Thirty-eight people from all around the world descended on Thompson on May 6 and 7. The international travel package buyers were on a stopover on the way back to Winnipeg from a visit they had in Churchill.
Two Chinese buyers said while they enjoyed the Northern hospitality and wolf theme, they found the overall wolf motif static, without much to do other than look, and also added they wished there were more linkages between Thompson and the local aboriginal community and in turn more evidence of linkages between Northern Manitoba Cree aboriginal communities and aboriginal communities internationally.
The buyers were in Northern Manitoba because they had signed up for a pre conference experience before Rendez-vous Canada (RVC) 2010 at the Winnipeg Convention Centre from May 8 to 12.
The guests arrived shortly after 9 p.m. May 6 from Churchill via Calm Air, and were picked up by local guides. From there, they went to visit the two wolves at the Thompson Zoo, Neige, an Arctic wolf, and Mohickan, a timber wolf, and headed to check out the King Miner Statue right after, along with a stop at Winnipeg muralist Charles Johnston's reproduction of artist Robert Bateman's 1990 painting "Wolf Sketch" at a height of 10 storeys on the wall of Highland Tower apartment building. They checked into their hotel rooms at the Days Inn and Burntwood Hotel around 11 p.m.
The next day the international buyers were up bright and early at 6 a.m. to be picked up from their hotels and taken to the Spirit Way tribute to Northern aviation site overlooking the Burntwood River. Where they took part in an aboriginal sunrise ceremony with drummers and elders and met with Mayor Tim Johnston, aboriginal leaders and other dignitaries.
After that the group was served breakfast and took part in the GPS wolf hunt featuring the concrete Spirit Way wolves in Thompson. They then traveled to the Northern Heritage Museum and learned about the fur trade and the origin of mining in Thompson and had a chance to meet with the artists who worked on the wolf statues.
The group arrived at the Regal Beagle Lounge at the Burntwood Hotel at 11:30 a.m. where they were treated to a lunch of traditional Thompson cuisine, including moose stew, pickerel, wild rice with cranberries and mushrooms, bannock, cranberry loaf and Canadian wine. During the lunch the guests also got to view presentations about Thompson's tourism plans, such as the wolf park Spirit Way, the City of Thompson, the University College of the North and other stakeholders are working to bring to the community. The guests departed Thompson at 3 p.m.
During the luncheon, Johnston described Thompson as the "side dish" to Churchill, and said that although Thompson was known for its natural resources, its single greatest resource was its volunteers and its people - a sentiment that rang especially true for two visitors from China, Yang Yang and Ying Jun Jiang. Both men worked with China Merchants International Travel and had never been to Thompson before.
"I like the wolves and the wildlife, and the freedom of nature here," Jiang said. "If I had a chance to come back, I definitely would."
Yang said what struck him most about the community of Thompson was the warmth and friendliness of its people. He adds he was also impressed with the Spirit Way wolves, but says he'd like to see more activities for travelers to participate in.
City manager Randy Patrick previously noted the cost for the brief would be around $5,500, split three ways between the City of Thompson, Thompson Unlimited, who acted as the event's official host, and Spirit Way.
