The Socials Mosaic in Manitoba

Manitoba’s Other Socials

Location of Manitoba in Canada
By Qyd (Self from GIS data) [Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons

Seasons come and go, but the fun filled activities of Manitoba pre-wedding socials tend to step up around winter time. We say it helps to chase away the winter blues, and it’s a dry winter after all. Then again, in the midst of the piercing Prairie cold comes an unpretentious influx of color and warmth from relatively new communities that are untying our traditional understandings of socials. More and more of us are embracing other types of variations to our socials with creative remixes that are now enabling infinite permutations of ethnic food, sound and music from the Philippines, India and China too. That’s because they are among the top visible immigrant groups to arrive to the Prairies. The Chinese are the most numerous visible minority group in Alberta (26.5%) and Saskatchewan (28%), whereas Filipinos continue to dominate the visible minority landscape in Manitoba (34.6%), followed by immigrants from India (22.3%) and China (6.2 %).

Canadian Group for Democracy in Ukraine writes Minister of Foreign Affairs re Russia's attack on Ukraine in Azov Sea

November 26, 2018
Honourable Chrystia Freeland
Minister of Foreign Affairs
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

Chrystia.Freeland@international.gc.ca

Dear Minister,
We are writing on a most urgent matter. Russia’s blockade of the Azov Sea and attack on Ukraine’s ships is another violation of international law requiring immediate response. We thank you for your statement “support for Ukraine and for the condemnation of Russia’s illegal invasion and annexation of Crimea” and for seeking the release of the detained Ukrainians. Regretfully, Russia is immune to words. Therefore, we ask for more; that in concert with other like-minded states Canada seeks punishment for Russia’s latest aggression commensurate with its growing and unrelenting disruption of the world order. It’s latest violation of international law and state sovereignty calls for strong, decisive measures that will be taken seriously by President Vladimir Putin rather than mocked, as has been the case with the current economic sanctions operating to date. This time, they must be strong enough to act as a deterrent rather than an encouragement for further aggression.

The Manitoba Social: It's a Prairie thing!

The Manitoba Social

Ukrainian Socials Table

What do you get if there’s Ukrainian-style rye bread (KUB) on the tables and a spread of kubasa  sausage with other cold cuts, and hot sauerkraut or pizza (optional), some pickles and cheese cubes, and maybe some Tim bits in the equation? Well, it’s most probably a buffet table that’s being set up as a late night snack for a social in Manitoba!  More often than not, it would be a pre-wedding party that is meant to raise money for an engaged couple to help cover their upcoming wedding expenses and to a lesser extent to pay for their honeymoon or a down payment on the house.