ManitobaA massive group of Manitobans packed the provincial Legislature in Winnipeg on Saturday for the building’s holiday open house event, with many lining up in the cold, waiting for their chance to see inside and meet their representatives. Some activists say Dec. 6 should have been a solemn day marking the Montreal massacre anniversaryLauren Scott · CBC News · Posted: Dec 06, 2025 10:50 PM EST | Last Updated: 4 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Manitobans line up outside the Legislature building in Winnipeg for the holiday open house event on Saturday. (Gala Dionne/Radio-Canada)A massive group of Manitobans packed the provincial Legislature in Winnipeg on Saturday for the building’s holiday open house event, with many lining up in the cold, waiting for their chance to see inside and meet their representatives. “This is your building. This belongs to you, the people of Manitoba,” said Premier Wab Kinew as he greeted visitors Saturday morning. Numerous MLAs, including members of the Opposition Progressive Conservatives, were also in attendance.Many visitors waited patiently in yet another lineup to meet and take pictures with Kinew. Francis Vargas, and his son Jan Evans Vargas Lopez, were among the crowd. Francis Vargas says it’s “never too soon” to introduce children to politics. Vargas and his son Jan Evans Vargas Lopez met Premier Wab Kinew at the legislature’s open house on Saturday. (Jaison Empson/CBC)”Despite being in Manitoba for two years now, almost three, we have never been inside [the Legislature],” said Vargas, who moved from the Dominican Republic. Vargas said it was nice to meet politicians in a person-to-person setting. “I think it’s easy to forget that we actually have people governing us,” he said, adding it’s “never too soon” to introduce his son to the democratic process. Gaby Diaz said it was her first time visiting the Manitoba Legislature building. (Gavin Axelrod /CBC)Gaby Diaz, who said this is her first year in Canada after moving from Columbia, said she spotted Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham meeting constituents at the event — something she said would be unlikely to happen back in Columbia. “This is a beautiful country that received us and we’re interested in knowing more about how things work here, like what makes this country what it is,” Diaz said. Ahead of the event, Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine called the open house “one of the best days of the year.””We love having Manitobans come into the people’s house and meeting folks and feeding people and taking pictures and singing,” she said during a Thursday press conference. Fontaine said the event also requires additional security, particularly around her office and the offices of Kinew, Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara and Housing Minister Bernadette Smith.Last month, a man was charged in connection with a series of fires at Smith and Fontaine’s Winnipeg constituency offices — attacks that left the ministers feeling “scared” and “frightened,” Fontaine said at the time. A government spokesperson told CBC News that the “building’s security complement is enhanced” to keep the open house “safe and full of holiday cheer.”Advocates question timingWhile some celebrated the holiday season at the Legislature, Sherrie Winstanley questioned why the provincial government would schedule its holiday open house on Dec. 6 — the anniversary of the massacre at Montreal’s École Polytechnique. On Dec. 6, 1989, 14 women were killed in a mass shooting by a gunman who expressed hatred toward feminists. “It’s the national day of remembrance and we need to remember these women, even 36 years later,” said Winstanley, executive director with Safe Housing And Directed Empowerment, which supports women impacted by domestic violence.Sherrie Winstanley is the executive director with Safe Housing And Directed Empowerment. (Submitted by Sherrie Winstanley)”I hope that they will celebrate Dec. 6 exclusively in remembrance of the murdered women from École Polytechnique,” she said, adding that the open house “could have been next weekend.”Winstanley handed out white ribbons — a symbol of solidarity against gender-based violence — at the Legislature on Saturday saying she hopes the wider public doesn’t forget about the tragedy.The massacre did not go unmarked by the province. A sunrise ceremony was held at the Legislature on Thursday, Dec. 4, to honour and remember the women killed at École Polytechnique. The ceremony included drumming, singing and remarks from Fontaine, who serves as the minister responsible for gender equity. But seeing the province hold a ceremony on a day other than Dec. 6 was also worrisome for Marlene Bertrand, former director of Manitoba’s Family Violence Prevention Branch and former chair of the Manitoba Women’s Advisory Council. “There’s not a December 6 that I don’t think about it,” Bertrand said.”I’m not in favour of just pushing the date of Dec. 6 around to meet other social obligations,” she added. A spokesperson said the Manitoba government commemorates the anniversary every year, “no matter when December 6th falls on the calendar.”On Saturday morning, the Manitoba government said in a social media post that the Legislature building’s tower would be lit with a purple ribbon to honour the women killed at École Polytechnique that evening.ABOUT THE AUTHORLauren Scott is a Winnipeg-based reporter with CBC Manitoba. They hold a master’s degree in computational and data journalism, and have previously worked for the Hamilton Spectator and The Canadian Press.With files from Gavin Axelrod
Manitobans line up in cold to meet MLAs and tour Legislature at open house event
