News release details

Family activities focus on traditions, friendship, and giving back Winnipeg –

Winnipeg – December 14, 2017 – Children aged 12 and under can have a human rights holiday season for free at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) from December 23 through January 7. Family activities designed to provoke thought and conversation about human rights will be offered every day from December 26 to January 7.

The Museum will be open every day except December 25 during the school break, including December 24 (closes at 3 p.m.), Boxing Day and New Years' Day. On Wednesdays, the Museum is open until 9 p.m. with $5 admission after 5 p.m. on December 27 and free admission after 5 p.m. on January 3.

People of all ages can share their holiday traditions through art, discovering unique ways that Canadians from diverse backgrounds spend their time during this season. Another daily activity is designed to build friendships by working together to make a snowperson from recycled materials and learn about protecting the environment for future generations.

Visitors can discover daily how grandmothers use "yarn‐bombing" to raise awareness of children orphaned by the AIDS pandemic in Africa, and make their own yarn creations. Canadian grandmothers giving back through the Stephen Lewis Foundation's Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign will also speak on December 28 and 29 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Classical music performances by cellist Blair Burns and violinist Maya de Forest of the Manitoba Conservatory of Music and Arts reflect the importance of freedom of expression, December 27 at 1:30 p.m. on the Level 6 Carolyn Sifton Foundation Terrace.

Gallery tours are offered each day and architecture tours are available on Wednesdays and weekends over the holidays (additional $5 — adult rate). Check humanrights.ca for times.

Holiday season visitors can also explore the CMHR's newest exhibition which opened December 10, Rights of Passage: Canada at 150 – the last in a series of Canada150 exhibitions and events at the Museum for our nation's sesquicentennial.

The Museum's Boutique is full of last‐minute gift ideas, including unique jewellery made from remnants of the alabaster and basalt used to construct the Museum, scarves that resemble its glass‐cloud façade, fair‐trade products from around the world, books about human rights and branded Museum merchandise.

ERA Bistro offers warm and delicious food and drink specials – a great place to gather with friends and family for holiday cheer. An all‐new Wednesday dinner menu was introduced this month, featuring a choice of five entrées including oxtail adobo, arctic char, and duck à l'orange. A new menu will be introduced each month. ERA was named Winnipeg's 2017 Restaurant of the Year by Ciao! magazine.

After the holidays, the Museum will be closed from January 8 through 15 for its annual maintenance week.

Holiday season schedule of programs and events at the CMHR:

Classical music on the terrace

Dec. 27, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Carolyn Sifton Foundation Terrace on Level 6

Performances by cellist Blair Burns and violinist Maya de Forest of the Manitoba Conservatory of Music and Arts reflect the importance of freedom of expression.

Share family traditions

Every day, Dec. 26 to Jan. 7, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

On Level 2

What does the holiday season mean to you? Share the traditions that are important to you and your loved ones through art. Discover the unique ways Canadians from diverse backgrounds spend their time during the holiday season. 

Rights and the Arctic Environment

Every day, Dec. 26 to Jan. 7, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Rights Today gallery on Level 5

Children make a snowperson out of recycled materials and learn about the importance of protecting the environment.

Weaving Change

Every day, Dec. 26 to Jan. 7, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Inspiring Change gallery on Level 7

Find out how grandmothers are using "yarn bombing" to raise awareness about the plight of children in Africa who've been orphaned by the AIDS pandemic and support the grandmothers who raise them. Make your own yarn creation to show your support.

Grandmothers Giving Back

Dec. 28 and 29, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Carolyn Sifton Foundation Terrace on Level 6

The holiday season can be a time to reflect on creating a better world for everyone. The Stephen Lewis Foundation's Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign supports children orphaned by the AIDS pandemic in Africa and the grandmothers who raise them. Join Canadian members of the campaign as they speak about their experiences, which are chronicled in a new book that is for sale in the Museum's Boutique.

Guided tours of the galleries and the architecture

Every day, multiple times

Main ticketing desk, $5 extra (adult rate)*
Between Dec. 26 and Jan. 7, "Explore the Galleries" tours (90 minutes) are offered in English at 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m., and in French at 12:45 p.m. There is also a 60‐minute English tour at 3 p.m.

On Dec. 24 (when the Museum closes at 3 p.m.), there will be only two tours, both 90 minutes, at 10:30 a.m. in English and at 1 p.m. in English or French.

On Dec, 27, 20 and 31 and Jan. 3, 6 and 7, "Discover the Building" architecture tours (75 minutes) are offered in French at 11 a.m. and in English at 1:30 p.m.

Find the perfect gift

Museum Boutique
Open every day that the Museum is open, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and until 9:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Early closing on Dec. 24.
With a diverse selection of ethically sourced gifts and custom‐branded products, the Boutique will keep you inspired for your holiday gift‐giving! 

Holiday warmth and cheer

ERA Bistro

Open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays that the Museum is open (until 8 p.m. on Wednesdays) and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. Early closing on Dec. 24.

Enjoy a delicious break in ERA Bistro, the ideal place to gather with friends for a quick snack, a full meal or a cocktail. Reservations recommended. Gift cards are available.