“It’s comforting knowing that there is a team of professionals behind me — people who genuinely want the best for you. It really does take a village,” says Simone Crevier, a track and field and cross-country athlete.

Simone Crevier, a fifth year Bisons track and field student-athlete

BIST supports student-athlete health through a personalized, team-based approach. The team ensures student-athletes receive consistent, integrated support that blends expertise across roles to keep their minds and bodies healthy. BIST meets once a week to talk about every team — what they have noticed and how they can better support the student-athletes.

Athletic Therapist Brad Bergen says the effectiveness of BIST comes from its team approach. He says that instead of one person trying to do everything, student-athletes get a whole group of professionals who communicate constantly, taking a holistic approach to their care.

Strength and Conditioning coach Adam Stevenson says, “If someone is clearly dealing with a mental block, I can refer them to Sports Psychology, which has been incredibly helpful.”

Sports Dietitian Janelle Vincent emphasizes the supportive, student-athlete-centered approach of the team. “Our goal is to meet student-athletes where they are—physically, mentally and across their sport—to help them feel their best.”

Athletic Therapist Brad Bergen (right) alongside a Athletic Therapy Certification Candidate

BIST team members say seeing student-athletes grow and transform is what makes their work so meaningful. For Bergen, supporting athletes from their very first appointment all the way to returning to their sport is what makes being part of Bison Sports truly special.

“Seeing how happy and accomplished they are, that’s such a gratifying feeling,” says Bergen.

For Stevenson, the most rewarding part of his role is seeing someone achieve a goal they knew was going to be lofty.

“Whether it’s winning a medal, beating a long-time rival, or coming back after a serious injury, those moments are incredibly satisfying. Everyone has goals and helping them reach what once felt impossible is why we do this work.”

Vincent adds that the most rewarding part of her role is when a student-athlete comes in struggling—low energy, recurring injuries, or just not feeling their best—and after working together, they start to notice a real difference. “They often say, ‘I feel so much better, physically and mentally.’ That’s the part I love most.”

BIST emphasizes that seeking support demonstrates strength and is a skill student-athletes can carry with them for life. Bergen echoes this sentiment, emphasizing that the team truly cares for the student-athletes. “I’m invested in their progress and their success,” he says.

The impact of BIST is clear in the experiences of student-athletes like Crevier. “Having this team behind me, and all of the student-athletes, has made a huge difference in my career,” she says.

Crevier encourages others to take full advantage of the resources available. “They’re amazing. If you want to perform at your best, lean on BIST—the resources are there to support you.”

“We see the leadership development of our leaders and their ability to be positive role models for the campers as the core of what we do,” says Gagnon.

Gagnon says the leaders and supervisors are the people who are with the campers every day. They are the people who make the biggest difference to the camp experience. She says it’s important for Mini U to provide them with the tools and support they need to succeed.

Developing leaders first

“Every single part of every job here is to create an experience for someone”

Mini U leaders during a leader week workshop

Gagnon says helping team members grow into leaders has been her focus for over a decade. That focus prepares them to excel in their roles with Mini U and in their communities. She says Mini U uses workshops, clear expectations and focused feedback to give team members chances to grow.

This focus is also a part of the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management’s 2024-2027 strategic plan. Gagnon believes the experience of the team members is a core part of their function within the faculty.

“Every single part of every job here is to create an experience for someone,” says Gagnon. “And that is in part why the leadership training is so ingrained in what we do, because I see that as how we can contribute to the professional development of UM students and influence the camper experience.”

From workshop to field: The training difference

Gagnon says Mini U’s training for camp leaders mixes formal workshop teaching and purposeful games and activities. She says these opportunities give leaders a chance to work together and practice solving complex problems. This helps prepare them for real-life problem-solving once camp starts.

Gagnon says leadership is a skill you learn and get better at over time. Mini U’s leadership training focuses on five key skills for every job: communication, problem solving, team work, relationship building and reflection.

“It’s very much a part of our culture that permeates through everything we do.”

