Honourable senators, I rise to recognize a special anniversary, the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the province of Manitoba joining Canadian Confederation.

Now, yes, I am an Ontario senator and I do love this beautiful and vast province, but today I hope to speak for others like me who were born and raised in Manitoba, who left for other places, but have a big piece of their heart and soul back home, which for me is Winnipeg, my hometown.

Manitoba joined Confederation under the leadership of Métis leader Louis Riel, who launched the resistance at Red River and formed a provisional government. Riel negotiated the terms under which Manitoba became Canada’s fifth province in the Manitoba Act of 1870.

My hometown of Winnipeg became a huge polyglot over a century ago, as waves of immigrants from Europe joined the early Ontario settlers and the established francophone and Indigenous communities. Winnipeg was a diverse, multicultural community long before diversity was seen as desirable and long before multiculturalism was embraced. I grew up as the 1950s morphed into the 1960s. It was a time of social change as ethnic and racial minorities, Indigenous people, women and others rejected the stereotypes and discrimination of the past and demanded equality, respect and inclusion.

In so many ways, Winnipeg was a wonderful place to grow up. It was large enough that one could see the exciting things that the world had to offer right at home: a rich cultural life, ballet, symphony, art, theatre, sports, great rock music, excellent post-secondary education and more. And yet it was small enough that a young girl like me and so many others might experience these exciting things and aspire to a better life.

I remember so much from my youth: Burton Cummings, the Deverons, Junior’s, Randy Bachman, the Salisbury House, the Winnipeg Zoo, Kelekis, the University of Manitoba, the Paddlewheel restaurant; I could go on and on.

Today, I cherish my visits to Winnipeg to visit family and friends. I see my young cousins and the next generation raising their families in Winnipeg. I see fantastic creations like the Canadian Human Rights Museum and The Forks, which were not there in my day. The Jets are a terrific team and the Bombers just won the Grey Cup. Winnipeg has its problems, but forgive me if I leave that conversation for another day.

The pandemic means that the events celebrating Manitoba 150 are now postponed to next year. I will be there and I hope they let me back.

Happy anniversary, Manitoba. Canada is so lucky to have you. Meegwetch. Thank you.