‘Walker Brigade’ invades legislature

St. Vital

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/05/2023 (1077 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If I may go colloquial — our visit to the Manitoba legislature on April 11 was a hoot. A compliment of five members of the Movin’ On choir from Dakota House Assisted Living in St. Vital accepted a surprise invitation to attend a sitting of the legislature from Riel MLA Rochelle Squires.

Picture the arrival of us seniors, each one sporting an indispensable walker – the ‘Walker Brigade’ indeed!

From our perspective, it was a decidedly non-political event, where I felt quite at home quizzing MLA Squires, so seemingly impertinently, about where she shopped for her lovely clothes. She reacted most graciously: “Oh, there’s a little shop just down the street…”

I’m guessing she must have read the March 22 Free Press Community Review East article about us, in which our seniors’ choir was featured. Would our practise of staying active in our golden years through song have appealed to her enough to reward us with this introduction to the sitting assembly? Or was she simply doing her diligence as minister of families, francophones and status of women?

We saw democracy in action with the MLAs in session, especially as the Conservative premier, Heather Stefanson, and the NDP Opposition leader, Wab Kinew, squared off and debated opposing views. Speaker Myrna Driedger also called on other MLAs to take their turns, such as Liberal leader Dougald Lamont, the MLA for St. Boniface.

The following statements from members of our group reveal a mere portion of the intense exhilaration each of us felt:

• Jeanne Carlson, violinist, who worked for 13 years in the Hansard department of the government before retiring, noticed the change in security. “There had been only one guard at the front entrance then, for example, unlike the way uniformed men were milling about in all quarters today. The world is not what it was in 1987.”( Her grandchildren watched the proceedings with us.)

• Lori Botan, our leading soprano, who was invited to grace the hallowed building with a solo, said: “This trip did not disappoint. The hosts were solicitous — they tried to please us in every way, make us feel comfortable.”

• Romeo Montsion, our baritone, was genuinely impressed, but had some practical ideas to offer. This was his first-time visit to our legislature, during a sitting yet: “The ramp up front is much too long,” he pronounced. “There should be an elevator for easier access.”

• Irene Young, choir director, was absolutely stricken with awe about how marvellously the visit developed: “In particular, seeing Rochelle Squires stand up and tell the story of our Movin’ On choir to the Assembly, and then introducing each of us by name. All the members stood up and faced us in the gallery above, some clapping and waving, and some blowing kisses, which were blown both ways.”

I acknowledge the veracity of the quotes above and was equally impressed with how warm and inviting this seemingly cold and stonily austere building turned out to be.

The height of our visit was reached when we moved on to the hallway on the second floor, with gallant help with our walkers from the several attendants standing by. Soon, Minister Squires showed up, accompanied by Scott Johnston, seniors minister. Next, adding honour and solemnity to the occasion, who should join us but Premier Stefanson herself. All three shook hands with each of us and made brief conversation; and then someone — was it Rochelle — asked Lori Botan for a song.

Lori valiantly obliged a cappella with Irish themes from our March concert. I was moved to call out that everyone join Lori and sing the Toora Loora Lay chorus with her.

For me, this was the climax. Our troupe — mere “little fishies in the pond” — were blending voices with the highest political figures in our province. Quite the story to tell our great-grandchildren — more intriguing than the best of Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

It’s been our pleasure to bring home beautifully bound autographed souvenir copies of Rochelle’s speech to the assembly for all 23 of us choristers, as well as news that this speech with all our names will be forever enshrined in the Manitoba Hansard at the legislature. I was also emailed precious videos of several stages of our visit.

Thanks to our manager, Jeff Hamm, and his assistant, Karen Erlandson, for providing bus transportation, and for electronically posting these videos of our escapades for all to see.

It took a week for our aching bones and muscles to return to normal, but if invited, we’d do a repeat.