Language is a critical component of cultural identity. Throughout history, many people have fought to protect their linguistic rights and freedoms. In honour of the Bangladeshi people’s fight for recognition of the Bangla language in 1952, UNESCO declared February 21st, 1999 to be the first International Mother Language Day, which was adopted by the Province of Manitoba in 2019. Kirkbridge Park was selected as the location for the UNESCO International Mother Language Plaza as it is located in a very culturally diverse area of Winnipeg. Kirkbridge Park is also located beside Bairdmore School, a UNESCO school.
The plaza provides a site to contemplate the importance of all mother languages, nurture respect for diverse heritages, and celebrate Canada’s multicultural identity. The plaza’s medicine wheel and native plants acknowledge the site’s location on Treaty 1 territory, the ancestral lands of Indigenous peoples and the homeland of the Métis Nation. The medicine wheel is composed of an accessible poured rubber base and surrounded by concrete seating blocks, which display plaques honouring the plaza’s many donors. The plaza is oriented toward the lake, providing a calming backdrop for the contemplative site.