Saint-Boniface: French Winnipeg’s Cathedrals, Cafés and River Walk
Walk across the Esplanade Riel pedestrian bridge from The Forks and you land in a different city. Saint-Boniface is Winnipeg's French quarter, the largest francophone community in Western Canada and home to the cathedral ruins that still stop people mid-sentence.
The cathedral ruins
Five fires have shaped this site since 1818. The current cathedral rises behind the stone arches of its 1908 predecessor, which burned in 1968. Walk through the ruins at golden hour. The grave of Louis Riel is in the cemetery to the side.
Where to eat
- Chez Sophie — Provence on Provencher.
- Resto Gare — French-Canadian classics in a converted train station.
- Chocolatier Constance Popp — single-origin chocolate.
Festival du Voyageur
In February the whole neighbourhood becomes the biggest winter festival in Western Canada. Snow sculptures, fiddle music, hot pea soup and dancing in heated tents until late. See our winter guide for planning.
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