Dozens brave blizzard to celebrate Mauritian Independence Day in southwestern Manitoba

Keeping their culture alive in their southwestern Manitoba community, Mauritians and their friends gathered Saturday to celebrate the 55th anniversary of their country's independence.

Marie Angelique Jaune, president of the Mauritian Cultural Association of Brandon, says they are motivated to gather and celebrate so youth in the community can learn about Mauritius, an island nation off the east coast of Africa. She says seeing Mauritian and other cultures grow in the Wheat City gives her the feeling of home because it reflects the diversity present in Mauritius.

More than 50 people braved blizzard conditions to attend the celebrations Saturday night.

"Our feelings, I think, it melts the snow, because the positive feeling because we are warm feeling with kindness and I think this will melt the snow and the storm will go away," Jaune said with a grin.

The gathering felt like a reunion because for three years people were unable to come together and celebrate their culture during COVID-19, Jaune said. Her hope is everyone enjoyed a great evening dancing and enjoying Mauritian delicacies while finding time to reconnect.

Jaune moved to Canada in June 2010. She and her husband joined the Mauritian Cultural Association because they wanted to help grow and connect the Mauritian community in the prairie town, especially because they have two daughters.

She says keeping Mauritian culture vibrant in Brandon is essential because she wants to share her homeland with her children and other people in the community.

Growing diversity

Andre Singfat was one of the first Mauritians to arrive in Brandon — moving to the city in 1968. 

He says it has been incredible to see the community grow.

When he first arrived, he thinks his family were the only Mauritians in town. He met a fellow Mauritian a few years later at Brandon University.

From there, the community slowly started to grow taking off in the late 1970s. The cultural diversity of Brandon continued to row as more people from different nationalities moved to the city.

The Mauritian community is known and celebrated in Brandon, but this was not always the case, according to Singfat. They have actively created connections through activities and volunteerism in the community.

"Since they arrived, I felt like home again. I have somebody to talk my native tongue Creole with," Singfat said. "It's super good ... I feel like I'm back at my home again. It brings me back to Mauritius among my friends."

Independence Day is an important chance to take a break from a busy life with work and children to come together and celebrate Mauritian culture, he said.

"We have to keep on these festivities in order to make sure that our children are aware of the history of where they come from," Singfat said. "I'm proud to be a Mauritian. I am also proud to be Canadian, my adopted country."

Kerselin Fumier, vice-president of the Mauritian Cultural Association, takes pride in sharing their culture.

He moved to Brandon in June 2008 and has called the city home ever since.

He first celebrated Mauritian Independence day in southwestern Manitoba in 2009. That year also marked the start of the Mauritian Cultural Association.

"When we first moved here nobody knows about Mauritius, and then slowly, slowly ... people know where Mauritius is and how we get here," Fumier said.

In 2016, the city began raising the Mauritian flag and proclaiming Independence Day. 

Mauritians now have a major presence in the community and enjoy sharing culture whenever they can, Fumier said.

"It is important to have this celebration so we can show our kids where we come from and to show them our culture," Fumier said. "Many of them were born here and they're Canadian and their parents are Mauritian. We want to present our culture and keep going."