Pitch for Filipino district in Winnipeg ‘long-term project’
Pitch for Filipino district in Winnipeg ‘long-term project’
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/05/2024 (786 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Amid Filipino Heritage Month celebrations — and in the presence of the Manitoba premier — a group of organizers have further publicized their intention to create a Filipino district in Winnipeg.
Karla Atanacio called for feedback and ideas during a speech Thursday inside the Manitoba Legislative Building.
More than 100 people attended as the province officially kicked off Filipino Heritage Month, which begins in June.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
“We know that it’s a long-term project,” Joseph Orobia said.
Between music acts, Atanacio relayed intentions to create a Mabuhay District. The organizers of Kultivation Festival — an annual Filipino celebration in Winnipeg — have been talking about a district focused on Filipino business and culture for the past four years.
It’s getting closer to fruition, noted Joseph Orobia, an architect. The group expects to have their papers for a Mabuhay District Inc. non-profit next month. Then, community consultation will begin full force.
“We know that it’s a long-term project,” Orobia commented.
Possibly a project to take 20 or 30 years, he continued. Still, he hopes to see the first building — whatever kind of venture the community wants — to be worked on possibly next year.
Mabuhay District will be a place for Filipino entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and gain mentorship, Orobia and Atanacio described.
“We’re seeing unprecedented levels of Filipino Manitobans that are starting up their own businesses,” said Atanacio, who is the Manitoba Filipino Business Council’s director of youth engagement.
Filipino organizers also expect Mabuhay District to be a place for culture, including the performing arts.
They held the first Kultivation Festival in 2019, with 7,000 attendees. In 2023, the number had more than doubled, hitting 15,000 attendees.
“I think … we actually have capacity to fundraise and get options from the community,” Atanacio stated.
Details about where the district should be located, what it should include and how it should be funded will come out of community conversations, set to be held this fall, she continued.
Mabuhay District organizers plan to gather community feedback through hosting round tables and contacting Filipino organizations.
More than 70,000 Manitoba residents immigrated from the Philippines, the Canadian 2021 census shows.
gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com