Jottings West, Day 3

March 18th, The Paris of the Prairies

Steinbach, Manitoba: the legacy of Russian Mennonite farmers migrating to the Prairies during the age of Nicholas II; a former hub of Canadian auto manufacturing prior to de-industrialization; and for one night, the home of this reporter. Dirt roads surround the town, as a 5 minute drive in any direction from the centre leads to farmland. The downtown, too, reflects the agrarian core of Steinbach, as, even beside those all too ubiquitous modern atrocities of standardized architecture, it shines through.

{Steinbach Hatcher & Feeds beside Source for Sports}

(Logging is done in this region of Manitoba, but on a much smaller scale than Northern Ontario}

I needed no digital map to reach my next destination, because virtually every road sign pointed towards it.  Over 60% of Manitobans live in ‘The Paris of the Prairies’, as the Tragically Hip called the city of Winnipeg in ‘Wheat Kings’ (also home to my favourite Canadian rock group, the Guess Who). In many respects it is a tragic city, but one that bursts with character and soul. It displays an undeniably rough texture, lacking the disingenuous shimmer of Toronto and the elitist glamour of Montreal. Perhaps it is the Prairie winds pushing dirt and dust into my eye as I make that judgement. But, as I have come to learn in my half-decade of excursions passing through, the people of Winnipeg do not necessarily deny such a description. 

I remember the first day I ever stepped foot in this city back in 2022, leaving the airport, looking to explore freely, unaware and uncaring of the city's rather unhinged residents. As I waited for the public bus, I witnessed a man who claimed to be fighting for his life due to a bad hangover, nevertheless proceeding to drink at an alarming rate, until collapsing onto the plastic siding. There is really no avoiding the difficult reality of drug and alcohol addiction paired with anti-social behavior that is seen on the public streets of Winnipeg, particularly amongst the underclass parts of the Native and Métis population (Native and Métis peoples constitute about 12% of the population, by far the highest out of any city over 200,000 in Canada), but also affecting other groups. When I finally did get on the bus I was greeted by a man who could immediately sense I was out of place, asking where I was from and what had brought me here. I had no logical response. A woman sat beside me and started drooling until she had made a small puddle on the floor. I hardly blinked an eye. After everyone had gotten off,  I was left alone, riding through a neighborhood the bus driver called “the roughest in town”, advising me to stay on until we reached a different area.

Coming this time, I decided to keep it classy. Without much care for my appearance (certainly a bit scruffy after 3 days on the road), I entered a building designated for only those of high moral character, far away from the degenerated underclasses: the provincial capital, where Manitoba's legislature sits.

{One of the side doors I mistook for the main entrance}

It took a couple tries while walking around the building's circumference to find the single unlocked door. I could not help but to stop and admire the exterior stone engravings along the higher arching walls of men and lions, their eyes peering out as if they were alive and wishing to roar once again. Lord Dufferin, a 19th century Governor General of Canada and prominent Imperial man of his era, had his own statue, despite only loose connections to the region, making remarks one night in Winnipeg, 1877. There, he declared Manitoba a “Keystone Province”, one that connected the great lands of Canada together into a single union. For a province of roughly 10,000 at the time, this must have meant quite a lot. How strongly leaders are worshiped who recognize the potential of their people!

The first person to greet me as I walked in the door was security, confused as to why I was here and why I wanted to watch from the visitors chamber. Eventually, I explained my motivations in a way he could understand, and I was thus passed along to additional security, who were my 2nd, 3rd and 4th interactions. After being padded down, I was escorted up to the chamber. What I saw appeared distinct from Queens Park, the Ontario legislature. It had all the same Greco-Roman symbolism, art, and hermetic inspiration, but differed from traditional Westminster Parliaments in its seating arrangements. 

{Picture of the chamber that I did not take. Visitors are not allowed to bring phones in}

Noticing the blue flooring, and the semi-oval curvature of the chamber seating, I could not help but to connect this to a core symbol in Manitoban history, and one of the oldest in Canada.

{The Métis National Flag}

In my curiosity, I asked two men sitting near me about this possible connection, as they looked like fellows who may know a thing or two about the inter-workings of provincial matters. Neither of them had any clue. The meaning of the flag has been subject to many interpretations, its origins not being clear, besides the indication that it arose in the early 19th century following the cultural birth and awakening of a mixed race people settled on and around the Red River. The symbol sat next to the Manitoban flag, featuring the English ‘Cross of St. George’. Tensions between symbolic representation of Manitoba’s British, French, Métis, and Native heritage were abound, though this could also be viewed, perhaps more optimistically, as the province achieving a degree of cultural compromise and syncretism. 

Symmetrically in front of the building, sits the towering statue of the British Queen during the era of the Red River and Northwestern Rebellions. Behind, stands the man who led them.

The legislative session opened in a manner that I felt was significant from a theological standpoint. It began with the Lord’s prayer, pledging an oath to Almighty God. Immediately after the speaker had concluded, with the heads of MLA’s still bowed, and eyes remaining partially shut, he proceeded to read out a Land Acknowledgement. What was extraordinary about this was not the acknowledgement – for this is standard practice across the country – but instead, that it took on a semi-religious dimension, interspersed alongside the divine energies channeled during intense moments of prayer. This, too, could be part of the province's attempt at cultural syncretism.

I left in a hurry, probably arousing the suspicion of the security guards, who were already perplexed as to my reason for being. The truth was that I had somewhere to be. My friend, Kurtis Bouchard, Winnipeg born and raised, was waiting for me. I met him last year, where he emerged as a leader in my tree planting camp (this is where I work in the spring/summers; why I'm currently heading west), due to his ability to speak on behalf of the mass of planters, and their demands. He was not afraid to put pressure on the higher ups. In mid May, he led a successful bargaining agreement, in which the company agreed to raise wages, facing the threat of a strike. This year, Bouchard has bigger ambitions. He is currently in the midst of rallying the Ontario tree planting labour force to leverage their collective position, thereby forcing companies to make investment into infrastructure and safety. Unfortunately for the success of his vision, he has faced harsh push back from parts of the planting community, causing him to reflect on his methods.

“I know I've made some mistakes”, he said. Bouchard has made several posts on King Kong Reforestation in recent days, openly criticizing Brinkman Reforestation and calling for improvements in camp drinking water, shower quality, tree prices, vehicle safety, and more. “Brinkman’s really good at PR” he said, “but not at putting their words into practice”. 

Though he said he was not well read on the matter, Bouchard’s spirit is well in line with those who led the Winnipeg General Strike 107 years ago. A belief in collective struggle, and the possibility that things could be different. Maybe I've become too cynical for all that. 

By tomorrow, I will reach small town Saskatchewan, but not before a historic Portage..