“Training isn’t just about our senior leaders answering questions; we recognize that our first year team members have a job here because they have external experience, and learning from those experiences only makes our programs better,” says Sara Johnson, a Program Supervisor who has been with Mini U for six years.

A Mini U leader during the Froggies camp

Johnson says training for leaders is made to feel like the best possible camp experience; something that is both fun and fulfilling. She says the experiences during training help to build community and a sense of trust. Something crucial to help people feel safe and allow them to step outside their comfort zones on the job.

“We want returning and new leaders to participate equally and have fun because in turn, that allows them to understand how they might make the experience more meaningful for the campers,” says Johnson. “It’s very much a part of our culture that permeates through everything we do.”

Growing towards a goal

Gagnon says Mini U builds on its leadership development every year. This helps team members learn to solve problems through different stages of their growth.  Jesse Michalski, a coordinator on the Mini U team, says supervisors learn about the administrative and planning needs to run Mini U behind the scenes. They also learn five-step plans for having difficult conversations with other team members or parents. As supervisors gain skills in each area, their tasks become more complex and independent.

Ashley Gagnon during the start of Mini U’s leader week

“People come to us from other positions with their own history of problem solving, communicating and building relationships,” says Michalski. “We try to refine those skills in every experience and grow their practical skills as they become more experienced leaders in the program.”

Mini U also uses mentorship, pairing new team members with someone with more Mini U experience. Michalski says this is an opportunity help experienced leaders practice their communication while giving new team members authentic feedback from peers.

Gagnon says this authentic feedback is “a vital part of that journey.” She says Mini U uses direct feedback, new challenges and a culture of teamwork. This builds collaboration to build trust and shared responsibility among everyone at Mini U.

Reinforcing excellence: The impact of tangible recognition

One way Mini U gives direct feedback is through positive recognition. Michalski says team members might get a ‘leadership card’ from a teammate. It is a simple thank-you from a teammate who noticed their colleague reflecting Mini U’s values in their work.

“When you’re recognized for something that you didn’t go out of your way to get recognition for, it’s so much more empowering,” says Johnson. “It leaves such a lasting impression and contributes to our learning and positively reinforces the good stuff we’re doing.”

The Mini U culture: Community, empowerment and results

Gagnon says the leaders are what ultimately set Mini U apart from other childcare programs across the city. They are helped to be their best through a balance of planned and real-life learning opportunities, with a positive community to help support them in trying new things.

Want to work at Mini U next summer?

Applications for summer 2026 Mini U leader and supervisor positions opens December 19.

If someone you know might be interested in a position with Mini U this summer, encourage them to review the application package.

Application deadlines

• Applications for supervisor positions are due January 14, 2026, 11:59 p.m. 
• Returning leader applications are due January 28, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
• New leader applications are due February 16 at 11:59 p.m.

Please use the online form to apply to all positions.

Baker says the new book explores how many people feel they do not belong outdoors. She says people with diverse bodies, unique physical abilities and health conditions and different genders and sexual identities often fall outside of the usual ideas about who enjoys outdoor recreation.

“Lots of people who want to be outdoors in lots of different ways, and they don’t see themselves represented,” says Baker.

The webinar will include an overview of the book, how it was created and some of the personal stories it includes. These stories show how people have dealt with experiences of being left out of outdoor recreation.

Telling honest stories

Dr. Mandi Baker

Each chapter of the book details the experiences of various groups who have historically been excluded. They talk about race, age and disabilities in outdoor recreation. Baker says it was important to her and co-editor, Dr. Neil Carr, that the book told the “real and raw” stories of people who have felt excluded.

“What has it been like to have to be discriminated against, to be left out or to be treated unfairly and unkindly?” says Baker. “How do you get through it? Or if not, how can we help tell the stories of people who haven’t figured it all out and are just talking about how messy or hard it is just to be a person in these situations.”

Baker says they received over 70 applicants for the book, ranging from academics to business owners. The project was Baker’s first time editing a book. She says much of her previous work has been about the theory of leisure, but a part of her “never felt at ease” until her work was being used in real life.

“In academia, we can often talk to each other and forget to speak with the real people doing these things every day,” she says.

