Manitoba Day celebrations back this year

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/05/2022 (1253 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DID you know it’s Manitoba Day? Do you care?

Manitoba Day is the official anniversary of the founding of the province, and celebrated annually May 12.

The Manitoba Act, which created the province, was passed by Parliament and received Royal Assent on May 12, 1870. The act was proclaimed July 15, 1870, when Manitoba joined Confederation as the fifth province.

Since Manitoba’s centennial in 1970, the celebration of May 12 had grown into an annual community event.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, you wouldn’t know it.

Celebrations planned for Manitoba’s 150th anniversary in 2020 were postponed to prevent the special day from becoming a super-spreader event.

Now that public places are open and masks are no longer required in most, a number of historic and cultural sites in the province are marking Manitoba Day with special in-person and online events (gov.mb.ca/chc).

When asked what the provincial government is planning for this Manitoba Day, the press secretary for Andrew Smith, minister of sport, culture and heritage, said it “will be celebrated similar to previous years” and to “stay tuned.”

Premier Heather Stefanson will be the keynote speaker at the “Breakfast with the Premier” event on Manitoba Day, organized by the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, at the Fairmont Hotel in Winnipeg.