ticularly strong collection of works by
Canadian artists, decorative porcelains
and silver.

In the cathedral's cemetery, Louis Riel's
grave is marked by a simple red stone
that belies the renown of the man who
lies beneath it. Other stones on the
lawn mark the graves of French settlers
and Metis, including Chief One Arrow.
There's also a glorious view of the river
and the city skyline from this vantage
point.

Just across the Red River in the French-
speaking neighbourhood of Saint-
Boniface, the distinctive ruins of the
Cathédrale de Saint-Boniface are
a must-see. The walls are all that re-
main of the church, which burned in
1968, but they are still very impressive.
This was actually the fourth cathedral
to stand on this spot. No wonder it
remains a kind of shrine for Canada's
largest French-speaking population
outside of Québec.

Behind the cathedral stands the silver-
domed Collège de Saint-Boniface, es-
tablished in the 1800s. A controversial
sculpture of Louis Riel stands at its east-
ern entrance.