Dear Editor:
Now that Canada’s 150 Birthday is behind us it is time to start thinking about how to celebrate Manitoba’s 150th Birthday in three years. One thing I think we should be able to do is raise our new made-in-Manitoba flag on July 15, 2020.
Our current flag is basically a British flag with Manitoba’s Coat of Arms on it and no longer represents the diverse culture of today’s Manitoba.
The North West Territories entered Confederation at the same time as Manitoba and in 1969 decided to have a Canada-wide contest to create a new flag.
This contest was won by Robert Bessant of Margaret, MB, and ironically 49 years later his home province doesn’t have its own unique flag.
Also, in 1969 Saskatchewan had a province-wide contest, with over 4,000 entries, to pick their new flag.
I think it’s time for Manitobans to ask their MLAs to have a province-wide contest to create a new made-in-Manitoba flag. If the contest is started soon the new flag should be ready in time for Manitoba’s 150th Birthday.
Warren Martin
Flin Flon, MB
