4 minute read
Bringing Manitoba History Alive
Text and photo by Ed James
For several years now, the retired teachers of the Westman area and their friends have been very active enjoying their retirement and not content to sit on the front porch in a rocking chair. The yearly bus road trip has taken them all over the Westman and Eastsask area, to all points of the compass!
This year was no exception and it was another great live theater experience at Rainbow Stage in Winnipeg to see the production of "Strike." The bus started out from Virden, Manitoba, at 8:00 a.m. with a few stops along the way to pick up some folks, bringing our number to 45 happy campers. I do mean happy campers, because it was a very comfortable bus, with air conditioning and the trip organizer, Kelvon Smith, with the help of Beth Allison, kept us busy with games, refreshments, movies and jokes as we rolled down the TCH. The bus even had enough empty seats that there was room for a few of the group to find a quite place to have a peaceful nap, lulled to sleep by the hum of the bus wheels. Did I mention it had a washroom? Some of us older teachers have a few plumbing problems. Oh, the joys of getting older. On every trip, it is always a surprise to see where we will have lunch, as most of us are not the fast food chain restaurant clientele. Lunch this trip would be the Rivercrest Motel, where we had a variety of choices and good size proportion, topped off with friendly service. Nobody left there hungry. In theory, it would be a short drive to Winnipeg. In a perfect world, however that would be a world without summer road construction. My hat goes off to our bus driver who not only overcomes the road construction, but takes us right to the front entrance of Rainbow Stage, on some very narrow and winding roads. I think the roads in Assiniboine Park were originally bridle paths. Clutching our tickets in hand, in we go, with only a few of us stopping for another pee break. The theater staff is very helpful and, as promised by Kelvon, we have good seats. The vendors are busy selling programs and 50/50 tickets as we get settled in. However, a member of the staff comes by and up grades all our seats, as the house is not full for the afternoon performance. An observation on my part is that
about 90% of the audience are seniors with lots of white, grey and no hair. Again, the joys of old age.
The play begins and it was worth our travel in time and the cost. This production had it all with great set design, lighting and acting. The atmosphere of working class 1919 Winnipeg was on the stage in music, sights, songs and words. The play's story line showed the very real struggle for hard working new immigrants and returning W. W. 1 vets to find employment with a living wage. On the other hand, the factory owners' fears were well portrayed and the fear of Bolshevism for the comfortable world they lived in. The songs and music played an important part of the production and the young actors who played the newspaper boys and girls were described by production music director, Danny Schur, as a quadruple threat on stage, in that they could act, sing, dance and play a musical instrument. As a former history teacher, I can remember teaching my students about the Winnipeg General Strike and how it was a major point in Canadian social and economic history development. Had the play been on when I was still teaching, I would have made the trip to Winnipeg with them to see it. The number of sub plots about race, religion, love, fear, freedom of the press and the importance of family gave the audience an opportunity to get involved at different levels that perhaps they might have identified with. All too soon, it was over and the bus waited outside for us. However, this time we got caught up in five o'clock Winnipeg traffic, so it was another opportunity for a quick cat nap for some of us. We are heading for Portage la Prairie and a favorite dinner spot. This would be the local Royal Canadian Legion Branch and a great roast beef supper, with all the fixings and maybe a few liquid libations. By 10 p.m. and after a few drop offs along the way, we were back in Virden and the travelers drive off into the last rays of a late summer evening sun set.
It was a great day for all concerned and the $250.00 grant from RTAM was well appreciated, since the COLA has not been that great the last few years. Who knows where the group will head out for next year, but I'm sure it will be worth it to learn, live and laugh. Thanks to Kel Smith, Beth and Glen for all that you do on these trips.
