Submitted by Red River North Tourism
Red River North Tourism is launching the Instant Win(e) Cellar, a special fundraiser in support of Tourism initiatives in the region including the restoration of historic Old St Jude’s in Grand Marais.
Donate a bottle of wine to the cellar and buy your ticket – or two… or even more! Tickets for the Instant Win(e) Cellar are just $20 and with every bottle the wine cellar grows larger. Our sponsor, Ellement Wine & Spirits, has kicked off the wine cellar with $200 worth of wines. Watch for cellar updates on the Holiday Alley and Red River North Tourism Facebook and Instagram pages.
Three prizes will be drawn: first prize is 50% of the wine collected: a value of $1000. Second prize will take home 30% of the wine in the cellar (a $500 value) and third prize wins 20% of the wine ($250 value). The draw will be made at 2 p.m., Dec. 29, which is just in time to ring in the New Year.
To drop off wine donations and purchase tickets stop by one of these convenient locations:
St Andrews Rectory Gift Shop: 377 Eveline Street, Selkirk www.standrewsrectory.ca/gift-shop Call: 204-785-2984
Tuesday through Sunday
WishMe: 374 River Road, St. Andrews Monday through Saturday
Call: 204-339-6396
“This raffle is presented in partnership with Holiday Alley” said Lois Wales, President of Red River North Tourism. “There are just 500 tickets available so the chances of winning are excellent. We’ll be posting regular updates on social media as the wine cellar grows.” She concluded “This is a great way for the community to support regional heritage and help protect historic Old St Jude’s”.
St Jude’s Church was erected in 1896 on land donated by two Métis residents from their scrip allotments. Using volunteer labour and locally sourced material it was constructed with a fieldstone and mortar foundation, square sawn black poplar log walls, and a cedar shake roof. It is believed to be one of the oldest Métis log churches in Canada.
The last service was held in 1964 and the structure remain vacant for forty years. The R.M. of St.Clements designated the building as a Municipal Heritage Site in 2018. Today, the Diocese of Rupert’s Land oversees the cemetery and Friends of Old St. Jude’s are stewards and curators of the former sanctuary. The Friends honour the rich history of the site and invite community involvement as they continue to restore the structure.
