September 2025

Indigenous Culture,
Wildlife & Northern Lights:
Discover Manitoba’s new adventures

Dear Canada friend,

After a challenging summer of wildfires, Manitoba is ready to move forward and welcome travellers back. Our new campaign, Your Heart, Right Place, shows that Manitoba is open and full of heart – with road trip ideas, travel deals, and resources to inspire late-summer getaways and fall adventures. Visit the campaign page to explore more and watch the video.

As we look ahead, Manitoba continues to expand its portfolio of authentic and meaningful travel experiences. In Winnipeg and Riding Mountain National Park, new Indigenous-led initiatives invite visitors to connect with culture, history, and community – from interactive discovery spaces and storytelling tours to hands-on artisan markets. These experiences offer travellers the chance to listen, learn, and engage with Indigenous perspectives in a truly personal way.

Further north, in Churchill, Manitoba’s Subarctic opens up a different kind of wonder. Here, travellers can combine cultural encounters with breathtaking natural phenomena: Polar bears roaming the tundra, vibrant wildlife, and the dazzling aurora borealis. With Frontiers North Adventures’ new Aurora Photo Adventure and the cozy White Whale Lodge, visitors now have even more opportunities to experience Churchill’s unique blend of nature, culture, and northern hospitality.

Enjoy reading!

Explore Indigenous:
New discovery space at The Forks

As of July 2025, visitors to The Forks in Winnipeg can step into Explore Indigenous –
a new space dedicated to showcasing authentic Indigenous tourism experiences across Manitoba.

Launched by Indigenous Tourism Manitoba (ITM) and The Forks North Portage Partnership, this interactive hub is the new home of ITM’s discovery centre. Visitors can browse self-guided learning tools, interpretive displays, and a curated product showcase featuring Original Original-accredited artisans. QR codes link directly to Indigenous-owned businesses, with on-site retail coming soon. Rotating exhibits and videos share the stories of Indigenous tourism operators, while on-site staff help travellers weave these experiences into their Manitoba itineraries.

The Original Original accreditation, led by the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC), identifies experiences that are at least 51% Indigenous-owned – ensuring cultural authenticity and meaningful economic benefits for Indigenous communities.

Coinciding with the opening, ITM has released Adventure to Understanding, a new guidebook spotlighting Original Original-accredited operators across the province.


Contact:
Indigenous Tourism Manitoba
Holly Spence
holly@indigenoustourismmanitoba.ca

Turtle Tours:
New Indigenous walking and culinary tours at The Forks

Turtle?Tours is a new Indigenous-owned walking and culinary tour company in Winnipeg. They offer a warm and engaging introduction to Indigenous culture, food, and stories at The Forks National Historic Site, all deeply rooted in place and community.

Their signature The Forks Walking Tour lasts about 45 minutes and provides guests with storytelling-rich, culturally authentic experiences led by trusted Indigenous guides and knowledge keepers. The tour explores the region’s treaty history, place-based teachings, and stories connected to the land, inviting participants to listen, reflect, and walk toward reconciliation. Public tours are available on Thursdays through Saturdays, three times daily, from spring to fall and cost 40 CAD per person. Group tours are available upon request.

Founded by Ashley Smith, an Indigenous entrepreneur, educator, and storyteller, Turtle Tours creates opportunities to connect deeply with the land and its layered histories through lived, intergenerational knowledge. Ashley also operates Turtle Village, an off-grid accommodation and Indigenous cultural experience located in Riding Mountain National Park, further expanding her commitment to sharing Indigenous stories and traditions.


Contact:
Turtle Tours
Ashley Smith
jasmith.management@gmail.com

Oji-Cree Showcase:
New Indigenous market at Riding Mountain National Park

In the charming townsite of Wasagaming in Riding Mountain National Park, a new Indigenous market has opened this summer: Oji-Cree Showcase offers handcrafted Indigenous artisan products alongside opportunities to participate in workshops, watch traditional hide-tanning demonstrations, join artist residency programs, attend Indigenous fashion shows, and take part in cultural education experiences.

For the latest information, check out Oji-Cree Showcase online.

White Whale Lodge:
New accommodation outside of Churchill

Located remotely just outside the town of Churchill, the new White Whale Lodge offers a unique accommodation experience immersed in Subarctic wildlife and stunning natural surroundings. Guests can observe polar bears, wolves, foxes, hares, and ptarmigan roaming freely nearby. The lodge blends modern comfort with rustic northern charm and is housed in three renovated buildings repurposed as an eco-lodge.

Features include 12 cozy rooms with private bathrooms, large panoramic windows with views of Hudson Bay and the tundra, a fenced outdoor area providing safe wildlife and aurora viewing, a common room with wood stove, fully equipped shared kitchen, and outdoor decks for bonfires and barbecues. High-speed Starlink Wi-Fi keeps guests connected, while a continental breakfast is served daily in the common dining area.

White Whale Lodge partners with local family-run tour operators like Sea North Tours and North Star Tours to offer authentic Churchill experiences. It’s the perfect base for exploring polar bear country with comfort, safety, and warmth.


Contact:
White Whale Lodge
Remi Foubert-Allen
whitewhalelodge@gmail.com

Also book through:
Heartland International Travel & Tours
Jayde Finkbeiner
jaydef@heartlandtravel.ca

New with Frontiers North Adventures:
Photo Adventure: Northern Lights in Churchill

Thanks to its location directly beneath the auroral oval, Churchill is known as one of the best places on Earth to witness the Northern Lights. Local operator Frontiers North Adventures has designed a new signature journey for passionate photography enthusiasts eager to capture the aurora as it dances across the northern night sky: Photo Adventure: Northern Lights in Churchill. This 8-day winter adventure, offered in February and March, is led by a dedicated photo specialist who provides coaching, practical tips, and on-site support to ensure travellers capture the aurora at its best – in the company of like-minded photographers.

Trip highlights:

• Planetarium presentation of the current night sky at the Manitoba Museum in Winnipeg
• Four nights of aurora viewing in Churchill with a photo specialist guide
• Northern Lights photo workshop
  
• Exclusive 7-course dining experience at Dan’s Diner beneath the northern sky
  
• Tundra Buggy® excursion across the frozen Churchill River
  
• Dog sledding and snowshoeing in the boreal forest
  
• Cultural presentation with local hosts
  
• Comfortable accommodation (3 nights in Winnipeg, 4 nights in Churchill), return flights Winnipeg-Churchill, and all meals included

Contact:
Frontiers North Adventures
Haley Magwood
haley.magwood@frontiersnorth.com

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch with:

Karin Schreiber Account Manager Germany & UK c/o Denkzauber GmbH Phone: +49 160 99130712 karin@denkzauber.de

Imprint:
Denkzauber GmbH
Neustadt 13
47809 Krefeld
Germany
Fon: +49 2151 5124669
info@denkzauber.de

Managing Director: Michaela Arnold
HRB 13436, Administrative Court of Krefeld
USt-Id-Nr.: DE277015365 
Responsible for the content according to § 10 MDStV /§ 6 TDG: Michaela Arnold