Symbols of Manitoba

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/04/2018 (2714 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba came into being as a province of Canada in 1870. Each year, Manitoba Day is celebrated on May 12.

Since the province’s inception, various symbols have been chosen to represent Manitoba. One of these is the bison. Although the bison, commonly called buffalo, appeared on the Great Seal of Manitoba in 1870 and has appeared on the province’s Coat of Arms since 1905, it wasn’t until 2014 that it was adopted as the official mammal of Manitoba. Did you know they can run up to 55 kilometres per hour and are good swimmers?

To have a first-hand view of bison, FortWhyte Alive offers an “up-close encounter” with North America’s largest mammals. The Bison Safaris are one-hour in length and are offered weekly from May to September.

Reservations are strongly recommended as these tours sell out weeks in advance.

The crocus, which was officially adopted as the floral emblem of Manitoba in 1906, was chosen by Manitoba schoolchildren. This plant bravely puts forward its pale mauve flowers even when snow still lies on the ground. Their prairie habitat has been disappearing. To see these flowers, plan a visit to the Winnipeg Living Prairie Museum. In the early spring, many people go to this urban nature park to see them. If you want them in your garden, crocus seeds are sold on site.

If you are planning a trip to Morden to the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre, you can see Manitoba’s official fossil, the mosasaur, adopted as the marine reptile emblem for Manitoba in 2015. It has been nicknamed Bruce. Discovered in 1974 it took about two “field seasons” to excavate it. According to the Centre’s online site, Bruce lived approximately 80 million years ago. He has won a Guinness World Record for his size.

Our provincial tree, the white spruce, is found throughout Manitoba. It was adopted as our tree emblem in 1991. If you aren’t sure what it looks like, go online for pictures, then go on a treasure hunt to find a living white spruce.

The great grey owl, adopted in 1987, is our provincial bird, living year-round in the province. It is also North America’s largest owl with a wingspan of 1.5 metres. If you haven’t seen one, put birdwatching on your bucket list.

As for a fish, in 2014 Manitoba claimed the walleye for its emblem. Also commonly called pickerel, it makes for a delicious meal.

And for a grass, the big bluestem, often referred to as turkeyfoot, won out, becoming the grass emblem in 2014.

More facts on each of these provincial symbols can be found online, in materials at public libraries, or from local associations.

Jeannette Timmerman is a community correspondent for Richmond West.