View From the Legislature

I’m fortunate to have hundreds of students visit me at the Manitoba Legislature every year. With each visit I am always quick to note to students that our Legislature is, in my opinion, the most beautiful provincial capital building in all of Canada. And while I have had the honour to work in the building for a number of years, it belongs to every Manitoban equally and we should all be very proud of it.

But as majestic and stunning as our Legislature is, the reality is that it is showing its age. The Legislature was opened in July of 1920 which means that it is nearing its 100th birthday. If you were to travel back in time to the day of its opening, you would see that while the area surrounding the Legislature has changed dramatically, the Manitoba Legislature itself looks fundamentally the same. It is as though it has been frozen in time. But if you were to look a little closer, you would see that much has changed and that the building is in dire need of repairs. Having had the opportunity to tour the inner workings of the Legislature and see what the effect of age has been on its structure and its interior, I have seen first hand that we have neglected this provincial treasure for too long.

The Manitoba Legislature has nearly $150 million of deferred maintenance that needs to occur. This includes water leaks that are causing damage to the exterior and interior of the building. In fact, pieces of the exterior stonework have been falling off over time. In addition, heating and ventilation, plumbing and electrical systems are at the end of their service life. Repairing and preserving a building of this age is not inexpensive. But as each year goes by the damage gets worse and the cost goes up.

Recently our government announced that it would be allocating $10 million annually for the next 15 years to restore and preserve the Manitoba Legislature. An advisory committee will be established to provide the oversight and the long-term plan for restoring the building for future generations. The damage did not happen overnight and it will take a long time to repair the building as it is expensive and time consuming work, but it is work that needs to be done.

Manitobans are rightfully proud of the Legislature. Many have memories of the Golden Boy being taken down in 2002 so it could be repaired and of having the opportunity to take pictures of this iconic Manitoba symbol when it was at ground level. Many other Manitobans have a special connection to the building because they have taken wedding or graduation pictures inside or on the grounds. But while we treasure the building and its connection to an era when Manitoba was seen as the Chicago of the north, it simply needs to be restored before the damage becomes too great.

I hope that students and all Manitobans will be visiting the Manitoba Legislature for the next 100 years as they have for the past century. With the commitment of Manitobans, we can ensure that happens and that it remains the most beautiful provincial capital building in Canada.