Manitoba celebrates its 138th birthday today, but if the results of a recent poll are any indication, only a handful of us are preparing to raise a glass.
A recent survey commissioned by Peak of the Market found only 16 people out of 805 participants -- that's slightly less than two per cent -- could peg May 12 as Manitoba's birthday.
Peak of the Market’s Larry McIntosh urges Manitobans to celebrate Manitoba Day.
The Manitoba-based consortium of vegetable growers has been running radio and television spots to alert the public to the province's birthday but president and CEO Larry McIntosh said it's clear that businesses and the government haven't done nearly enough to get the message out. Indeed, a similar survey in 2003 found 15 people out of 805 who were able to circle Manitoba Day on the calendar.
A significant amount of the ignorance lies in the fact the anniversary of the province's birth isn't marked by a statutory holiday, he said.
"But that's not what it's really about. It's about celebrating the province we live in with your friends and family and talking about how lucky we are to live here," he said.
Graham Starmer, president of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, said it dusted off Manitoba Day five years ago because too few people were taking the time out to recognize the province's birthday.
Starmer said Manitobans have so many reasons to be thankful, from the province's diverse culture to its great sights to the generosity of its citizens.
Grade 5 and 6 students at Queenston School celebrate Manitoba's birthday today by dressing in costumes from the province's past. The school has events throughout the day to mark Manitoba's 138th birthday.
The chamber is also practicing what it preaches, having informed the crowds at its regular business luncheons over the last eight months of the province's birthday and handing out "Happy Manitoba Day" T-shirts to its speakers.
There will be no shortage of celebrations today. Some of the highlights include 30 new Canadian citizens being welcomed to the province at the legislature; the Western Canadian Aviation Museum displaying vintage and unusual aircraft; and St. Andrew's Heritage Centre welcoming schoolchildren from Lord Selkirk School Division to explore the settlement of the Red River Valley and daily life of Manitoba's early pioneers.
Queenston School is pulling out all the stops, too. A bagpiper will lead students into the school in the morning and after lunch, many of them will be decked out in clothing from the late 1880s while they wave Manitoba flags and sing Happy Birthday.
Principal Daphne Nordal said representatives from Heritage Winnipeg will inform her students about numerous pieces of Manitoba's culture.
"We think it's worth celebrating because we're all Manitobans. Some of our heritage is quite exciting," she said.
Hannah Walton, a Grade 5 student at Queenston, said she's looking forward to the celebration.
"I live in Manitoba and it will be really nice to celebrate Manitoba's birthday. I've never done this before, I think it's going to be fun," she said.
In addition to being the date on which Manitoba became Canada's fifth province in 1870, May 12 is also the day Manitoba's official flag was dedicated and unfurled for the first time (1966) and the day the statue of Louis Riel -- the man widely regarded as the founder of the province -- was unveiled in St. Boniface (1996).
geoff.kirbyson@freepress.mb.ca
Pride in our province
You still have to go to school or work and there won't be any fireworks, but celebrating Manitoba's birthday could be fun nonetheless. Here is a list of activities to commemorate the 138th anniversary of our province:
30 new Canadians will be welcomed to the province at the legislature
Gimli Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee and New Iceland Heritage Museum will host an exhibit, "If These Walls Could Talk," featuring images and commentaries on buildings of the historic development of Gimli.
Oak Hammock March Interpretive Centre is offering tours to discover interesting facts about the province's heritage, including the provincial bird and flower.
Le Mus ©e de Saint-Boniface is partnering with francophone schools to explore Manitoba's history with the help of technology. Students from acole Pr ©cieux-Sang and acole Tach © will participate in a global positioning system adventure that will bring them to various local sites related to Louis Riel.
The Souris District Heritage Club will pay a visit to the Souris Elementary School to work with Grade 6 classes in discovering the heritage of the community.
Keystone Pioneers Museum and the 1973 senior class of Roblin Goose Lake High School will put on a play called The Thomas Scott Affair.
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