The province of Manitoba is our home and in 1986, the government of Manitoba officially designated May 12 as Manitoba Day. This year is the 155th anniversary of the Manitoba Act which created the Province of Manitoba. Manitoba became the fifth province of the Canadian Confederation.
There will be celebrations across the province over the next week as communities gather to celebrate. At Mennonite Heritage Village, we have chosen to hold our festivities on Saturday, May 10, and we invite everyone to join us for a community celebration. There will be food, singing, stories and outdoor activities to share with friends, neighbours and family.
Manitoba is rich in its diversity. At Mennonite Heritage Village, we tell the story of the Russian Mennonites who travelled across the Atlantic Ocean and halfway across the North American continent, beginning in the 1870’s. They came here to maintain their religious freedoms and to pursue economic opportunities.
We recognize that the stories we tell at our museum are part of a larger Manitoba story that includes the Metis communities, the Indigenous communities and the many other European settlers who decided to make Manitoba their home. Manitoba continues to welcome newcomers to our province every year, from all parts of the world. Although our museum does not have the resources to tell everyone’s story, we value every person and their history. So, we invite the whole community to come and join us in celebrating our home, Manitoba.
