Manitoba at Christmas is an anthology of holiday memories in Manitoba, from the days of the earliest explorers to the dawn of the 21st century. Some stories are heartwarming, some sad or poignant, and some funny.

We start with the earliest Christmases recorded in what is now Manitoba, written by explorers in search of a passage to the Far East. We then have accounts from lonely fur-trading outposts, where the holiday observances were often simple in nature---a glass raised in honour of the occasion and a remembrance of loved ones back home.

We move on to the establishment...