Dawson Trail Dispatch
Celebrating Over 25 Years of Service to Our Communities!
February 2026
Dawson Trail Arts and Heritage Tour Receives Governor General’s History Award By Dan Guetre The Dawson Trail Arts and Heritage Tour has been awarded a 2025 recipient of the Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Community Programming, one of Canada’s most prestigious honours recognizing innovative approaches to public history. The award celebrates the multi-year, community-led initiative of the Musée Dawson Trail Museum that reclaims the hidden and often repressed history of the Dawson Trail, the first all-Canadian, all-weather route linking Fort William near modern-day Thunder Bay, Ont., to the Red River Colony, now Winnipeg. The Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Community Programming honours projects that foster public engagement with the past. The 2025 laureates will receive their awards from Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, at an upcoming ceremony in Ottawa. Each recipient receives a $2,500 prize. The award is administered by Canada’s History Society. Spanning 120 kilometres, the self-guided Dawson Trail Arts and Heritage Tour features 15 bilingual interpretive markers and eight art installations, supported by a comprehensive website. The trail crosses the Canadian Shield and follows an ancient route
Narth Praises Sask Premier
Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, with Pierrette Sherwood and Mireille Lamontagne from Musée Dawson Trail Museum. Photo courtesy of Louis Dubé, Rideau Hall © OSGG, 2026
“This award validates the efforts we took to uncover a fuller story of the road to Red River - the Dawson Trail - learning, for example, that it is a 4,000-year-old First Nations trail, reaching well beyond colonial narratives,”
Anishinaabe-Ininiwuk, Nehiyaw, Dakota, Nakota and Red River Métis ancestral lands. While the Dawson Trail is commonly associated with British and Canadian troops sent to suppress the Red River Resistance of 1869–70, the Arts and Heritage Tour centres Indigenous histories, traditional place names and the experiences of francophone communities along the route. In doing so, the project pres-Pierrette Sherwood ents a broader understanding of the trail’s role in colonizathat predates the construction tion and its lasting impacts. of the road by 4,000 years, “The Dawson Trail Arts and passing through Anishinaabe, Heritage Tour is a powerful
example of how our understanding of Canada’s past is deepened and enriched when we include as many perspectives as possible,” said Melony Ward, president and CEO of Canada’s National History Society. “This outstanding project can serve as a model for communities all over the country as they explore their past in the era of truth and reconciliation.” The initiative was developed through extensive archival research and the gathering of oral testimonies from volunteers, Elders and artists. Broad Continued on page 2...
La Vérendrye MLA and Manitoba PC Agriculture Critic, Nard Narth, welcomed news that Canada and China have reached an agreement in principle to reduce tariffs on key Canadian agricultural products after nearly 11 months of trade tensions. China had imposed a 100% tariff on Canadian canola oil, oil cakes, and pea imports, and a 25% duty on Canadian pork and aquatic products on March 20, 2025, in retaliation for trade measures under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Since then, Canadian trade officials have sought relief from the country’s largest agricultural customer. “As a farmer myself, and on behalf of Manitoba’s PC party, I would like to thank Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe for the key role he played in successfully negotiating with China to reduce tariffs on Canadian Ag products,” said Narth. Narth highlighted the economic importance of Manitoba’s canola and pork sectors, noting that canola accounts for roughly 25% of the province’s farm cash receipts, $2.4 billion in exports, and supports over 35,000 jobs while contributing nearly $7 billion to the economy. China is also Manitoba pork’s largest customer. Narth criticized Premier Wab Kinew and the NDP government for their lack of involvement. “When pork and canola producers in this province needed a champion at the table, Wab Kinew and the NDP were nowhere to be found. While Wab sat on the sidelines, Premier Moe was at the forefront of negotiations with Chinese leaders,” Narth said. He added that Moe’s efforts set an example for Manitoba’s government by actively working to open new markets for the province’s agricultural products. “Thank you, Scott Moe, for your steadfast work on behalf of Manitoba farmers,” Narth concluded.
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