We hit Winnipeg just as the Fringe Festival was starting. Jen's aunt and uncle were amazing hosts, guiding us around town and ensuring we got our fill of good coffee and gourmet fudge. We even managed to catch two Fringe shows before our screening at the Park Theatre. As for the theatre - what an excellent venue! The Park has a licenced cafe in the front and a cinema in the back and is exactly the sort of place to show indie films like ours. Plus, we had our name in lights for the first time! (thanks Erick). If you're ever in Winnipeg, check it out!
We also managed to sneak in a day of relaxation out at Minaki at Jen's aunt's family camp (check it out in the last video we posted) before heading to Dryden. There we were met by more of exactly what has made this trip so great - amazing people. People who are generous and genuine and love their community. People who go out of their way to organize free camping and even bring you a couple beers to welcome you on your first night in town.
Grant tells me to keep these short, so I'll just say we received a warm welcome from the City Manager, Arie Hoogenboom, and got a fun intro to the Rotary Club who had us come and speak at their lunch meeting the day of our screening. Thank you so much to Michelle Arseneault and Arie who coordinated the screening and to the folks at the Centre who made sure everything was just right.
And as a final note, check out Michelle's blog if you get a chance. She's just out of highschool, but mark my words, this girl is going places. She is already running a local campaign to get businesses to ditch plastic bags, and we were truly struck by her mature and focused nature and her passion for the environment. I know we'll be hearing more from her in the future.