1 0 t h A N N U A L L I E U T E N A N T G O V E R N O R S On behalf of the City of Brandon, it is my pleasure to extend a warm welcome to everyone attending the 10th Annual Lieu- tenant Governors Winter Festival. It is a rich and vibrant cele- bration of Brandons cultural diversity. On January 31, February 1 and 2, 2013, Brandon will be transformed into one of the biggest stages on the prairies, drawing performers and visitors from far and wide. Last year, there were more than 60,000 pavilion visits, and the Winter Festival continues to grow! The Festival remains squarely a grassroots event, driven by the enthusiastic support it receives from Brandons multi- cultural communities. The Winter Festival is the result of countless hours of hard work and the commitment of over 600 volunteers. I would like to extend my thanks to those volun- teers, City staff, individuals, and groups who have worked so hard to bring us thirteen outstanding pavilions. My sincere thanks is extended to all these people and to the festival sponsors who support the Lieutenant Governors Winter Festival in staging this marvelous celebration of inclu- siveness, unity, harmony and goodwill. Mayor Shari Decter Hirst As The Queens representative in Manitoba, and honorary patron, I am pleased to welcome every- one to the 10th annual Lieutenant-Governors Winter Festival. For 10 years, Brandon has celebrated multi- culturalism within its vibrant community with the annual winter festival. Although winters in Mani- toba can be challenging, this festival provides warmth and passion through the gifts of food, music and dance. This year proves no different with an impressive selection of pavilions showcas- ing many ethnic backgrounds. With over 600 volunteers participating and thousands of people planning to attend, Brandons winter festival has grown into a wonderful event where family and friends come together and enjoy a Manitoba winter weekend. I commend the organizers, sponsors and vol- unteers of the Lieutenant-Governors Winter Festi- val on a decade of success. Best wishes for another enjoyable, memorable festival. The Honourable Philip S. Lee, C.M., O.M. Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba Greetings from the Lieutenant-Governor THE BRANDON SUN 10 th ANNUAL WINTER FESTIVAL THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2013 2 Greetings from the Mayor Brandonites crowd into the Global Village site at a previous Lieutenant-Governor's Winter Festival in The Town Centre. (File) THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2013 THE BRANDON SUN 10 th ANNUAL WINTER FESTIVAL 3 DICK AGENCIES INSURANCE BROKERS Beside the big license plate B-435 Rosser Avenue, Brandon 727-6481 Residential Farm Commercial Travel Hail Auto BY GRAEME BRUCE The world is coming to Brandon on Jan. 31 when Lieutenant Governors Winter Festival kicks off, marking its 10th year. The three-day mid-winter celebration will feature 13 pavilions across the city each with its own cultural flavours, sights, and sounds. In past, the winter festival has recognized one host pavilion, but this year, the festivities will begin with a nod to those pavilions which have partici- pated every year since the festivals beginnings The Irish, Metis, First Nations, and Ukrainian. The ceremonies will begin at 6 p.m. in the main foyer at Brandon Ciy Hall. Esther Bryan, past chair of the festival, attrib- utes the growth in the citys industry which in- cludes aggressive hiring of foreign workers by Maple Leaf Foods, Inc. to the growth in the festi- val. It has become very diverse, she said. Ten years ago our city did have a diverse population, but as our industries have grown here, so has the diversity of people, and that is reflected in our fes- tival. In the last five years, the pork packing plant has attracted an enormous number of workers interna- tionally, which includes company's most recent ef- fort to bring in 200 workers from El Salvador and Honduras in the summer of 2012. Bryan expects this years events to surpass last years visitor count of more than 60,000, and hote- liers in the city have seen an increase conferences held on the weekend in an attempt to schedule stays with the festival. Conferences and conventions will deliberately book during our time, so that in the evening their participants can go and take part (in the festival), Bryan said. Although there is a clear economic spinoff from the festival, Bryan said festival officials dont keep track. It has become significant enough that it is im- pacting our hospitality industry, but we dont