Created in 2006 by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, the Canadian Tourism Hall of Fame publicly recognizes those individuals that have made tourism an important part of their life’s work and whose actions have had a positive impact on the industry they serve. Members of the Hall of Fame have helped to shape our sector as a vibrant contributor to our economy and position Canada as a welcoming destination.
A force to be reckoned with and passionate for the industry, for her community and culture, Michelle is considered by many as the pioneering soul behind francophone tourism in the province of Manitoba. Recently retired, she has influenced the growth of this industry for well over 30 years working hand in hand with key tourism stakeholders such as Travel Manitoba, Tourism Winnipeg, CDEM, Destinations Canada, and many others to ensure the presence of Francophone and Metis cultures within the province’s tourism strategic development plan.
Some of her major and renowned accomplishments focused on Winter tourism an anomaly at the time, identified the lack of formal tourism education and training in Manitoba which resulted in provincial post-secondary institutions today offering accredited tourism programs; the establishment of the place brand Passion & Histoire Saint-Boniface in 2018 as a means to center and promote francophone tourism in Manitoba, and the director for the last 14 years of Tourisme Riel, a destination marketing organization established as a division of the bilingual economic development agency Entreprises Riel, she has advocated for the development and marketing of tourism within the Riel Region.
– Text from TIAC website