Three community members from the Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation in Manitoba are starting new careers in the tourism industry after graduating from a professional guide program this March 2026. Farrah Houle, Jay Mousseau, and Josh Mousseau are among the first 11 people to finish the Indigenous Guide Training Program. The graduation ceremony was held at the Explore Indigenous discovery space at The Forks in Winnipeg.
The training was run by Indigenous Tourism Manitoba to help residents share their own community stories and cultures with visitors. To earn their certificates, the students completed a seven-day course, passed a First Aid class, and finished 40 hours of hands-on work with a guiding company or local attraction. This program ensures that Indigenous history is told directly by community members.
These new jobs come at a time of high growth for local businesses, with the number of Indigenous-owned tourism companies in the province more than doubling since 2019. According to the Manitoba government, the wider tourism industry supports more than 20,640 jobs and brings in over $625 million in taxes annually. Currently, Indigenous tourism alone accounts for $91 million of that yearly spending and employs at least 1,600 people.
Future growth is expected following a $127 million agreement signed in September 2025 by Travel Manitoba, Indigenous Tourism Manitoba, and the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada to help create 713 new jobs by 2030. Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation is located approximately 165 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg and has more than 7,400 members. This training helps ensure local residents are ready to take on these new roles in the years ahead.
