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crocus was officially adopted as the floral emblem of Manitoba on March 16, 1906. The first flower to bloom on the prairies each spring, its mauve petals are often seen before the last snow has melted was chosen by Manitoba school children as the floral emblem of the province. This spring to early summer flower, known in Manitoba as the Prairie
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- Overview
- Origin of the name
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- Floral emblem
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One of Canada’s Prairie Provinces, Manitoba’s southern and western regions are predominantly grassland. Its eastern and northern regions are dominated by Canadian Shield lakes and forests. A small area of Manitoba’s extreme north is arctic tundra.
The name “Manitoba” likely comes from the Cree "Man-into-wahpaow", which means "the narrows of the Great Spirit". The words describe Lake Manitoba, which narrows to half a mile at its centre. The waves on the loose surface rocks of its north shore produce curious, bell-like wailing sounds, which the First Nations believed came from a huge drum beaten by the spirit Manitou. The name “Manitoba” was given to the province at its creation in 1870 at the suggestion of Métis leader Louis Riel.
Population (2006): 1,177,800
The Assiniboine inhabited what is now present-day Manitoba before the arrival of European explorers. Other nations included the nomadic Cree, who followed the herds of buffalo and caribou on their seasonal migrations.
In their search for the spice-rich Orient through the Northwest Passage, Europeans reached Manitoba through Hudson Bay in the early 17th century. Unlike most of the rest of Canada, the northern parts of the province were settled before the south. In 1612, British captain Thomas Button wintered two ships at Port Nelson on Hudson Bay, near the mouths of the Nelson and Hayes Rivers. In 1690 and 1691, Henry Kelsey of the Hudson’s Bay Company explored Northern Manitoba from Hudson Bay as far as the Saskatchewan River, near The Pas. A party led by French fur trader and explorer La Vérendrye travelled the Red and Winnipeg Rivers from 1733 to 1738, building several outposts.
In 1670, King Charles II of England granted the Hudson’s Bay Company a large portion of land named Rupert’s Land. The company set up fur trading posts to exploit the country’s wealth. Among their major posts were York Factory at the mouths of the Nelson and Hayes Rivers, and Prince of Wales’s Fort at the mouth of the Churchill River. The latter was a large stone fort, built between 1731 and 1771. It was captured and badly damaged by the French in 1782. The Hudson’s Bay Company then built Fort Churchill in 1783 and continued to use the site until 1933.
After 1740, in the wake of La Vérendrye, traders from New France pushed across the southern part of Manitoba. They were succeeded by teams of English-speaking “pedlars” and French-Canadian voyageurs who paddled swift canoes from Montréal to the west and back, seeking furs.
Intense rivalry for furs developed between the Montréal-based North West Company and the Hudson’s Bay Company. Their battle for the fur trade resulted in both companies building forts throughout the plains. Alexander Mackenzie, an employee of the North West Company, pushed the chain of forts west into the Rocky Mountains and north to the Arctic. The rivalry came to its height in the Red River and Assiniboine River Valleys in Manitoba, where open warfare broke out.
During the same period, the first European agricultural settlement was established by Lord Selkirk, a Scottish nobleman, who sent a number of dispossessed Scottish Highlanders to settle land he had secured from the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1811. He called the area Assiniboia.
Royal warrant for Manitoba’s shield was granted by King Edward VII in 1905, while its augmented coat of arms was granted by the Right Honourable Ramon J. Hnatyshyn, Governor General in 1992.
At the centre of the arms is the original shield, featuring the Cross of St. George and a buffalo standing on a rock. Above the shield is a gold helmet signalling Manitoba’s co-sovereign status in Confederation. On top is a beaver, a national symbol of Canada, holding the province’s floral emblem (prairie crocus) and carrying a royal crown on its back.
Approval to use the Royal Union Flag in the design of Manitoba’s provincial flag was given by Queen Elizabeth II in 1965.
The flag closely resembles the Canadian Red Ensign. The Royal Union Flag occupies the upper quarter on the staff side, while the provincial shield is centred on the fly half of the flag. The flag’s proportions are two by length and one by width.
The prairie crocus (Pulsatilla ludoviciana) was adopted as Manitoba's floral emblem in 1906.
Manitoba was the first of the Prairie Provinces to adopt a floral emblem after the prairie crocus was chosen in an informal vote in the province’s schools. An early spring flower, the prairie crocus is often seen pushing through the last prairie snow. The flower, which ranges from light lavender to bluish purple in colour, has an outer coating of hair to protect it from sudden changes in temperature.
Bird
Adopted as Manitoba’s official bird in 1987, the great gray owl (Strix nebulosa) is the largest owl in North America with a wingspan of 1.3 metres (4 feet). It can be found across the province year round.
Tartan
The Manitoba tartan, designed by Hugh Kirkwood Rankine was registered at the Court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms of Scotland, and given royal assent in 1962. The red squares represent the Red River Settlement; the green squares signify the natural resources of the province; the azure blue squares represent Lord Selkirk, founder of the Red River Settlement; the dark green lines represent the people of different cultures and races who have enriched the life of the province; and the golden lines signify the grain and other agricultural products of Manitoba.
Tree
The white spruce (Picea glauca) is capable of surviving in virtually every climatic and environmental region of Manitoba. Best known as a traditional Christmas tree, the white spruce is often cultivated for this purpose.
Nov 2, 2023 · The prairie crocus is the official floral emblem of Manitoba. It symbolizes resilience and the arrival of spring. The mauve petals of the prairie crocus range from light lavender to bluish purple. It has an outer coating of hair that protects it from temperature changes.
The dark red squares represent the Red River Settlement; the dark green (tartan green) squares represent the natural resources of Manitoba; and the azure blue represent Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk, founder of the Red River Settlement.
The prairie crocus serves as Manitoba's floral emblem. We weren't the only ones to think so highly of the crocus; it's also the floral emblem of South Dakota. As our emblem, the crocus' name and likeness are common place on government publications and even in the private sector.
Provincial Floral Emblems. Floral emblems are generally selected from among the flora of the country, nation, state, territory or province that they are meant to represent. Tradition dictates that the plant selected be popular and commonly found throughout the region.
Jan 25, 2021 · Manitoba - Prairie crocus Prairie Crocus. Prairie crocus, scientifically referred to as the Pulsatilla patens, is a flowering plant from Ranunculaceae family and are native to Canada, Europe, China, Mongolia, Russia, and the United States.
