Manitoba Legislative Building - Exterior

Exterior

Coming up to the north side of the Legislative Building, above the 6 main columns, is the main pediment. In the bottom-left corner of the pediment is the Indolent Man, with a half-kneeling woman, the spirit of progress, beckoning the Indolent Man into the new land of promise. Next is the goddess Europa leading a bull, symbolizing Canada's European heritage and immigration. To the right of Europa, a man, woman and child symbolizing the colonization of a new land. Seated in the centre is Lady Manitoba with the rays of the sun behind her. She closely resembles the fertility goddesses Ishtar and Demeter, both patron deities of agriculture, with Neptune's trident symbolizing the Pacific Ocean, and to the left and to the right are ships wheels symbolizing the Atlantic Ocean. Next to the right of Lady Manitoba are a man and a woman laden with wheat and fruit, products of the soil. Then next is a muscular male figure with a team of powerful horses and a primitive plough tilling the soil. Finally in the bottom right corner are two entwined female figures representing the Red and Assiniboine Rivers.

Above the main pediment, flanking both sides are two Egyptian sphinxes facing both east and west. Carved onto a flat piece of stone, just below the chin, in Egyptian hieroglyphics, is "The everlasting manifestation of the Sun God Ra, the good God who gives life."

On both the east and west porticos sit figures representing war and peace. On the east side, with engraved images of weapons of war, are two male figures, one a native warrior with an eagle head-dress, another a Roman soldier, and on the west side there are two female figures for peace. Each pair guards a chest, rumoured to represent the Ark of the Covenant because of the proper proportions as mentioned in the ancient Hebrew texts.

On the grounds of the Legislative Building, facing the Assiniboine River, there is the Louis-Riel sculpture by Miguel Joyal. It was erected in 1996 and commemorates Métis leader Louis Riel.