Join the Planetarium for a Solar Eclipse Viewing Party at Assiniboine Park!

(Winnipeg, Manitoba: April 3, 2024) – On Monday, April 8, the worlds will align as the Moon will pass in front of the Sun as seen from the Earth, creating a solar eclipse viewable from across North America. Manitobans will see a partial solar eclipse that afternoon. Viewers in a narrow path from Mazatlan, Mexico through Montreal and on through the Maritimes will witness a total solar eclipse, one of nature’s rarest and most amazing spectacles.

To help people view the eclipse, the Manitoba Museum’s Planetarium is joining forces with the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada – Winnipeg Centre and the Assiniboine Park Conservancy to host a free solar eclipse viewing party from 12:30 pm to 3:15 pm at The Leaf in Assiniboine Park. Special solar telescopes will be accessible to provide safe views of the eclipse for attendees, and live feeds from other sites across North America will show the view from the path of totality.

“We are excited to welcome our friends from the Manitoba Museum’s Planetarium and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada to Assiniboine Park for this special event,” said Jody Watson, Senior Director of Programming & Education, Assiniboine Park Conservancy. “It will be a fascinating experience to share with Park visitors and a wonderful opportunity to inspire curiosity and learning about the amazing world we live in.”

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes in front of the Sun and casts its shadow onto the Earth. For viewers on the center line of the eclipse, the Moon will completely block out the Sun for up to four minutes, revealing the Sun’s outer atmosphere or corona. Viewers on either side of the center line will see a partial eclipse. From southern Manitoba, the Moon will cover about half of the Sun’s diameter at maximum (less for those farther north or west).

The eclipse will begin at 12:54 pm CDT for Winnipeg when the Moon first begins to cover the Sun (moving in from the bottom right). Over the next two-and-a-half hours the Moon will move across the Sun from right to left, while the Sun moves across the sky from left to right as it does every day. Maximum eclipse occurs at 2:01 pm CDT, and the eclipse ends at 3:08 pm CDT.

“This will be the astronomical event of the year,” says Young. “We’ll see the partial eclipse live from Manitoba and watch totality via live stream from several sites across North America, so we’ll get the best views even if it happens to be cloudy in Winnipeg.”

WARNING: DO NOT LOOK AT THE SUN WITH UNPROTECTED EYES! 

The Sun is always too bright to look at with unprotected eyes – special solar filters are required. Regular sunglasses or other homebuilt options are not enough – a specialized filter material is required to look directly at the Sun.

“When watching an eclipse, safety is important,” says Young. “You can’t just use sunglasses or order some cheap filters online from an unknown source – there are a lot of unsafe fakes out there. Purchase new eclipse glasses from a reputable source, don’t try to save pennies and put your eyesight at risk for life.”

The Manitoba Museum Shop is now sold out of eclipse glasses. If you were not able to get certified eclipse glasses, there are ways to observe the eclipse safely listed on the Manitoba Museum eclipse page.

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Media Inquiries:

Scott Young
Planetarium Astronomer
204-988-0627
ScYoung@ManitobaMuseum.ca

Brandi Hayberg
Manager of Marketing & Communications
204-988-0614
BHayberg@ManitobaMusuem.ca

MEDIA ADVISORY – The Manitoba Museum’s Planetarium Astronomer, Scott Young, will be hosting a press conference on Thursday, April 4 to answer media questions regarding the upcoming solar eclipse and the Manitoba Museum’s Solar Eclipse Viewing Party.

Date: Thursday, April 4, 2024
Time: 9:00 am – 10:00 am
Location: Manitoba Museum Auditorium at 190 Rupert Ave. Please enter through the lower concourse stairwell.

A partial solar eclipse will be visible in Manitoba on Monday April 8 between 12:30 pm and 3:15 pm. A Solar Eclipse Viewing Party and live stream event, hosted by the Manitoba Museum in partnership with Assiniboine Park Conservancy and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, will be held at The Leaf in Assiniboine Park on Monday, April 8 between 12:30 pm and 3:15 pm.

For more information regarding the 2024 solar eclipse please visit our website.

For Additional Information:

Brandi Hayberg, Manager of Marketing & Communications
Email: BHayberg@ManitobaMuseum.ca
Phone: 204 988 0614

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“This special exhibition honours strength and resilience, and celebrates 25 years of advocacy and service for SCO.” – Grand Chief Jerry Daniels

ANISHINAABE AND DAKOTA TERRITORY, MB — The Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) is pleased to announce “Manidoo Miiniigooizowin, A Gift from the Creator,” SCO’s special 25^th Anniversary Exhibit on display now at the Manitoba Museum.

“The Southern Chiefs’ Organization is very pleased to launch “Manidoo Miiniigooizowin, A Gift from the Creator,” a powerful exhibit that showcases incredible objects that represent our 34 Anishinaabe and Dakota member Nations,” shared Grand Chief Jerry Daniels. “The exhibition is a celebration of the past, present, and future. The objects on display exemplify the beauty and resilience of the Anishinaabe and Dakota peoples and celebrate the 25^th anniversary of SCO.”

