The Centre also features the most complete collection of genealogical information for French-Canadian and Métis families in Western Canada. The entrance to the Centre is unique, integrating the metal façade of the old Empire Hotel, a former Winnipeg landmark built in 1881 and demolished in 1982. The building also houses the oldest historical society in Western Canada, the “Société historique de Saint-Boniface,” (SHSB), which was founded in 1902.
A visit to Manitoba means travelling through Treaty 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 territory and communities signatory to Treaties 6 and 10, the original lands of the Anishinaabeg, Anish-Ininiwak, Dakota, Dené, Iiniwak, and Nehethowuk and the homeland of the Métis Nation. Its ongoing existence is thanks to these ancestors and their present day relatives who continue to love and care for the land.
