Our legislative building does us proud I


consider myself very lucky to come to work every day in such a beautiful building. In fact, I never tire of it. Manitoba's legislative building is reputed to be one of the finest public buildings in North America. At the turn of the 20th century, members of the pro-


vincial government were unanimous in their desire to construct a building that would serve as a symbol for the people of Mani- toba. Excavation began in 1913. By the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, walls were begin- ning to take shape above the foundation.


Myrna Driedger Broadway Journal


However, a shortage of materials, labour and funds delayed construc- tion to such a degree that the building was not ready for partial occupancy until 1919, well after the end of the Great War. On July 15, 1920, the 50th anniversary


of Manitoba’s entry into Confederation, the lieutenant- governor officially opened the legislative building. One of Manitoba’s best known symbols, the Golden


Boy, is a magnificently gilded figure stretching 17.2 feet from toe to torch tip and weighing 3,640 pounds. He is made of bronze and was painted gold in 1948. In 1951, he was gilded with 23.5 karat gold leaf for the first time, and then again in 2002 with 24 karat gold leaf. To accomplish this, the Golden Boy was moved to Bristol Aerospace where it was cleaned and painted. Following this it was moved to The Forks where the public could watch the final parts of the restoration. The $5,600 of tissue-thin gold foil was applied over special yellow primer on the statue, one sheet at a time. Visitors to The Forks were able to watch the gilding process. Facing the north, the Golden Boy sees the prov- ince’s bright future as linked to Manitoba’s bountiful resources. A sheaf of golden wheat, representing the well-earned fruits of labour, rests in the left arm while in his right hand he holds a torch, representing a call to Manitoba’s youth to join him in his eternal pursuit of a more prosperous future. Her Majesty, Queen Eliza- beth II, officially rededicated the Golden Boy on Oct. 8, 2002 during her visit to Manitoba to celebrate her Golden Jubilee.


An item that I have become more familiar with since becoming Speaker is the mace. The mace that is cur- rently used both at the opening of and throughout the legislative session is Manitoba’s second. It is said that the


The mace rests on a blue cushion in the chamber while the legislature is in session.


head of the first mace was carved from the hub of a Red River cart by a soldier of the 1870 Red River Expedi- tionary Force. This mace was used at the first session of the legislature, held on March 15, 1871. In December, 1873, fire destroyed the legislature’s temporary home, but the mace was saved.


After 13 year of service, the original mace was re- placed by the present mace, a handsome, gold-plated instrument emblazoned with the floral emblems of four of Manitoba’s principal founding ethnic groups: the English rose, French fleur-de-lis, the Scottish thistle and the Irish shamrock. The head of this magnificent instru- ment is decorated with both the crown and the bear, representing Canada’s sovereignty even as it proclaims our ties to Great Britain and the Commonwealth. Weighing 28 pounds, it is one of the most beauti- ful maces in Canada. When not in use, it is kept in the Speaker’s office.


The mace began as an actual weapon used by the monarch’s bodyguards. It has now evolved into a highly symbolic ceremonial emblem of the authority delegated to the Speaker and the legislative assembly. The mace signifies that the legislative assembly draws its power from the people and its executive authority from the


The iconic Golden Boy sees a prosperous future for Manitoba.


Crown. A beaded mace runner and star blanket cushion were gifted to the assembly by the Aboriginal peoples of Manitoba and are used in place of the blue cushion in the chamber every Manitoba Day. These beautiful gifts are on display in the Speaker’s office all other days. Visitors from outside Manitoba as well as residents of


the province are always made welcome at our magnifi- cent legislative building. Everyone is invited to watch the proceedings of the legislative assembly when it is in session, from the vantage point of the visitors’ gallery. Tour guides will be happy to show you the rest of the building and explain its history and architecture. Ap- pointments are required from September to June. To book an appointment, please call 204-945-5813. From July 1 to the Labour Day long weekend in September, tours are offered on an hourly basis.


I invite you to come down to the legislative building this summer for a tour of our building, a priceless mon- ument in the fullest sense of the term, as it is unlikely that such a project will ever again be undertaken. Information taken from a government publication, Self-Guided Tour of the Manitoba Legislative Building. Hon. Myrna Driedger is MLA for Charleswood and Speaker of the legislative assembly.


BIZ's strategic planning process opens to the public T


his week, we launched our stra- tegic planning process at the new Downtown Urban Lab (formerly


the Warehouse One location on Por- tage Avenue). This is an exciting new space for community programming and entrepreneurship incubation, and it will serve as the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ’s starting point for public and BIZ- member engagement this spring and summer. This will be my fourth


time working on a stra- tegic plan, and I never would have imagined hosting a press confer- ence to launch the review and development of the process to the public. Strategic Plans are typi- cally something straight- forward and internal,


adding several layers to our community outreach process, and in unique and fun ways throughout our downtown dis- tricts. Downtown Winnipeg and our BIZ services, programs, and advocacy efforts are in place to serve our mem- bers, but also everyone living, working, learning and visiting our down- town.


Stefano Grande Downtown


engaging our own members and stake- holders, and sometimes including a few public surveys.


This time around, though, we are do- ing something special. The Downtown Winnipeg BIZ’s strategy for the next three years (2017-19), invites business owners, interest groups, the public, and community partners to share their ideas and vision to help inform our plan. We will be engaging with these groups by


August 2016 downtown.


With the assistance of our planning consultant, Hazel Borys, principal and managing director at the international planning and urban design firm Place- Makers, we are confident that our 2017- 2019 Strategic Plan will be daring, bold and innovative.


As we near the end of our three-year strategic plan, a few things are certain to remain a priority for our next plan:


Therefore, we are ask- ing everyone “How can the BIZ help Downtown Winnipeg go from good to great?”, and “Does the role of the BIZ need to evolve and change to meet the needs of the larger and growing com- munity?” We are eager to learn what we are do- ing well and what we can improve upon, both as an organization and as a


The Manitoba legislature stands guard on Broadway.


As the 20th century began, government members were determined to construct a building that brought honour to Manitoba. They succeeded: our legislature is reputed to be one of North America’s finest public buildings.


front and centre on the minds of Win- nipeggers. Being genuine and real is im- portant to us. • Downtown BIZ Board’s energy, creativity and determination over these last three years has been the fuel which drives us,and ensures the downtown momentum holds strong. • The community feedback we receive during this planning process will genu- inely inform our strategic plan, and we hope the engagement with our stake- holders and interest groups will result in strengthened partnerships, openness and transparency—all values which are important to us.


Do you have anything to say about improv- ing downtown Winnipeg? Let Downtown BIZ know!


• While our mandate is broad, we continue to be focused, determined, and collaborative in areas where there are opportunities, needs and gaps. • Over the last several years, our goal was to become more relevant to the public—listening, acknowledging, giv- ing voice, and advocating. As the voice of Downtown Winnipeg, our goal has been to emphasize the importance of our downtown, the heart of the city,


I would also like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of my staff over the last several years, along with the BIZ management board whose sole agenda is to help guide the ship, em- powering our staff and giving strategic advice and direction. From administra- tion to our front lines crew, paid and volunteers, the BIZ staff are all are pas- sionate, motivated, hardworking, and as a team, they have personalized this mis- sion to get our downtown to go from good to great.


Come have your say! Learn more about our Strategic Plan and engagement sessions at yourdown- townwinnipeg.com.


Stefano Grande is executive director at Downtown Winnipeg BIZ.


www.lifestyles55.net 5


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20