Manitoba government seeking suppliers for new monument in front of legislature

The exterior of the Manitoba Legislature is seen in Winnipeg on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government is looking for design teams to help build a new statue on the front lawn of the legislature.

The government announced plans a year ago to have a monument of a mother bison and her child erected in the spot where a statue of Queen Victoria had been torn down by protesters in 2021.

The province is now looking for submissions from design teams interested in drawing up the monument, and is hoping to have a shortlist of qualified teams by February.

Premier Wab Kinew has said the mother and child bison will serve as a reminder of the harm residential schools inflicted on Indigenous communities by separating families.

Kinew released an image, created by artificial intelligence, last year showing a possible version of the statue.

The monument will join several others that already sit on the spacious legislature grounds, but the province says the new one will have a higher profile.

“The monument will be the most prominent monument on the grounds, front and centre at the front of the building,” a request for qualifications issued by the government Friday reads.

“It is anticipated that the final design will be informed by the material, cultural, and archeological history of bison in Manitoba and its cultural significance to Indigenous peoples and all Manitobans.”

Bidders will have to have knowledge of the residential school system, and Canadian suppliers will be given preference over others, the document says. Bidders that make the shortlist are to receive feedback to refine their design, and consult with an Indigenous elder or knowledge keeper.

The documents do not outline a budget for the monument or a completion date.

The area directly in front of the legislature has been empty of monuments since the Queen Victoria statue was toppled and beheaded on July 1, 2021 during a protest over the deaths of Indigenous children at residential schools.

The statue was covered with red paint. The head was found the next day in the nearby Assiniboine River.

The government later said the statue was beyond repair and replicating it would have cost at least $500,000.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2025

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press