Mr. Speaker, this Sunday, May 12, marks the 149th birthday of Manitoba, Canada's keystone province. Next year, the province will celebrate its 150th anniversary since being founded by Louis Riel's provisional government in 1870.
Manitoba is the traditional territory of over 60 first nations, and it is the heartland of the Métis nation.
We are proud to be the home of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and the world-renowned national microbiology lab, where the ebola vaccine was developed.
Undeniably, Winnipeg, Manitoba, is the curling capital of the world, and Churchill, Manitoba, is the polar bear capital of the world. The province is also the home of the mighty Winnipeg Jets and of Folklorama, Canada's largest and longest-running multicultural festival.
Manitoba has an incredibly rich history of welcoming people from around the world.
I would like to wish all of our vibrant and diverse Manitoba communities a very happy Manitoba Day and a happy Mother's Day, too.