In 1818 Fathers Provencher and Dumoulin arrived from Quebec to establish a Roman Catholic mission on the banks of the Red River. They were followed by other French Canadians who created, with the largely French-speaking Métis, a lively community. Saint-Boniface was incorporated into the City of Winnipeg in 1972, but it retains its distinctive French character. Every February a Festival du Voyageur is held, celebrating the early fur traders.