Remarks by
The Honourable Anita Neville, P.C., O.M.
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
MORDEN CORN AND APPLE FESTIVAL OPENING CEREMONIES
Friday, August 25, 2023, 6:00 p.m.
(please check against delivery)
Fellow Manitobans, it’s a pleasure to join you in celebrating one of the highlights of a Manitoba summer.
As Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, I honour and acknowledge that we are gathered on Treaty One land, and in the heartland of the Red River Metis.
This beautiful and diverse province is also the ancestral and the present-day home of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples.
I also recognize that northern Manitoba includes lands that were, and are, the ancestral lands of the Inuit.
Together, we will continue to work to hear truths, and to advance understanding, opportunity, and healing for all.
Events like the Morden Corn and Apple Festival are more than just the sum of the smiles and laughs they generate.
Bringing people together to share moments of joy is an essential part of building a better, more caring, more cohesive province.
This festival brings together the entire Pembina Valley region and also attracts Manitobans from far and wide to visit this beautiful corner of our province.
For three days in August, Morden’s Stephen Street becomes Manitoba’s Main Street – a place where neighbours and new friends meet and share music, arts and crafts, midway thrills and the simple pleasures of a free tasty treat.
One of the wonderful things about this festival is its openness. There’s no fenced-off fairground. There’s no admission fee. All are welcome.
That commitment to ensuring an affordable good time for all is in keeping with the welcoming and inclusive values of this community – and of the province we love.
In its growth and success since its first offering in 1967, this festival symbolizes that of the community that supports it. And in the same manner, the dedication of the many Corn and Apple volunteers represents the passion for community that characterizes Morden and all of its sister cities and towns throughout this area.
As Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba and representative in our province of King Charles, I thank all who have made this possible and I wish you all another wonderful festival.
Thank you. Merci. Meegwech.
