A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Small Tourism Businesses Celebrated

Nestled along the banks of the winding Whitemouth River, just on the edge of Whiteshell Provincial Park, you’ll find Moon Gate Guest House. The warm-hearted and welcoming owners are Jenny and Michel Dupas. Their eco-friendly guest house, outstanding hand-crafted wood-fired pizza and collection of thoughtful tourism packages centering health and wellness meet a growing demand from visitors for new kinds of travel experiences. Their focus is offering relaxation, restoration, good food and laughter, bringing quality products to their guests so the experiences speak for themselves. That is also the backbone of the Manitoba tourism industry – founded on creating truly outstanding stays, exceptional cuisine and meaningful memories that people want to share or return to, again and again.

October 19-25, 2025 is BDC Small Business Week – a national celebration of Canadian entrepreneurs. The tourism sector in Manitoba is largely comprised of small and medium sized businesses that drive the $1.82 billion-a-year industry in Manitoba. Recognizing the importance of small business in powering the economy, we partnered with Launch Coworking Space located in the busy downtown Skywalk at 200-185 Carlton Street (in between the Delta Hotel and RBC Convention Centre) to create a stunning mural showcasing small tourism businesses, including Moon Gate Guest House.

Small businesses are a big part of the solution driving the Manitoba economy,” said Jason Abbot, President and CEO of Launch Coworking, at an October 21 event to celebrate Small Business Week. “Showcasing the gorgeous tourism operators from across the province in our refreshed coworking space is a great way to express the diversity of what small business means in the province.

Small businesses are the heart of many communities across rural Manitoba, helping build local economies and create jobs, especially in the tourism sector. Whether it's a coffee shop, bed & breakfast, tourism operator/guide or tradesperson making sure everything is running as it should, this all contributes to tourism.

However, there’s a lot more to small tourism businesses and their impact than economic benefits. From big cities to rural towns, tourism businesses fuel creativity, bring cultural connection and improve the quality of life for locals and visitors alike. While it isn’t always easy, especially given the challenges of the record summer wildfire season, entrepreneurialism is a mindset that can take inspiration from everywhere.

This summer was so hot and dry that the river was in its draw down mode,” Jenny Dupas explained using a term from her time at Oak Hammock Marsh, “It gives the cattails and other plants an opportunity for their seeds to grow and flourish. And so we took that time for ourselves to develop new things. It gave us that opportunity for seedlings of ideas to grow.

From that downtime, new tourism experiences emerged like Métis Arts & Culture Day which was held at Moon Gate Guest House on October 4. Partners like Jarome Cartworks offered rides on historically accurate Red River carts and Melanie Gamache of Borealis Beading led a workshop.

When businesses like Moon Gate Guest House celebrate Métis culture and share Indigenous practices in their experiences with visitors, they are opening avenues for learning and dialogue. Small businesses, especially in the tourism sector, are closely connected to community. Through those bonds and one-on-one conversations, small tourism businesses can create opportunities to share stories and teachings, which can lead to healing and powerful travel experiences.