TORONTO, July 13, 2016 – The TreadRight Foundation, created as a joint initiative between The
Travel Corporation’s (TTC) family of brands, is proud to announce a new partnership with The
Manitobah Mukluks Storyboot Project in celebration of Canada’s Indigenous people and their
culture.
The Manitobah Mukluks Storyboot Project, which aims to revive the traditional arts by creating
partnerships with elders and artisans who fashion mukluks and moccasins in the traditional way,
is the fourth recipient of a TreadRight Heritage Initiative grant globally, and the first in North
America. The Manitobah Mukluks Storyboot Project will use the grant to install a semi-
permanent national “The Storyboot School” at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, set to launch
mid-September 2016.
The new Storyboot School will offer weekly sessions that teach the heritage art of mukluk-
making to local Indigenous students, while also introducing the art and culture to visitors, in
conjunction with TTC’s family of brands. The project will also permit Storyboot artisans from
across Canada to display and sell their mukluks at the Bata Shoe Museum. This will be the first
such school in Canada to be available to all Canadians.
“The Manitobah Mukluks Storyboot Project is an excellent example of the ability artisans have
to help sustain and promote invaluable cultural and heritage traditions, while at the same time
empowering individuals by providing a livelihood,” says Brett Tollman, CEO, TTC and TreadRight
Founder. “Artisan activities like these are an essential component to many of the local
economies in the places we visit. TreadRight and TTC believe it is of the utmost importance to
be active in the strengthening of this indispensable heritage sector.”
