Winnipeg will always be home for my daughter

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/11/2019 (2450 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

My daughter, Maiko Munroe, has lived away from Winnipeg for more than 15 years but still considers Winnipeg and in particular the Fort Rouge area home.

No stranger to the Winnipeg entertainment scene, Maiko, a former member of platinum award-winning pop group Sugar Jones, said she enjoys returning here to perform.

“It brings back a lot of happy nostalgic memories, walking through my old neighbourhood,” she said. “I pass by my elementary school, Lord Roberts, and reminisce about playing in the schoolyard. I remember going to the Park Theatre to watch movies as a child, and later on, doing gigs there.”

Maiko is back in Winnipeg for the second time this year for work.

In early summer, she came for seven weeks to perform in Strike! The Musical at Rainbow Stage. The musical is based on the story of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, and was written by Danny Schur and Rick Chafe.  

This time, Maiko has come to perform in the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre’s production of the musical The Color Purple, based on Alice Walker’s famous book.

“I feel privileged to have worked on two important musicals this year,” she said. “These musicals are not only entertaining but educational. These are two historical stories of great social significance. They speak about race, gender discrimination and taking a stand for yourself, despite all obstacles.”

Maiko explained that The Color Purple touches on the historical struggles of those of African descent, a minority group here in Winnipeg. She sees the connection between the blacks who migrated to Canada in the 1900s and the anti-black violence happening in many southern states at the time, including Georgia and Oklahoma.

She believes it’s possible that some of the characters in Alice Walker’s story could have been among those the folks who eventually escaped to the Canadian Prairies, and possibly even been in Winnipeg at the time of the 1919 Strike.

Maiko praised the casts of both the shows.  She was also fortunate to work with her first black director, the phenomenal Kimberley Rampersad, a Winnipegger with whom she attended the RWB for a period of time.

“Working with Kimberly was challenging in the best of ways,” Maiko said. “She’s a strong, inspiring director who did everything she could to push us to do our most excellent work, and I’m grateful for that.”

Maiko said it was wonderful to see her third grade teacher, Joan Lloyd, on opening night.

“Ms. Lloyd has always encouraged me since my early days and continues to support my shows whenever I perform in Winnipeg. I cherish her dearly.”

One of Maiko’s biggest attractions to Winnipeg is her mother, who still lives in her childhood home in Fort Rouge.

She observed that even though a few things have changed, with the rapid transit and the new housing development along the railway tracks, the neighborhood still feels the same.

“Winnipeg is a lovely city that has produced a lot of wonderful, talented people.”

Beatrice Watson is a community correspondent for Fort Rouge.