Creating Manitoba: The Emergence of a Provincial Community

Instructor: Gerald Friesen and guests

This course will discuss the history of some of Manitoba’s founding peoples and how they came to terms with evolving provincial, national, and global circumstances in the late nineteenth century. It will include (one in each of the six meetings), First Nations, Selkirk settlers, Michif/French-speaking Métis, Orange Order Canadians, first-wave Mennonites, and Bungee/English-speaking people of mixed ancestry. In addition to a lecture, the sessions will feature conversations with authors who have written about the groups, including Jean Friesen, Robert Lower, Philippe Mailhot, Tom Brodbeck, and Roy Loewen. The last meeting will consider Manitoba as it appeared in 1887, John Norquay’s last year as premier.

Dates and times:                 Location:
Tues Apr 9 9:30-11:30am       Thomas Sill Multi-Purpose Room
Tues Apr 16 9:30-11:30am     Thomas Sill Multi-Purpose Room
Tues Apr 23 9:30-11:30am     Thomas Sill Multi-Purpose Room
Tues Apr 30 9:30-11:30am     Thomas Sill Multi-Purpose Room
Tues May 7 9:30-11:30am       Thomas Sill Multi-Purpose room
Tues May 14 9:30-11:30am     Thomas Sill Multi-Purpose Room

Dr. Gerald Friesen
Gerald Friesen retired more than a decade ago from the Department of History at the University of Manitoba. He has written and edited books and articles, including a history of the Canadian prairies and an essay on the social changes that accompanied revolutions in communication technology. A former president of the Canadian Historical Association, he has lectured frequently in Canada and internationally and has given talks and classes to Manitoba union members and secondary school teachers. His new book, The Honourable John Norquay: Indigenous Premier, Canadian Statesmen, will be published by University of Manitoba Press in April 2024.

To find out more about the 55 Plus Program, click here.

To see University of Winnipeg campus and parking maps, click here. 

If you have any questions, or would like to be added to a waitlist for this class, please email 55plus@uwinnipeg.ca.