track that. Continued on page 6 13 fun lled pavilions to enjoy 5 THE BRANDON SUN LIEUTENANT GOVERNORS WINTER FESTIVAL THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2013 4 COLOMBIA Central United Church 327 Eighth St. BRAZIL Ukrainian National Home 1133 Stickney Ave. UKRAINIAN Ukrainian Reading Hall 1005 Assiniboine Ave. FIRST NATIONS Little Teaching Lodge 205 College Ave. ETHIOPIA Shriners Hall 1110 McTavish Ave. East MAURITIUS Knights Inn 150 Fifth St. GLOBAL VILLAGE St. Matthews Cathedral 40313th St. EL SALVADOR Knox United Church 45118th St. SCOTTISH Victoria Inn, Imperial Ballroom 3550 Victoria Ave. GERMAN Victoria Inn, Salons A&B 3550 Victoria Ave. IRISH Royal Oak Inn 3130 Victoria Ave. MTIS Westman Centennial Auditorium 20520th St. ENGLISH ANAF Hall 3114th St. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 3 2 4 5 CHANGE BUS ROUTES 6 CITY HALL FIRST NATIONS ETHIOPIA BRAZIL UKRAINIAN GLOBAL VILLAGE EL SALVADOR SCOTTISH GERMAN IRISH ENGLISH MTIS :06 and :36 :03 and :33 :10 and :40 :15 and :45 :20 and :50 :24 and :54 :11 and :41 :08 and :38 :23 and :53 :15 and :45 :19 and :49 BUS ARRIVAL TIMES ARE APPROXIMATE BUSES MAY ARRIVE LATE DUE TO EXTREME LOADS :12 and :42 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. N O R T H - E A S T
R O U T E W E S T
R O U T E N WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE ALCOHOL AVAILABLE PAVILION OPENLATE THURSDAY: 711 p.m. - Plrst bus leaves Clty Hall at 7:00 p.m. - Last bus leaves Clty Hall at l0:30 p.m. FRIDAY: 7 p.m. midnight - Plrst bus leaves Clty Hall at 7:00 p.m. - Last bus leaves Clty Hall at ll:30 p.m. SATURDAY: 2 p.m. midnight - Plrst bus leaves Clty Hall at 2:00 p.m. - Last bus leaves Clty Hall at ll:30 p.m. WINTER FESTIVAL BUS SCHEDULE - These are mlnlmum openlng hours - Some pavlllons are open later THURSDAY: 610 p.m. FRIDAY: 611 p.m. SATURDAY: 111 p.m. PAVILION OPENING HOURS 10TH ANNUAL L I E U T E N A N T G O V E R N O R S Dancers with Folklore de mi Tierra Dance Group repre- senting the Columbian Pavil- ion perform during a previous opening ceremony. (File) THE BRANDON SUN 10 th ANNUAL WINTER FESTIVAL THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2013 6 Welcome to Winter Fest! Visit a Westoba ATM before you attend your favourite pavillion! Westoba Credit Union welcomes you to the Lieutenant Governors 2013 Winter Fest 1.877.WESTOBA 204-571-2928 www.westoba.com 1st & McTavish 10th & Princess 18th & Kirkcaldy 34th & Victoria 1035 Richmond Continued from page 3 The increased participation in the festival does mean finding a venue is tough. The venues are a challenge, theres no denying that, she said, but added participat- ing pavilions are always able to find a venue. John Arrell, vice president of the Irish Soci- ety of Western Manitoba, has been involved in organizing the Irish pavilion for the last nine years, watching the festival grow and change from a way to break up the winter blahs, to a full-on cultural showcase. The biggest problem I see right now is the lack of accommodations, he said. Its just a matter of trying to accommodate everybody, we could probably have another five or six dif- ferent ethnic groups if they can five facilities big enough. Arrell remembers about 2,000 visits to the Irish pavilion in 2004 at its Park Community Centre location. The Royal Oak Inn marked 6,700 visits, where the Irish society has been set up for the last five years. Its quite a growth, he said. Its just added a great deal to the importance and the excitement about being here. The work of more than 1,000 volunteers across all the pavilions are responsible for putting the weekend together. During the weekends celebration, Mayor Shari Decter Hirst will also be awarded a Dia- mond Jubilee medal on Saturday Feb. 2 at 2 p.m., by Lt.-Gov. Philip Lee. To make pavilion-hopping easier, Brandon Transit bus service will be free as always, and visitors can park at city hall. gbruce@brandonsun.com BY GRAEME BRUCE Along with perennial pavilions at Brandons annual Lieu- tenant Governors Winter Festival, the Global Village pavilion is back after an absence in last years events. This year, Global Village has more nations than ever with Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, Cuba, Iceland, Chile, Egypt, and Kenya all showing off their wares under one roof. Esther Bryan, past chair of the festival said the global vil- lage pavilion gives those smaller communities that cannot put on a standalone pavillion a chance to participate in the festivi- ties. Theres comfort in a global village, youre not responsible for