Prairie Sentinels Park (formerly known as Nygard Park) is a public park located in the centre of the town of Deloraine, Manitoba.
The park host more than 200 flags from around the world. The park is landscaped with a brick wall facade, paved walking paths, and a commemorative plaque recognizing Peter Nygård's financial contribution to the town.
As the year 2001 neared, the town of Deloraine developed the Fly the Flags of the World millennium project with the goal of displaying flags from all over the world. The project started with a letter writing campaign to each country’s embassy asking for the donation of their national flag. If this was not fruitful, the flag was purchased. The flags would be displayed throughout the town, but the majority would fly in Nygard Park.
Prior to the renovation, the future site of Nygard Park was a rundown Canadian Pacific Railway yard. Peter Nygård donated $25,000 and 5000 Nygård T-shirts to the town to revitalize the area. The sale of the T-shirts raised approximately $50,000. A portion of the donated money was set aside to cover the cost for future replacement of worn out flags.
In July 2006, the whole town celebrated the opening of the park and the raising of the 206 flags. The flags represent 193 nations, plus the 13 provincial and territorial flags of Canada. Mr. Nygård acted as the town marshal, driving in a parade through the streets of the town. He was there with Hilkka Nygård, his mother. He staged a fashion show featuring super-model Beverly Johnson.
After Peter Nygård was the central figure in a lawsuit alleging child sex trafficking and rape against him in 2020 calls were made to drop Nygard's name from the park. [1] In May 2020 the name of the park was changed to Prairie Sentinels Park [2] The park was also remodeled with a walking path dotted with 19 storyboards showing the history of the area's grain elevators and industry. In addition the flags were changed to now represent the flags of countries that buy wheat from Manitoba. Small grain elevator models, built for use in parade floats, are also planned to appear in the park. [3]
Flags need to be replaced every two years, due to weathering. This significant cost is offset by flag adoptions. Adopters are noted in the Flying the Flags of the World booklets, which is updated annually.
The Flying the Flags of the World booklet is available free of charge at the Information Centre. Inside is information regarding each flag's location and its symbolism.
A grain elevator is a facility designed to stockpile or store grain. In the grain trade, the term "grain elevator" also describes a tower containing a bucket elevator or a pneumatic conveyor, which scoops up grain from a lower level and deposits it in a silo or other storage facility.
Portage la Prairie is a small city in the Central Plains Region of Manitoba, Canada. As of 2016, the population was 13,304 and the land area of the city was 24.68 square kilometres (9.53 sq mi).
Deloraine is an unincorporated urban community in the Municipality of Deloraine – Winchester within the Canadian province of Manitoba that held town status prior to January 1, 2015. It is situated near the Turtle Mountains in the southwestern corner of the province. Located in the Westman Region, the community is 100 km (62 mi) south of Brandon. Deloraine originally incorporated as a village in 1904 and then as a town in 1907. Its town status was relinquished in 2015 when it amalgamated with the Rural Municipality of Winchester.
Transcona is a ward and suburb of Winnipeg, Manitoba, located about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) east of the downtown area.
Carberry is a town in southwestern Manitoba, Canada. It is situated 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of the Trans-Canada Highway on Highway 5 in the Municipality of North Cypress – Langford, and has a population of 1,818 people.
Champion is a village in southern Alberta, Canada within Vulcan County. It is located on Highway 23, approximately 74 kilometres (46 mi) north of Lethbridge and 147 kilometres (91 mi) south of Calgary.
Argyle is a small hamlet located in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Argyle is in Manitoba's Interlake Region. It is part of the Rural Municipality of Rockwood. It is approximately 30 km from Manitoba's capital, Winnipeg. Nearby are the towns of Stonewall, Balmoral, Teulon, Grosse Isle, Gunton, Rosser, Stony Mountain and Selkirk. The major industry is agriculture, where mixed farming prevails. Many residents work in Winnipeg or surrounding towns.
