Remarks by
The Honourable Anita Neville, P.C., O.M.
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
MANITOBA OPERA 50TH ANNIVERSARY RECEPTION
Government House
Tuesday, March 21, 2023, 5 p.m.
(please check against delivery)
Fellow Manitobans, welcome to this celebration of music – those who make it and those who make it possible.
I am delighted to welcome you to Government House, here in the heart of Treaty One land, home of the Anishinaabe and the Red River Metis people, in the capital of a province that is home to the Cree, Dakota and Dene people.
We acknowledge northern Manitoba includes lands that were, and are, the ancestral lands of the Inuit.
Here and throughout Manitoba, we are working to advance understanding, healing and reconciliation and build a better home for all.
Across Manitoba, we are proud to speak of our province’s cultural treasures – performers, visual artists, creators of all kinds – and the cultural institutions that provide them with a chance to dazzle us.
Manitoba’s artists have earned a place in the spotlight on a global stage. They, and the companies that nurture them, have made Winnipeg a world-class city for the arts.
While the artists and performers themselves deserve the well-earned applause that rings through concert halls and theatres, these great accomplishments are also made possible by the devotion of patrons and volunteers and the passionate support of audiences.
It is that long-term support that brings us to this celebration of the 50th anniversary of Manitoba Opera.
Fifty years ago a dedicated group of opera lovers were determined to create a company here to perform out of the beautiful new Centennial Concert Hall.
That determination has produced a half century of opera. It has encouraged the flowering of home-grown talent. It has enabled Manitobans to see international opera stars. It has allowed generations of Manitobans to be transported musically through works of timeless beauty and new imagination.
To all of you who make that magic happen, congratulations on a musical milestone.
May you keep hitting the high notes through your second half century.
Thank you. Merci. Meegwich.
