New tour firm seeks to display ‘hidden gem’

Desiree Rantala has serious Manitoba bona fides.

The 34-year-old grew up in two northern First Nations communities and has lived in Gimli and Dauphin. She’s worked in marketing roles at the Manitoba Museum, Downtown Winnipeg Business Improvement Zone and Travel Manitoba, and she’s travelled to New York and Vancouver to promote the province.

Now, Rantala has launched a tour company called Toba Tripper.

“We’re a hidden gem that has so much to offer,” the Winnipeg resident said. “We have so much to see and I really hope that people leave my tours appreciating the beauty of Manitoba a little bit more.”

Toba Tripper plans, co-ordinates and delivers curated experiences throughout the province. Offerings include day trips, private and custom tours, VIP hosting and logistics services for local, national and international guests.

The company’s first tours consist of day excursions, and Rantala plans to incorporate overnight trips in the coming weeks, followed by winter experiences and tours.

People can currently book a spot on one of three tours.

One is a two-hour experience that takes participants to Centre of Canada Park, the country’s longitudinal centre.

Another is a three-hour nature photography tour that stops at natural areas and parks in Winnipeg.

The third tour is called Icelanders in the Interlake. Rantala picks participants up at The Forks and drives them to Gimli, where they visit the New Iceland Heritage Museum, stroll the beachside boardwalk and view the seawall gallery, and stop at a restaurant for a fish and chips lunch.

The eight-and-a-half-hour tour continues with a visit to H.P. Tergesen & Sons General Market, the oldest general store in Western Canada, a stop at the Viking statue and a break at a bakery for Icelandic treats such as vinarterta.

The tours range in price from $100 to $350 per person.

Three core values guide Toba Tripper, Rantala said: connection, inclusion and stewardship. The company is committed to supporting local businesses, respecting the environment and encouraging meaningful exploration of the province.

Rantala’s background includes growing up in Gods River and Wasagamack, remote northern Manitoba communities where her father was an educator.

After high school, Rantala studied interior design at the University of Manitoba before launching her marketing career at the Manitoba Museum in Winnipeg.

Eventually, she joined Travel Manitoba as a content marketing co-ordinator. She went on maternity leave after two years, and returned to the organization in January in a new position: travel media and influencer relations specialist.

The job took her to major cities in North America where she promoted the province to members of the media from around the world. She loved it, but juggling her work responsibilities with being a new mom was difficult. In July, she decided to leave the Crown corporation.

Rantala wasn’t sure what she would do next, but after giving it some thought, she combined her love for adventure with her background as a tourism professional to create Toba Tripper.

“In less than 60 days, I have created a full-fledged tour operating business from concept to creation,” she says.

“Everything from creating a logo to brand identity, building up my social media (and) my website, designing my tours, becoming insured (and) getting permits and licensing.”

Dee King, manager of the Interlake Tourism Association, is pleased to welcome a new tour company that operates in the Interlake. Many Interlake tours are self-guided and require a vehicle, she said.

“Having someone take you by the hand through the Interlake, through Gimli … is an amazing opportunity, especially for those that don’t have vehicles and want to just kind of hop in and have someone take over,” King said.

The executive director at New Iceland Heritage Museum is glad one of Toba Tripper’s first tours includes a stop at the centre near the west shore of Lake Winnipeg.

“There’s definitely an interest to come out to Gimli … to discover the heritage,” said Julianna Roberts. “We rely on visitors from all over the world to come to our museum and that’s why we exist — to educate people on the settlement of New Iceland.”

Rantala has already led a few tours and is looking forward to welcoming guests to Toba Tripper.

“I kind of just see myself as a girl who grew up in Manitoba, became a mom and is just trying to give back and help other people see what I see,” she said.

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca