Winnipeg Free Press

TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2020 ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM D 3 MY MANITOBA manitoba150.com @ MANITOBA150 #MB150 FUNDING PARTNER This ad generously supported by: A Message from the Co-Chairs of the Manitoba 150 Host Committee On this Manitoba Day, we are grateful. We look to the future with hope and optimism. So much has changed since Manitoba's 150th anniversary year began. We've all been touched by COVID-19. What has not changed is Manitobans' love of this province, our spectacular natural beauty, our diverse cultures, the rich tapestry of our history, and of course, Manitobans themselves. Since our earliest days, Manitobans have shown a strong sense of community in the face of change and have grown stronger and more connected as a result of it. From the First Nations who called this place home for thousands of years; to the birth of the Métis Nation, whose leader Louis Riel protected the rights of all who lived here while ushering Manitoba into Confederation; to the arrival of generations of newcomers, everyone has contributed and continues to contribute to making Manitoba the great province it is today. From the beginning, Manitoba 150 aimed to cultivate a sense of pride in Manitoba. The 150th anniversary of becoming a province is an opportunity to appreciate our province and celebrate everything we love about it. By putting celebrations on pause, we let frontline workers – health and social service professionals, everyone who helps get food to our grocery shelves and to our table, farmers, entrepreneurs, teachers, and others too numerous to mention – know that safety and health are our first priority. We will get through this, and when we restart the Manitoba 150 festivities in 2021, we will have even more reason to be United in Celebration. Stay healthy and be kind to one another. Happy Manitoba Day! Monique LaCoste Co-Chair Stuart Murray Co-Chair Stuart Murray Monique LaCoste HAPPY MANITOBA DAY We look forward to celebrating with you in 2021! M anitoba's 100th anniversary was celebrated in a very dif- ferent way than the province's 150th birthday today — and not just be- cause people gathered together. Five decades ago, Manitoba celebrat- ed the 100th anniversary of its birth in Canadian Confederation by hosting Queen Elizabeth, her husband Prince Philip, and their eldest children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, for six days. The Queen has visited Manitoba six times, the first as a princess in 1951, and the last in 2010, but the 1970 visit was the longest. While here she visited 22 communities as far north as Church- ill, Thompson and The Pas, as far south as Carman, as well as visiting Brandon, Beausejour, Dauphin and CFB Shilo. During the trip the Queen designated the Winter Fair in Brandon as the Royal Winter Fair and officially opened the then named Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature. On July 15, 1970, the 150th anniver- sary of the day when the Manitoba Act came in force, in a reconstructed out- door version of the Manitoba Legisla- tive Chamber built on the south steps of the Legislative Building, and after a speech by then Premier Ed Schreyer — an d a br ie f me et in g wi th a 1 00 -ye ar -o ld man who was injured at age six when a Red River Cart rolled over him — the Queen herself came to the microphone to give a message to Manitobans. "Confederation and the foundation of the new Province of Manitoba took place during the reign of my great great grandmother and so it is a very particu- lar pleasure for me, as your Queen, to be here in Winnipeg for these centen- nial celebrations and to take part with you in paying tribute to the pioneers and founders of this province," she said. "One hundred years ago this vast ter- ritory was inhabited by a few thousand Indians and Metis and by a handful of French and Scottish fur traders and their families in the little settlement of Red River. Today, Manitoba is the home of one million people enjoying a stan- dard of living which compares favour- ably with any other part of the world." During her speech, the Queen talked about the people she had met while criss-crossing the province. "This experience has given us all a most vivid impression of the intricate racial, religious and cultural tapestry which makes up the population of the province," she said. "As in a tapestry, it is the cohesion of thread and colour which gives strength and design to the whole fabric." The Queen also made special mention of the province's Indigenous population. "I am particularly conscious of the special relationship which has existed for so long between The Crown and the Indian people, the original inhabitants of this land. I am fully confident that they will always remain an integral and vital element in the life of the province." The Queen also made special mention that the year also marked the 300th an- niversary of King Charles II granting a Royal Charter to the Hudson's Bay Company. The Queen concluded her speech by noting that "the history of Manitoba is one of human endeavour, fed by a burning conviction in all the settlers who have come to this province, that with determination and hard work they could build a new and better life. "Their success can be seen in the fields and farms, in the industries and mines, in the towns and cities, and par- ticularly in their homes. They have laid a sure foundation, it will now depend upon the younger generation to take up the work and make the vision of their parents and grandparents, of a peace- ful, tolerant and plentiful land, come true for all its people and for many gen- erations." kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca Royal contingent spent six glorious days here in 1970 KEVIN ROLLASON DAVE JOHNSON / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth, with their children Princess Anne and Prince Charles, prior to the Royal couple's departure from Manitoba on July 16, 1970. Queen Elizabeth and family members toured province to mark 100th birthday

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