all of the events, she said. While there isnt a Global Village every year, this year has proved to be the biggest in the festivals 10-year history. There has been years in which there has been no Global Village, she said. Part of that is some groups in the past have had the capacity to go directly into their own pavilion. Westman Immigration Services is the co-ordinator for the village, which has direct contact with many newcomers look- ing celebrate their cultures in the three-day festival. Continued on page 8 Festival celebrates our many cultures Volunteers help set up the Chinese pavilion, as part of the Global Village site in the Lieutenant-Governor's Winter Festival in the Town Centre. (File) THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2013 THE BRANDON SUN 10 th ANNUAL WINTER FESTIVAL 7 COMING SOON TO THE 40: Feb. 15 ...... Honeymoon Suite Feb. 28 ...... Platinum Blonde Mar. 16........ Swollen Members May 9 ........ Les McKeowns Legendary Bay City Rollers Feb. 1 & 2 210 - 18th Street North 727-3800 Steak Sandwich Special $ 6 49 With over 30,000 performance all over Cuba and the most popular festivals of Manitoba De La Rosa creates a fusion mix of Cuban and Caribbean rhythms and the newest and hippest Techno Synth sounds. With his unique style, hot latin dance moves and never ending source of energy De La Rosa makes for a sensational and unforgettable performance. He released his first Canadian album Guarachando A Lo Cubano in late 2010, where 2 of his songs hit the top 10 Salsa charts in both Germany and the UK. Currently working on his next album, to be released in early 2013, De La Rosas repertoire also includes cover song from today's top Latin Charts. Competitors ll their faces with german fare during the Man Versus Meter Wurst Competi- tion at the German Pavilion during a previous Lieutenant Governor's Winter Festival. (File) Janet Johnston sells English sweets to patrons of the English pavilion during last years Winter Festival. (File) THE BRANDON SUN 10 th ANNUAL WINTER FESTIVAL THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2013 8 Best Wishes to all Pavilions and Volunteers for a great Lt. Governors Winter Festival! Join us to celebrate the 29th Annual BRANDON FOLK, MUSIC & ART FESTIVAL July 25, 26, 27 & 28, 2013 Under the Trees, Keystone Centre 204-728-3777 www.canexus.ca Brandon Sodium Chlorate Plant Continued from page 8 They come through their doors, and one of the things in my opinion thats so great about immigration, is that they immigrate to be- come Canadians, they like their history, theyre proud of their history, but they really want to be part of the Canadian culture, and this is Canadian culture at its finest because its diverse, Bryan said. Jaime Chinchilla, cultural diversity facilita- tor for WIS, has been the main conductor of this partnership. Its about giving the chance to smaller groups, who otherwise would not be repre- sented in the Winter Festival, he said. We hope we can have these groups learn the process and experience the festival and grow themselves to be able to do a (standalone) pavilion on their own. With this pavilion, we gave these people a chance to put up a display, a presentation, en- tertainment, food the co-ordinators take care of the logistics. And these are small groups. Representing Kenya for the first time in the festivals history, is a group of three Brandon University international students that were keen to participate. Same goes for Costa Rica. There are only about five Costa Ricans in Brandon, which in- cludes Chinchilla. Were really excited to be able to partici- pate because you see this wonderful festival, and you see all this colourful presentations and happiness, and you wish your culture would be represented too, he said. There will also be one BU student repre- senting Chile. Ten to 15 families in Brandon are repre- senting Egypt another first-time nation. They were really excited when we reached them and told them it was a possibility to par- ticipate because these are really busy people, and cant do everything it takes to put up a pavilion, Chinchilla said. He said the global village this year is a real upgrade from those in the past. There will be full meals this year, each course coming from one of the pavilions na- tions. It will be nice to see how it evolves from past festivals. The festival starts on Jan. 31 and the Global Village will be at St. Mathews Church at 403-13th St. from 6 p.m. until 11 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 1 p.m. until 11 p.m. on Saturday. gbruce@brandonsun.com