2002 International Peace Gardens, Manitoba/North Dakota
The
Alliance Meets Manitoba's Singing Sands Park
The end of May found thirty Alliance members gathered in Winnipeg
to begin a journey of discovery through southern Manitoba.
Enthusiastically led by Charlie Thomsen and Ted McLachlan,
the group visited St. Michael’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church
and Neubergthal (a Mennonite street village) both Canadian
National Historic Sites.
Through
blowing topsoil, mile after mile of undulating prairie, and
for some a ‘drive down memory lane’, the group
arrived at Boissevain, just north of the International Peace
Gardens in the geographic centre of North America. We were
greeted by James Ritchie, overseer of the community archives
and native heritage centre.
The
following day a series of papers generally focused on the
conference’s theme, Landscapes of Peace and Commemoration.
In the late afternoon, Mr. Ritchie returned to delight us
with tales of the local native peoples and in particular the
story of the Turtle and the Serpent, a compelling creation
story. A visit to see a medicine wheel firsthand brought the
story full circle. I don’t think any of us will ever
view a rock the same way again!
The
journey back to Winnipeg included a hike through the sand
dunes, a Tim Horton’s coffee break and a ditch rescue
of a couple from Indiana (you know who you are!). En route
we were captivated by an unplanned but exciting display of
Canada’s Snowbirds acrobatic air show. Blake Roberts
ended the formal program with a history of Lower Fort Garry
and the challenges of maintaining a 19th C. fort complex.
The
meeting concluded with a memorable barbecue at Ted McLachlan’s
lovely abode above the Red River where toasts were given and
promises made to re-convene in the shadow of Washington, D.C.
next spring for more "leisure learning".
Many
thanks are due Messrs. Thomsen, McLachlan and Jankowski, for
making this one of the truly great Alliance meetings.
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