PROJECTED TO GROW

There were more than 55,000 aboriginals in Winnipeg and 150,000 in Manitoba in 2001.

In Manitoba, the visible minority population is projected to grow to 121,000 from 88,000 by 2017.

Winnipeg's population is expected to jump to 115,000 from 84,000 , said Belanger.

Filipinos represent the largest group of visible minorities in the city, which stands in contrast to the rest of the country, where Chinese or south Asians are usually the largest groups.

"It's unique in Canada," said Belanger.

Romulo Magsino, president of the Phillipine-Canadian Association of Manitoba, said family ties and progressive immigration programs are fuelling the growth.

"We already have lots of Filipinos and there's a strong sense of family solidarity, so we encourage our relatives to come here," he said.

Magsino said Filipinos were initially attracted to Manitoba in the 1960s when the government recruited doctors, nurses and teachers from the Phillipines.

But south Asians are projected to catch up rapidly.

Mohinder Singh, a spokesman for the Sikh Society of Manitoba, said that is due to provincial immigration policies that allow skilled people to not only arrive in Manitoba more easily, but also encourage them to stay here.

"Sometimes people want to go to cities like Montreal and Vancouver because they know the names, but they don't have the programs Manitoba has," he said.

LEADING THE GROWTH

Winnipeg's largest visible minority groups: