News release details

Cupcakes, choir and family activities – open until 7 p.m. Winnipeg - June 27, 2018 –

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) will be covered with red‐and‐white stripes and topped with a glowing red tower all weekend, from Friday night to Monday morning to mark Canada Day.

This year's lighting display has been expanded from previous years, extending the theatrical lighting on the Museum's limestone "roots" around both entrances.

Visitors on July 1 will pay only $5 for admission, which includes the new exhibition Mandela: Struggle for Freedom. Admission for children 6 and under is free. The Museum will be open on Sunday until 7 p.m.

Inside the Museum, programs on Canada Day will explore different perspectives about what it means to be Canadian, including family activities related to fundamental rights and freedoms. A pop‐up choir will perform in the Stuart Clark Garden of Contemplation, and free cupcakes will be served in Bonnie & John Buhler Hall until they run out. Outside, the Museum's Boutique spreads onto the sidewalk to entice visitors with Canada‐themed items ranging from Manitoba birch syrup to wooden maple‐leaf earrings.

WHAT: Canada Day activities and $5 admission at CMHR – 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

WHEN: July 1, 2018

WHERE: CMHR, 85 Israel Asper Way

Activities and events on July 1:

• Pop‐up choir: Stuart Clark Garden of Contemplation, Level 3, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Cupcakes served: It's not a birthday without a cake! Bonnie & John Buhler Hall, 1 p.m. (limited supply)
• Family program: Show Me Your Rights – a human‐rights version of Pictionary! Canadian Journeys gallery, Level 2, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
• Family program: Pixel Perfect – create your own image of what human rights means to you, using LEGO, Lite Brite or sketch paper, Carolyn Sifton Foundation Terrace, Level 6, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Special exhibition: Mandela: Struggle for Freedom. Experience a replica of the prison cell where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in jail, defy a giant armoured vehicle with only a garbage‐can lid or create your own freedom‐fighter poster on a digital light table. This amazing exhibition opened June 8, taking visitors through a rich sensory experience of imagery, soundscape, digital media and objects to explore the earthshaking fight for justice and human dignity in South Africa – and its relevance to issues of today. Developed by the CMHR in collaboration with the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, South Africa. Free with admission, Level 1 Gallery.
• Special exhibition: Rights of Passage: Canada at 150. Watch projected wampum beads dance to the sound of your voice or see a social media "wearable" dress light up when you step on a hashtag. This exhibition invites visitors to peer through the lens of four different eras since 1867 in Canada, revealing unexpected angles on events that have influenced human rights at different times in Canadian history. It also includes personal accounts of Indigenous peoples' efforts to resist assimilation, preserve a unique history and alter the path of the future. Free with admission, Level 6 Expressions gallery.
• Delicious Canadian food: ERA Bistro chefs present food and drink inspired by Canadian cuisine with a local focus. Enjoy a Maple Bacon Caesar, Northern Mojito or Whiskey Honey Lemonade on the beautiful outdoor patio, along with a special themed appetizer. The restaurant and patio will be open until 9 p.m.
• Guided tours are available for $5 plus admission at 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. in English and at 12:45 p.m. in French. The tours offer an introduction to the human rights stories in our galleries.
• Canada‐themed merchandise is available from the Museum's Boutique, which will also be set up outside on Canada Day. No admission is required to visit the store inside – or shop online anytime! Check out vibrant orange‐and‐red "Winnipeg" beach bags recycled from the silky backdrops used last year for the Canada Summer Games. Colour your way across the country in a Canada to Colour adult book, enjoy themed mugs and hats, or take home Manitoba birch syrup, wooden die‐cut earrings and ornaments or retro Canadian patches, pins and pennants. Indigenous rights themes are also reflected in many unique Boutique items.