COLUMN: Carillon Flashback January 27, 1982 – St Malo farmer is official Voyageur

A St Malo dairy farmer and father of seven has been chosen official voyageur of the 1982 St Boniface Festival du Voyageur, Feb. 14 to 21, the first time someone from outside the perimeter has been selected to fill this position.

Pierre LaRoche, 52, said his role as official host of the 13th annual festival is “to spread joy and the fun of living,” as well as serve as a historic symbol of the early fur-trade days.

“Lots of people think the festival is only for St Boniface or for French Canadians, but it’s for all Manitobans,” said LaRoche.

The week-long winter carnival features the singing of traditional French-Canadian songs, fiddling, jigging and beard-growing contests, dogsled races, snowshoeing and entertainment, and displays of artifacts from the fur-trade era.

In the early days, most festival events were held in the English language, but even non-French-speaking participants urged festival organizers to use the French language more, LaRoche explains.

“People said they were coming here to be in a French atmosphere,” said LaRoche. Now, most events are bilingual.

Last year, festival organizers decided to include the voyageur’s wife in promoting and hosting the event. Called La Voyageuse, Carmen LaRoche wears the traditional mukluks, sash, toque and a colorful print shirt identical to the one she made for her husband.

They both carry a fur-trimmed buckskin pouch or sac à feu (fire sack), in which the voyageur kept his flint stone for starting fires, his pipe, a few souvenirs from his family back home (and sometimes fire water).

LaRoche applauds the festival decision to recognize the important role of women in the fur-trade era. The first voyageurs left their wives and children in Quebec and Ontario, when they went west on three-year fur trading contracts, he said.

As well as trapping, the men built forts, carried mail and served as guides to the early explorers. Later, many voyageurs married Indian women and lived further west near the forts.

Pierre and Carmen have already begun their round of promotional visits and since they live in rural Manitoba, plan to include rural schools, hospitals, and senior citizens’ residences “if the demand is there.”

This weekend they will visit St Paul, Minnesota in a mutual exchange of goodwill ambassadors that will see the St Paul carnival king, queen and court participating in the St Boniface festival in two weeks.

During the Festival du Voyageur, Pierre and Carmen LaRoche will rent a suite in Winnipeg, while their nephew and his wife look after their 90-animal dairy operation.

As festival host and hostess, the couple will be expected to lead singsongs and trade banter at a dozen “trading posts” throughout St Boniface, where people gather and sing, dance and celebrate their heritage.

The LaRoches have been involved in the festival since it began in 1969, with Pierre serving as emcee for various events. He knows the previous six official voyageurs. While relaxing with them after last year’s festival, he suggested it was about time the Festival got someone from the country.

And with that, he talked himself into the job.

– with files from Moira Neufeld