Mr. Speaker, on Monday, Manitobans remember our founding father, Louis Riel.
Born in Winnipeg in 1844, he studied for the priesthood and law in Montreal. In 1868, he returned to the Prairies, and like his father, became a Métis leader.
He fought for all Manitobans. He was the head of our provisional government, which negotiated the Manitoba Act that established the Province of Manitoba. He was elected three times to the House, but was unable to take his seat. He believed and fought for bilingualism and multiculturalism. He is a hero to the Métis and all Manitobans. He is a father of Confederation.
Manitobans will remember him as a hero on Monday. In 1885, on the way to the gallows, he said, “I have nothing but my heart and I have given it long ago to my country.”