DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS
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Third Session – Forty-Second Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable Myrna Driedger Speaker Vol. LXXV No. 68A - 10 a.m., Tuesday, May 25, 2021 ISSN 0542-5492 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Forty-Second Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ADAMS, Danielle Thompson NDP ALTOMARE, Nello Transcona NDP ASAGWARA, Uzoma Union Station NDP BRAR, Diljeet Burrows NDP BUSHIE, Ian Keewatinook NDP CLARKE, Eileen, Hon. Agassiz PC COX, Cathy, Hon. Kildonan-River East PC CULLEN, Cliff, Hon. Spruce Woods PC DRIEDGER, Myrna, Hon. Roblin PC EICHLER, Ralph, Hon. Lakeside PC EWASKO, Wayne, Hon. Lac du Bonnet PC FIELDING, Scott, Hon. Kirkfield Park PC FONTAINE, Nahanni St. Johns NDP FRIESEN, Cameron, Hon. Morden-Winkler PC GERRARD, Jon, Hon. River Heights Lib. GOERTZEN, Kelvin, Hon. Steinbach PC GORDON, Audrey, Hon. Southdale PC GUENTER, Josh Borderland PC GUILLEMARD, Sarah, Hon. Fort Richmond PC HELWER, Reg, Hon. Brandon West PC ISLEIFSON, Len Brandon East PC JOHNSON, Derek, Hon. Interlake-Gimli PC JOHNSTON, Scott Assiniboia PC KINEW, Wab Fort Rouge NDP LAGASSÉ, Bob Dawson Trail PC LAGIMODIERE, Alan Selkirk PC LAMONT, Dougald St. Boniface Lib. LAMOUREUX, Cindy Tyndall Park Lib. LATHLIN, Amanda The Pas-Kameesak NDP LINDSEY, Tom Flin Flon NDP MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood NDP MARCELINO, Malaya Notre Dame NDP MARTIN, Shannon McPhillips PC MICHALESKI, Brad Dauphin PC MICKLEFIELD, Andrew Rossmere PC MORLEY-LECOMTE, Janice Seine River PC MOSES, Jamie St. Vital NDP NAYLOR, Lisa Wolseley NDP NESBITT, Greg Riding Mountain PC PALLISTER, Brian, Hon. Fort Whyte PC PEDERSEN, Blaine, Hon. Midland PC PIWNIUK, Doyle Turtle Mountain PC REYES, Jon Waverley PC SALA, Adrien St. James NDP SANDHU, Mintu The Maples NDP SCHULER, Ron, Hon. Springfield-Ritchot PC SMITH, Andrew Lagimodière PC SMITH, Bernadette Point Douglas NDP SMOOK, Dennis La Vérendrye PC SQUIRES, Rochelle, Hon. Riel PC STEFANSON, Heather, Hon. Tuxedo PC TEITSMA, James Radisson PC WASYLIW, Mark Fort Garry NDP WHARTON, Jeff, Hon. Red River North PC WIEBE, Matt Concordia NDP WISHART, Ian Portage la Prairie PC WOWCHUK, Rick Swan River PC 3409 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Tuesday, May 25, 2021 The House met at 10 a.m. honourable member for Notre Dame (Ms. Marcelino), that Bill 233, The Filipino Heritage Month Act, be Clerk (Ms. Patricia Chaychuk): It is my duty to now read a second time and referred to the committee inform the House that the Speaker is unavoidably of this House. absent. Therefore, in accordance with the statutes, I would ask the Deputy Speaker to please take the Mr. Reyes: I apologize–a bit sluggish: was up late, Chair. like many of us, cheering our Jets. So, go, Jets, go. Mr. Deputy Speaker (Doyle Piwniuk): O Eternal Mr. Deputy Speaker, I'm very grateful for the and Almighty God, from Whom all power and opportunity for bringing this bill forward, Bill 233, wisdom come, we are assembled here before Thee to The Filipino Heritage Month Act; Loi sur le Mois frame such laws as may tend to the welfare and patrimoine philippin, which will recognize the month prosperity of our province. Grant, O merciful God, we of June each year in Manitoba as Filipino Heritage pray Thee, that we may desire only in which is in Month. accordance with Thy will, that we seek it with wisdom And some may wonder why the month of June. and know it with certainty and accomplish it perfectly Well, Mr. Deputy Speaker, June 12th is Philippine for the glory and honour of Thy name and for the Independence Day. As a child, I vividly remember welfare of all our people. Amen. fellow Filipinos celebrating this day in Winnipeg, Please be seated. Good morning, everyone. traditionally at Assiniboine Park, which is organized by the Philippine Heritage Council of Manitoba. ORDERS OF THE DAY I remember the one year they did not have it at PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS Assiniboine Park in 1991, which was held nearly Hon. Cameron Friesen (Deputy Government 30 years ago. It was actually held at Crescent Park. House Leader): Good morning, Mr. Deputy Speaker. So how do I remember this, Mr. Deputy Speaker? This morning I call for debate Bill 233, The Filipino Because it was the first time I met my wife, Cynthia. Heritage Month Act. So June is a special month for Filipinos around Mr. Deputy Speaker: It has been announced by the the world and just as important–and especially right honourable Minister of Justice (Mr. Friesen) that here in the province of our friendly Manitoba. we're going to–on to second reading of Bill 233, The Filipino Heritage Month Act, in the name of the As one of my colleagues told me last week, there honourable member for Waverley. are Filipinos everywhere, touching every corner of the