Metis music icon honoured by newly renamed St. Vital street

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Red River Métis music legend and Canadian icon Ray St. Germain was celebrated Friday with the renaming of a St. Vital road in his honour.

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St. Michael Road was renamed Big Sky Country Way at a ceremony at the intersection of St. Michael and Wright Street.

The street, where his childhood home is located, was named after his national network television show Big Sky Country, and in honour of his contributions to the music entertainment industry. The show, which ran for 13 years, brought pride to the Red River Métis people and made St. Germain a nationally and internationally recognized Red River Métis celebrity.

The new street name was unveiled in front of St. Germain and his family, along with many long-time fans and fellow Red River Métis people.

“I’m so touched that my community would bring this forward to the City of Winnipeg, and that the city would be willing to make this change,” said St. Germain in a press release. “Music is such a core part of who I am, and it’s been a connection point for my family, my community and all Canadians throughout my career. I thank my friend Kelly Ryback and the Red River Métis community for making this happen.”

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“I feel its important to recognize what Winnipeggers have accomplished, and Ray deserves to have a street named Big Sky Country Way in his honour in this city,” said Ryback, a friend of the family who initiated the street name change. “Ray still holds his ties to St. Vital, to the Red River Métis and to Winnipeg closely. He has never forgotten where he came from, nor that his family has deep roots in this city. I thank St. Vital Councillor Brian Mayes for his partnership on this initiative.”

Along with his work on Big Sky Country, St. Germain has enjoyed a long and illustrious career in the music industry, leading to his induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame by the Canadian Country Music Association in September 2010.

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He has hosted over 600 television shows on CBC Television, Global Television Network, and APTN. Together, he and Manitoba Métis Federation President David Chartrand brought NCI-FM Radio’s longstanding “Métis Hour x2” program to life, to highlight the work of Red River Métis musicians and keep Red River Métis Citizens informed about the activities of the MMF. He remained the producer and host of the program until his retirement in 2022.

“The Red River Métis have a long history of connecting through music,” said Chartrand. “Ray’s contributions to elevating our stories, our music and our community are too numerous to count, but those of us who have worked with him for decades understand how much of his life has been dedicated to bringing joy, knowledge and pride to people through music. On behalf of all Red River Métis and all Canadians, I congratulate Ray St. Germain on this most recent honour. He is a credit to the Nation of the Red River Métis, and remains one of my heroes.”

glen.dawkins@kleinmedia.ca

X: @SunGlenDawkins

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