Following the guidance of Elders and Knowledge Keepers, SCO and the Manitoba Museum created the exhibition in ceremony. It opens in advance of spring break, which is the museum’s busiest time of the year.

“Many of the objects in this exhibit have been generously shared by individuals and families who proudly represent their respective Nations, and all were designed or made by talented citizens of the SCO member Nations,” shared Chief E.J. Fontaine of the Sagkeeng Anicinabe First Nation. “I am pleased to share that Amanda McLeod, a Sagkeeng citizen, is the co-curator and I commend SCO for ensuring a talented southern First Nation person had a prominent role in developing the exhibit.”

This exhibit also includes historical objects from the Manitoba Museum collections —community treasures from decades past. With both the ‘old’ and the ‘new’ on display, Manidoo Miiniigooizowin, A Gift from the Creator showcases a walk through many Anishinaabe and Dakota generations.

SCO thanks the Manitoba Museum and expresses gratitude for providing the space for the exhibit.

“Co-creating and co-curating Manidoo Miiniigooizowin: A Gift from the Creator with the Southern Chiefs’ Organization was a great honour for our team and a meaningful opportunity to celebrate SCO’s incredible history and contemporary work. Community exhibitions offer the Museum a unique way to discover and share stories that help us know and appreciate one another; Manidoo Miiniigooizowin honours the diverse identities, knowledge, resistance, strengths, and talents of Anishinaabe and Dakota peoples. This beautiful collaboration will bring many communities together, for which we are truly grateful,” shared Dorota Blumczyńska, Chief Executive Officer of the Manitoba Museum.

“In curating this exhibit, we wanted to showcase the vibrancy, talents, and skills of Anishinaabe and Dakota peoples and it also broaden the perception of what First Nations art is. As such, we chose to include artists and makers at various stages of their careers and across a multitude of media, from historical to contemporary,” stated Amanda McLeod, Co-Curator and member of the Sagkeeng Anicinabe Nation.

McLeod earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Conservation Studies at Birmingham City University and the City and Guilds of London Art School in London, England, before returning home to earn a Master of Arts in Cultural Studies and Curatorial Practices at the University of Winnipeg.

“This exhibit started by examining the collections at the museum and we found 19 SCO member Nations were represented. From there, Amanda reached out to community members to ensure all 34 Nations were showcased. Co-curating this exhibit with Amanda has not only been really enjoyable but also incredibly beneficial for relationship-building and working together in the spirit of respect and reciprocity,” shared Dr. Amelia Fay, Curator of Anthropology and the HBC Museum Collection.

The Manidoo Miiniigooizowin, A Gift from the Creator exhibit runs for one year. Admission to the Manitoba Museum is free of charge for First Nation, Inuit, and Métis peoples. The exhibit is the first of several events SCO has planned to recognize and celebrate their 25 years of advocacy and service.

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The Southern Chiefs’ Organization represents 34 First Nations and more than 87,000 citizens in what is now called southern Manitoba. SCO is celebrating 25 years of service as an independent political organization that protects, preserves, promotes, and enhances First Nations peoples’ inherent rights, languages, customs, and traditions through the application and implementation of the spirit and intent of the Treaty-making process.

For media inquiries:

Email: Media@scoinc.mb.ca

(Winnipeg, MB: February 20, 2024) – The Manitoba Museum will be hosting a documentary screening and panel discussion on Friday, March 1 at 7:00 pm for the documentary Passage to Freedom.

Passage to Freedom features the powerful oral histories of Southeast Asian refugees who made dangerous journeys from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia to Canada between 1975 and 1985. The film weaves archival clips of news stories, wartime footage, and interviews with former refugees and Canadian immigration officials. It delves into refugees’ integration into the fabric of Canadian life and highlights the contributions of the first generation and their descendants. Please be advised that this film addresses topics which could be disturbing to some visitors, or may trigger painful memories.

“The documentary film is a testament of the resilience of those who have been forced to find a path from violence and displacement to resettlement and integration in a new homeland. Their cultural and economic legacy is an invaluable contribution to Canada.” – Dr. Stephanie P. Stobbe, Researcher and Curator of Hearts of Freedom Exhibition, and Professor at Canadian Mennonite University.

The documentary is part of the pop-up exhibition, Hearts of Freedom: Stories of Southeast Asian Refugees, which is on display in the Museum’s Festival Hall until April 7, 2024.

The evening will take place in the Manitoba Museum’s Auditorium with opening remarks by Senator Marilou McPhedran at 7:00 pm, followed by a screening of Passage to Freedom (50 minutes). A panel discussion and Q&A session will follow.

Panelists:

• Sheila Petzold – Passage to Freedom producer
• Stephanie Phetsamay Stobbe – Hearts of Freedom researcher, former Lao refugee
• Mondy Lim – Hearts of Freedom website and digital exhibit designer, former Cambodian refugee
• Tam Nguyen – Hearts of Freedom interviewee, former Vietnamese refugee
• John Wieler – Hearts of Freedom interviewee, former MCC Canada representative

This event is part of the Manitoba Museum’s monthly First Friday programming, during which visitors can explore the Museum’s three core attractions – the Museum Galleries, Planetarium, and Science Gallery – at no cost on the First Friday of every month from 4 pm to 9 pm. No tickets are required.

