Remarks by
The Honourable Anita Neville, P.C., O.M.
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
imagiNorthern Network Reception
Government House
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
(please check against delivery)
Fellow Manitobans, dreamers, creators and champions of the arts, welcome to Government House.
As Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, I regularly greet people at gatherings here in the heart of Treaty 1 land and in the heartland of the Red River Metis.
Today, I’m especially pleased to welcome Manitobans who represent communities located on Treaty Five land and on lands that were and are the ancestral lands of the Inuit.
Living in a province located on the treaty territories and ancestral lands of the Anishinaabe, Anishininew (ANISH-IN-INEW), Cree, Dakota, Dene, Nehetho (NE-HET-HO) Nation, Manitobans are committed to working in partnership with First Nations, Metis and Inuit people in the spirit of truth, reconciliation and collaboration.
As Manitobans, we have long known that diversity and a network of strong communities constitute great strengths for our province.
Supporting communities across Manitoba, north and south, urban and rural, helps to enhance prosperity, quality of life and opportunity for all.
The establishment of the ImagiNorthern project does just that, by helping to foster creativity and connection across Northern Manitoba. The important work done by ImagiNorthern participants is providing a more thorough picture of the arts and culture sector, developing resources for marketing creative work, linking artists and communities, and creating support for northern foods.
I’m especially pleased today to welcome the community champions who are bringing this project to life in Churchill, Thompson, Flin Flon, Snow Lake, Leaf Rapids, Lac Brochet, The Pas and Opaskwayak Cree Nation.
As individual artists, you all have your own special vision and talent that you express in your personal creative work – but as champions your work will help us to discover so many other creative people in Northern Manitoba.
I had the very distinct pleasure of travelling to Flin Flon last year to take part in their Culture Days festivities. I was truly amazed and inspired by the level of community involvement and the passion everyone demonstrated while showcasing their various arts programs. One can tell there is a tremendous amount of pride that exists when given the opportunity to showcase talent that is not only available around them, but throughout the Northern part of our great province.
There’s so much creativity in our province and there are so many varied ways in which that creativity is expressed. As Manitobans we are very fortunate to have the people and the passion behind projects such as ImagiNorthern that furthered the ability to tap into that rich vein of arts and culture in Manitoba’s northern communities.
Thank you to all who have made this possible. And a most sincere thank you to Crystal Kolt, who not only was instrumental in bringing you all here today to celebrate this wonderful initiative, but provided me the opportunity to see firsthand the diverse culture and creativity that exists within our northern communities – thank you for everything you do.
To all, may your work continue inspire and support new ideas and creations in your home communities and throughout our province.
Thank you. Merci. Meegwich. Shalom
