Manitoba is set to introduce legislation Thursday recognizing Louis Riel as the province’s honorary first premier.
Current premier Wab Kinew, along with Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) president David Chartrand, will make the announcement Thursday at 11 a.m. from the Manitoba Legislative Building.
The MMF will host a second event at noon by the Riel statue on Assiniboine Avenue, behind the legislature.
Formally recognizing Riel was a campaign promise by the new NDP government, and was reiterated by Kinew last week at a ceremony recognizing the 138th anniversary of Riel’s death, as well as in the throne speech Tuesday.
Riel, long a polarizing figure in Canadian history, was at the epicentre of a pair of 19th-century rebellions against the federal government in his quest to defend the homelands of the Métis people.
Well over a century after he was hanged for treason, Riel’s legacy has been reconsidered, and today he’s seen as a local hero, founder and the namesake of landmarks across Manitoba.
Global News will stream the 11 a.m. press conference live on this page.
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