This past weekend, while picking up some groceries in between the various fairs and events, a friend stopped me and wanted to talk about Russian President Vladimir Putin and his dangerous aggression against Ukraine. From there the conversation moved to the tragedy in Syria and the fighting in Israel. By the time the conversation ended we had concluded that the world was a dangerous place and we were both happy to be living in Canada.
For many of us, a conversation among friends or neighbors is as close as we will get to experiencing the troubles that are far beyond our borders. But we do have, in Manitoba, unique windows to the world and they are found in the people who have come from countries struggling with war, famine or disease. While these new Canadians have come to start a new life, many maintain strong connections through friends and families to the countries they left.
This was made evident to me these past two weeks visiting the various pavilions of Manitoba’s Folklorama festival. While these pavilions are not specifically intended to highlight any particular conflict that may be happening in the country they represent, you don’t have to wait long to hear from those with a personal connection to the tragedy thousands of miles away.
Whether it is the Ebola virus in West Africa, the conflict in the Ukraine or the fighting in Israel, many Manitoba residents are touched deeply by these issues because they are closely connected to the countries impacted.
It is one of the reasons that when tragedies happen around the world, Manitoba plays a part in trying to assist. Manitoba provided support to the Philippines when it was devastated by Typhoon Haiyan. We sent election observers from Manitoba to the recent Ukraine election to ensure that it was conducted fairly. And just this week, Canada has offered an experimental Ebola vaccine to West Africa which was developed at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.
These efforts all fit with our values as a province and a country. We want to help others in need. It comes with a special emphasis and reward when so many of the new Canadians living in Manitoba come from these very countries. We are not just helping those in far away places, we are also helping our neighbors.
With modern means of communication, the world seems like it is a smaller place. It is easy to engage in conversations with people on the other side of the globe. But the world truly comes together when we draw a more personal connection to the events happening around the globe. Our new Canadians help us make that connection. And in turn, when we offer our support to them, it is a demonstration of why Canada is such a tremendous country and why its people are among the most caring in the world.
