This summer the Government of Canada’s recognition of the Métis people and the founding of Manitoba is being honoured among the Banners of the Provinces on Parliament Hill in downtown Ottawa! This year Canadian Heritage has chosen to honour the 150th anniversary of Manitoba becoming a province with a series of colourful Métis Nation Banners.
Manitoba became Canada’s fifth province through the Manitoba Act 1870 and the banners honour this history as well as the central role that Métis leader and politician Louis Riel played in the founding of the province and in Confederation. The banners highlight the role that the Métis Nation played in Manitoba’s entry into Confederation.
The banners feature a portrait of Louis Riel, a centre fléchée (Métis sash) and beaded flowers. The colours and graphics of the sash are modelled after Riel’s own. Also featured on the banners is the Métis flag with the white infinity symbol on a blue background and a silhouette of a buffalo which serves as an icon for Manitoba.
Each year the Department of Canadian Heritage flies over 500 banners along Confederation Boulevard, an important ceremonial route in the National Capital Region, focusing on different themes to showcase all parts of the country. These commemorative banners are displayed on 66 banner posts throughout Confederation Boulevard.
The banners are being displayed from May of 2020 until the fall. The banners can be seen outside the Indigenous Peoples’ Building on Parliament Hill, the National Gallery of Canada, Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica, the U.S. Embassy, the Senate of Canada, the Library and Archives Canada building, the Office of the Prime Minister, and at various points along Wellington Street and Rideau Street.
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Updated: August 8, 2020
Posted: August 5, 2020