The exhibition was created by Dr. Stephanie P. Stobbe and the Hearts of Freedom Museum Exhibition Committee, in collaboration with Canadian Mennonite University, Carleton University, the Canadian Museum of History, the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, the Canadian Immigration Historical Society, the Vietnamese Canadian Federation, the Lao Association of Ottawa Valley, the Cambodian Association of Ottawa Valley, the Pacific Canada Heritage Centre – Museum of Migration, and the Manitoba Museum.

The Hearts of Freedom exhibition tour is funded in part by SSHRC and private funders.

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Media Contact: 

Brandi Hayberg
Manager of Marketing & Communications
Manitoba Museum
bhayberg@manitobamusuem.ca

Winnipeg, MB: January 2, 2024 – Stories of loss, stories of courage, stories of triumph. The Manitoba Museum is proud to host a pop-up exhibition which shares the emotional and impactful stories of Southeast Asian refugees who came to Canada between 1975 and 1985, and the stories of those who assisted them.

Impacted by the Vietnam War, the Lao Secret War, and the Cambodian Genocide, millions of refugees from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia were forced to flee their homelands and to seek safety in other countries. Hearts of Freedom: Stories of Southeast Asian Refugees tells the stories of these survivors, in their own words and through their unique perspectives, adding to the fabric of the Canadian history of immigration.

“At the Manitoba Museum, we strive to collect and tell the stories of all the peoples of our province. This is an important exhibition that shares the incredible history of the Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian people who escaped war and genocide to find a new home in Canada, and in Manitoba.” – Roland Sawatzky, Curator of History at the Manitoba Museum.

The exhibition, curated by Dr. Stephanie Phetsamay Stobbe and created in collaboration with the Hearts of Freedom Exhibition Committee, is comprised of a variety of panels detailing the stories of refugee journeys through photographs and shared memories captured in interviews. Each panel’s interpretive text gives the reader further insight into the paths and obstacles faced by those making the difficult and often dangerous expedition.

“This is the first museum exhibition in Canada that showcases the Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cambodian experiences in resettlement and settlement in Canada, and their successful integration. It also highlights the contributions they have made and continue to make in Canada and around the world.” – Stephanie Stobbe, Curator of HOF – Stories of Southeast Asian Refugees and Professor at Canadian Mennonite University.

Hearts of Freedom: Stories of Southeast Asian Refugees, will open to the public in the Manitoba Museum’s Festival Hall on January 5, 2024, with an official opening event on January 19. The exhibition will be on display until April 7, 2024.

The exhibition was created by Dr. Stephanie Stobbe and the Hearts of Freedom Museum Exhibition Committee, in collaboration with Canadian Mennonite University, Carleton University, the Canadian Museum of History, the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, the Canadian Immigration Historical Society, the Vietnamese Canadian Federation, the Lao Association of Ottawa Valley, the Cambodian Association of Ottawa Valley, the Pacific Canada Heritage Centre – Museum of Migration, and the Manitoba Museum.

The Hearts of Freedom exhibition tour is funded in part by SSHRC and private funders.

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Media Contact: 

Brandi Hayberg
Manager of Marketing & Communications
Manitoba Museum
bhayberg@manitobamusuem.ca

Winnipeg, MB: December 5, 2023 – The Manitoba Museum is pleased to have welcomed two new curators in 2023. David Finch joined the Museum as the Curator of Archaeology earlier this year; and Dr. Joe Moysiuk has taken on the role of Curator of Palaeontology and Geology as of November 6.

Finch hopes to use his role as a platform to work with Indigenous and other communities as a partner on research and training.

“It’s good to be back home in Manitoba, and I am looking forward to applying what I’ve learned while away. We have an amazing history here, and I am honoured to be involved in its stewardship.” – David Finch, Curator of Archaeology, Manitoba Museum

“Manitoba boasts an almost unfathomably ancient rock record, preserving evidence of the myriad changes undergone by the Earth and life through deep time. I’m greatly excited by this chance to explore and communicate these stories, which are profoundly relevant, not only to Manitobans, but globally.” – Dr. Joe Moysiuk, Curator of Palaeontology and Geology, Manitoba Museum.

Dr. Joe Moysiuk looks forward to expanding his research focus to rare fossil deposits exhibiting soft tissue preservation in Manitoba.

“We are thrilled to welcome David Finch and Dr. Joe Moysiuk to the Manitoba Museum’s curatorial team. Each of them brings new insights and community collaboration, and will help continue to enhance the Museum collections for present and future generations.” – Dorota Blumczyńska, CEO, Manitoba Museum.

Click here to meet the Museum’s entire Curatorial Team

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Media Contact: 

Brandi Hayberg
Manager of Marketing & Communications
Manitoba Museum
bhayberg@manitobamusuem.ca