Manitoba Day () is the official anniversary of the founding of

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, and is celebrated annually on May 12. The province of Manitoba was created by '' The Manitoba Act'', which received

royal assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in other ...

on May 12, 1870, and was officially incorporated into

Confederation A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

on July 15 that year—the only to enter Confederation under Indigenous leadership (that of

Louis Riel Louis Riel (; ; 22 October 1844 – 16 November 1885) was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political leader of the Métis people. He led two resistance movements against the Government of Canada and its first ...

). Nearly a century later, Manitoba's official flag was dedicated and raised for the first time on May 12, 1966. Celebrations on May 12 began to grow into an annual community event since the province's

centenary {{other uses, Centennial (disambiguation), Centenary (disambiguation) A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century, a period of 100 years. Notable events Notable centennial events at ...

in 1970. Because of the double importance of May 12 in the history of the province, the

Government of Manitoba The powers and structure of the provincial Government of Manitoba (french: Gouvernement du Manitoba) are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867. In modern Canadian use, the term "government" referred broadly to the cabinet of the day (formally ...

designated it as Manitoba Day in 1986. Despite the official government celebrations, a 2009 survey by Prairie Research found that less than 4% of people surveyed were aware of the importance of May 12 in the province's history. It is also not considered a statutory holiday (or general holiday) and does not mean that Manitobans have the day off work or school. May 12, 2020, marked the 150th anniversary of Manitoba's founding; accordingly, commemorative events, activities, projects, initiatives, and so on were planned to take place throughout 2020 under the banner of Manitoba 150 (#MB150).

Events

Manitoba Day 2010 represented the province's 140th "birthday", and was officially celebrated in

Neepawa, Manitoba Neepawa is a town in Manitoba, Canada located on the Yellowhead Highway at the intersection with Highway 5. its population was 5,685. Neepawa was incorporated as a town in 1883. It is bordered by the Municipality of North Cypress – Langford and ...

. A substitute Manitoba Day was celebrated in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

during the

2010 Winter Olympics )'' , nations = 82 , athletes = 2,626 , events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = February 12, 2010 , closing = February 28, 2010 , opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean , cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...

on February 25, 2010. May 12, 2020, marked the 150th anniversary of Manitoba's founding; accordingly, commemorative events, activities, projects, initiatives, and so on were planned to take place throughout 2020 under the banner of Manitoba 150 (#MB150), facilitated by the Manitoba 150 Host Committee with funding from the provincial government. Due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, the Manitoba government announced that all Manitoba 150-initiated events were to be paused until 2021; celebrations have since continued into 2021, either virtually or with appropriate measures in place. The

Association for Manitoba Archives The Association for Manitoba Archives (AMA) is a voluntary organization dedicated to the preservation of the documentary heritage of the people and institutions of the province of Manitoba, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ...

presents Manitoba Day Awards yearly in celebration of the occasion.

References

{{reflist Culture of Manitoba Holidays in Manitoba