Welcome to Manitoba
A virtual road trip through Manitoba with background info about this province.
Lean back and enjoy...
""Glorious and free"
...is Manitoba's motto as also shown in the code of arms underneath the different types of landscape Manitoba has, also showing the influence of farming (crops on the left) and the prairie crocus -Manitoba's provincial flower; in the middle. Above that you can see the crest including a bison that used to inhabit the Prairies in large quantities. And then above that the red cross of the Union Jack underneath a helmet symbolizing Manitoba's sovereign role in Canada's confederation. On top sits Canada's national animal the beaver holding a prairie crocus in its hand. Though all its symolism the provincial flag only includes the crest in the middle on red ground and the Union Jack in the left corner.
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Timeline of 5 Major historical events
- 1612: First European explorers arrive
- 1816: Seven Oaks Massacre (Métis and NWC fight against HBC and the colonial governor Sempel. In the end it was very simple as Sempel died as well as 7 of his men)
- 1869: Red River Rebellion
- 1870: Manitoba Act (Manitoba joins confederation, includes some points for the Métis)
Manitoba' s settlement throughout history
Well first of all Manitoba was inhabited by various aboriginal tribes until in the beginning of the 17th century the first Europeans -British and French- arrived, ready for an adventure. They settled down, built trading fords and farmed,traded with First Nation People and sometimes also had children together. Just skipping a few centuries... later under Wilfried Laurier's lead as a governor and, Manitoba already being part of the confederation for almost 100 years, streams of immigrants came due the open door policy and Canada's need for farmers in the Prairies, preferably immigrants from countries with farming experience and similar climate. With slogans like the last best West they tried to find settlers. The majority of immigrants settled down in the Prairies living in poor conditions. That has changed today immigrants mostly settle down in urban areas.
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Population
Manitoba's population has increased a lot over the centuries. First during the 19th century due John A. MacDonald's fear of an US-American annexation. What he did was encouraging settlement and immigration to the West; including Manitoba, so the population increased as well. Then during the Open Door Policy in the early 20th century more immigrants from Germany, Ukraine, etc. came. And nowadays the population mainly in urban areas increases. The most populated cities are Manitoba's capitol, Winnipeg (782,640 people), then Brandon (46,061 people), and third biggest is Steinbach (13,524 people). Like Canada Manitoba is very multicultural with many different cultural backgrounds.
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