province. As of the 2016 Canadian census, SECOND READINGS–PUBLIC BILLS 851,000 people of Filipino descent lived in Canada, Bill 233–The Filipino Heritage Month Act mostly in urbanized areas. This number has been growing yearly. Mr. Jon Reyes (Waverley): I'm very grateful for the opportunity– Between the 2011 census and the 2016 census, the Filipino community in Canada grew from 662,000 to Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. Order. I just want to 851,000, a growth of about 27 per cent compared to remind the member from Waverley that he has to the rest of Canada, which grew only by 5 per cent introduce it and then second by another member. during the same time period. Oh, now, the member from Waverley, if you can Manitoba has the most Filipinos on a per capita unmute? Yes. basis, with Filipinos comprising 6.5 per cent of the Mr. Reyes: I move, seconded by the member from provincial population. Winnipeg is a metropolitan Notre Dame, that Bill 233 be brought forward for area with the most Filipinos on a per capita basis, second reading. nearly 10 per cent in all of Canada. Mr. Deputy Speaker: It has been moved by the So what makes the community influential? Other honourable member for Waverley, seconded by the than the growing population that Manitoba has had, 3410 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 25, 2021 immigrants from the Philippines and to this date is still reside in Manitoba also probably speak one of the– one of the largest source countries for immigrants. one–over 100 dialects in the Philippines, including Ilocano, Cebuano, to name a few. What makes the community part of a province's social, economic, political and cultural fabric? Well, Historically, many Filipinos, like most immi- Mr. Deputy Speaker, I can name many factors and grants, came here through the province's need of a the many contributions of Manitoba's Filipino com- hard-working and loyal workforce, as we see in the munity, which I am proud to be part of. HyLife pork processing plant in Neepawa; Friesens Corporation, the book, yearbook and packaging As I stated in the beginning, and according to manufacturer in Altona; StandardAero; and New the book, The First Filipino Immigrants in Manitoba, Flyer Industries here in Winnipeg. And, Mr. Deputy written by Ms. Gemma Dalayoan, Mrs. Leah Speaker, I am just scratching the surface. Envarga-Magsino and the late Ms. Leoni [phonetic] Bailon, it was the 1950s when the first recorded Manitoba's Provincial Nominee Program has Filipino immigrants in Canada arrived in Manitoba. benefitted and continues to benefit from the many Mostly nurses, doctors, teachers, medical technol- Filipino applicants who now call Manitoba home. The ogists and other professionals were part of this first overall growth of the Filipino population in Manitoba wave of Filipino immigrants arriving from 1959 to from back then and the multi-generations coming 1965. from these pioneers and current immigrants have also resulted in these individuals going into their own Many of them came from the United States on small business. either an exchange scholarship or work program as temporary residents on visitor or work permit visas. When going into business for yourself, you can However, some of these Filipino immigrants decided figure out a need or demand. One of these types of to stay in Manitoba, as many of them received job businesses is the restaurant business. And we all know offers. They found Winnipeg to be peaceful, friendly part of culture is the food. As we all know, there are a and a safe place to live despite the extreme differences number of Filipino restaurants and small grocery in climate compared to the Philippines. stores throughout our province. Who can resist the spring rolls which we call lumpia, or pancit, Filipino From the late 1950s, I've mentioned the occu- noodles? And I'm sure many here have tried the wide pations of nurses, doctors, teachers, which, to this day, variety of Filipino dishes and desserts. we all know, whether you are in rural Manitoba or right here in the city of Winnipeg, Steinbach or the I applaud the many Filipinos that have con- town of Virden, many of these occupations are filled tributed to our economy through small business. I also by individuals of Filipino descent. And I can proudly applaud the larger corporations who have seen the say my wife, who I met at that Philippine heritage day Filipino population grow to open up their business in picnic three years ago, is a nurse herself. Manitoba. Most of you have heard of Jollibee, the bustling network of over 1,000 restaurants worldwide. In the late 1960s 'til around 1975, the second From the Philippines, it has branched out to countries wave of immigrants consisted of garment factory including Brunei, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Italy, the UK workers, which included sewers, cutters, sewing and the USA.