Peter J. Nygård is a Finnish-Canadian former fashion executive. In 1967, he founded Nygård International, a Winnipeg-based company that made women's apparel. In 2020, Nygård was accused of long-term sex trafficking, rape, and racketeering after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided his company's offices in New York City. Later that year, he was formally charged and was arrested on sex trafficking and racketeering charges, including allegations of sex trafficking involving minors. In October 2021, Nygård was charged by Toronto police with multiple counts of sexual assault and forcible confinement in incidents that occurred between the mid-1980s and mid-2000s; accusations of sexual misconduct by Nygård date as far back as 1968. As of September 2022, Nygård's criminal trials are ongoing.
The Saskatchewan Wheat Pool was a grain handling, agri-food processing and marketing company based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Pool created a network of marketing alliances in North America and internationally which made it the largest agricultural grain handling operation in the province of Saskatchewan. Before becoming Viterra, SWP had operated 276 retail outlets and more than 100 grain handling and marketing centres. The Saskatchewan Wheat Pool operated under the name of AgPro in the prairie provinces of Manitoba and Alberta. Begun as a co-operative in the 1920s, the company became a publicly traded corporation in the 1990s. After the 2007 takeover of its competitor, Winnipeg-based Agricore United, the Pool name was retired. The merged company operated under the name Viterra until 2013, when it was acquired by Glencore International.
Gainsborough is a village in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within the Rural Municipality of Argyle No. 1 and Census Division No. 1. A farming community, the village is located on Highway 18 in the southeastern corner of Saskatchewan. Gainsborough is approximately 6 km (3.7 mi) from the Manitoba border, and 19 km (12 mi) from the North Dakota, United States border. The first post office was established on April 1, 1884 as the community of Antler. On September 1, 1885 the name of the community changed to Gainsborough, after Gainsborough, Lincolnshire in England, which was the former home of J. J. Sadler, an early settler.
Goodwater is a village in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within the Rural Municipality of Lomond No. 37 and Census Division No. 2. The village is located approximately 50 km (31 mi) south of the City of Weyburn. Goodwater is located on Treaty 4 land, negotiated between the Cree, Saulteaux, and Assiniboine first peoples, and Alexander Morris, second Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba (1872–1877). Goodwater is currently part of the Souris - Moose Mountain federal riding.
Bengough is a town surrounded by the rural municipality of Bengough No. 40, in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. A southeastern Saskatchewan prairie town, Bengough is located east of Willow Bunch Lake on Highway 34 near Highway 705. The town is named Bengough after cartoonist John Wilson Bengough. Bengough also plays host to the Gateway Festival which showcases various musicians and several other events through the weekend, usually taking place in late July.
Carlyle is a town in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. Carlyle is the largest town servicing the far south-eastern corner of Saskatchewan and as a result, has become the economic and services centre of the region. Estevan and Weyburn are the closest cities and both are a little over 100 kilometres away. Regina, the provincial capital, lies 200 km to the north-west.
Richardson International Limited is a privately held Canadian agricultural and food industry company headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The company is one of several companies that are owned by James Richardson & Sons Limited. The company is a worldwide handler and merchandiser of all major Canadian-grown grains and oilseeds and a vertically integrated processor and manufacturer of oats and canola-based products. Richardson has over 2,500 employees across Canada, the U.S. and U.K. Richardson International is a subsidiary of James Richardson & Sons, Limited, established in 1857.
Nygård International was a Canadian clothing brand, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, that was founded and named after Peter Nygård. It was the largest producer of women's apparel in Canada.
The Manitoba Grain Growers' Association (MGGA) was a farmer's association that was active in Manitoba, Canada, in the first two decades of the 20th century. It provided a voice for farmers in their struggle with grain dealers and the railways, and was influential in obtaining favorable legislation. The MGGA supported the Grain Growers' Grain Company, a cooperative of prairie farmers, and its organ the Grain Growers' Guide. At first it remained neutral politically, but in 1920 it restructured as the United Farmers of Manitoba in preparation for becoming a political party.
The Manitoba Grain Act was an act passed by the Federal government of Canada in 1900 to protect the interests of grain farmers against abuses by the grain storage and trading companies and the railways. Although well-intentioned the act was flawed, and a series of amendments were required before the more effective Canada Grain Act of 1912 was passed.
William Hespeler, born Wilhelm, was a German-Canadian businessman, immigration agent, and member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. He served as Speaker of the Legislature and as honorary consul of Germany to Winnipeg and the Northwest Territories. He was awarded the Order of the Red Eagle for his services to Germany.