Tourism Winnipeg

FortWhyte Alive's - A Prairie Legacy Named one of Canada's Signature Experiences

FORTWHYTE ALIVE’S - A PRAIRIE LEGACY
NAMED ONE OF CANADA’S SIGNATURE EXPERIENCES

June 12, 2012- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WINNIPEG, MB – For thousands of years, Manitoba’s provincial animal, the bison, roamed the plains and influenced the lives of its inhabitants. FortWhyte Alive’s A Prairie Legacy: the Bison and its People gives visitors an up-close and personal experience with FortWhyte’s herd, while exploring the bison’s connection to the people of the prairies. This unique encounter has been recognized as one of Canada’s signature experiences by the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC).

First launched in July, 2011, the CTC’s Signature Experiences Collection is an innovative marketing program designed to encourage high-spending international travellers to book their next vacation in Canada. As representatives of Canada’s tourism brand, these experiences were required to meet rigorous criteria to ensure they will stand out in a crowded and competitive marketplace. A Prairie Legacy is Winnipeg’s second product in the CTC’s Signature Experiences Collection. The first was Heartland Travel’s Hermetic Code Tour, added in October 2011.
“The inclusion of FortWhyte Alive’s A Prairie Legacy in the Signature Experiences Collection shows that Winnipeg is truly a world-class destination, offering one-of-a-kind experiences that visitors will forever remember,” says Chantal Sturk-Nadeau, senior vice president of Tourism Winnipeg.
A Prairie Legacy: the Bison and its People experience is the passport to where the world of nature and humans intersect. Visitors have the opportunity to travel in the way of prairie ancestors by snowshoeing in the winter and Voyageur canoeing in the spring and summer months. Guests connect with the past while savouring wild bush tea and bannock over a fire, discovering life in a Plains Cree tipi and Pioneer Sod House, and learning how to throw an Atl Atl, a 10,000 year old hunting technique. The journey is further enhanced by a culinary experience from the award-winning Buffalo Stone Café, where new life is brought to Manitoba favourites, reminding visitors of a time when people gathered food solely from the land.

“FortWhyte Alive is both honoured and proud to have its A Prairie Legacy program added to Canada’s Signature Experiences Collection,” says Bill Elliott, president & CEO of FortWhyte Alive. “This outstanding national recognition is a testament to the creativity of our dedicated interpretive team who continue to develop new, engaging ecotourism opportunities using FortWhyte’s vast and diverse landscapes and exhibits.”

About FortWhyte Alive
FortWhyte Alive is Winnipeg’s premier, privately operated, non-profit environmental education facility, with 640 acres of lake, forest, marsh, prairies and farmland to explore and interact with nature without leaving the city.

About Tourism Winnipeg
Tourism Winnipeg is the city’s official destination marketing organization. A division of Economic Development Winnipeg Inc., Tourism Winnipeg’s mission is to facilitate a healthy, prosperous, responsible and fully-integrated tourism industry that enhances the city of Winnipeg’s economic growth through the acquisition of meetings, conventions, events, group travel and leisure tourism, while increasing visitation and delivering the best possible visitor experience.
For further information contact:
Dana Forster
Visitor Services Manager
FortWhyte Alive
P: 204.989.8353
C: 204.791.7239
dforster@fortwhyte.org
www.forwhyte.org

Gillian Leschasin
Manager, Communications and Media Relations
Tourism Winnipeg
P: 204.954.1977
gillian@tourismwinnipeg.com
www.tourismwinnipeg.com

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