Connecting research to everyone

This is why Baker says the book focuses more personal accounts than the technical side. She says while the academic discussions try to represent everyday people’s stories, they can get so technical that the feels in the research are lost.

“I think when we tell stories there’s a connection between people,” she says. “Storytelling is relational and about connecting with real people and where they are actually in their lives.”

Baker hopes the book connects with emerging leaders and decision makers in the outdoor industry. She says the diversity of voices will help decisions makers understand the unique problems facing marginalized communities.

The Inclusion and Equity in Outdoor Leisure webinar happens Dec 16 at 2:00 p.m. Dr. Baker will be joined by contributors to the book including Hazel Maxwell, Kate Dashper, Steve Sassman, Richelle Olsen, Natalia Ospina, Mohadeseh Mahmoudi, Elise Wilts, Nicole Peel, Chelsea Rendlen and Geoff Cooper.

Register for the webinar.

Dr. Janet Lawson, an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, has been involved in creating the guide. She says the guide is a comprehensive look at how communities can manage inclusive programming.

The guide looks at everything from human resources policies to facility considerations.

“Once we are able to open our doors and provide inclusive programs where persons with disabilities can meaningfully participate, we see they experience a sense of belonging and are able to challenge themselves and learn new skills, just as anybody else would,” says Lawson.

The power of small choices

“It is the small choices that have a really profound impact on the experience of persons experiencing disability.”

The process of developing the guide took over a year. Lawson says a key takeaway from the process is that small actions can make a big difference. She says that just considering better ice times for inclusive programs can really help someone with a disability. This is especially true for those who rely on public transport or have set eating schedules.

“Whenever people think of these challenges, it can feel very broad and overwhelming,” she says. “But by and large, it generally is the small choices that have a really profound impact on the experience of persons experiencing disability.”

Expert insight: from para sport to policy

For Lawson, her journey in supporting people with disabilities began during her undergrad at Camosun College. Her work experience led her to wheelchair rugby and basketball. This sparked her interest in para sports as a whole.

“I found there were a lot of challenges and opportunities to develop new skills and give back in a meaningful way,” says Lawson. “It’s actually quite easy to navigate those challenges, if you have a good attitude and you’re willing to listen to the people experiencing disability themselves.”

Moving forward

“This is the end phase one, but implementing it and getting it into the hands of Canadians is the next step.”

Lawson says it will take a long time to make communities more inclusive if everyone waits for laws, guidance, or training workshops. But, by asking the people who want to access programs, “What can we do to make this an accessible experience for you?” we can very quickly identify ways to approach inclusive environments.

Lawson says she hopes the municipal guide sparks interest and excitement among people in Canada.

“This is step one of obviously a very long process,” says Lawson. “This is the end phase one, but implementing it and getting it into the hands of Canadians is the next step.”

She says they are looking for community champions to showcase the benefits of the guide in action. She says when municipalities start using the guide, they can learn from those experiences and improve parts of it.

Lawson hopes to examine the participation of Indigenous peoples who experience disability across Canada. She says there are additional barriers and considerations that she’d like to see addressed in future editions or supplemental materials.

Participate in the official launch

Active Abilities Canada is hosting a webinar on Dec. 3 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. to celebrate IDPD and the official launch of the guide. The webinar will share success stories and show how to boost disability inclusion in municipalities, organizations, and communities. Everyone is welcome – no matter the role they play in the sector.

Register for the webinar.

To watch the full interview, please head to CTV News.

Dr. Hans Joachim Wieden will join Luma Clarindo Lopes, winner of the 2025 Falling Walls Lab Manitoba in front of the Admin building.

WINNIPEG — In a proud moment for Manitoba’s innovation community, Dr. Hans‑Joachim Wieden, Associate Vice-President Partnership, Knowledge Mobilisation and Innovation, joins Luma Clarindo Lopes, winner of the 2025 Falling Walls Lab Manitoba, on her journey to Berlin this week for the Falling Walls Science Summit.

IDEA START, in partnership with the University of Manitoba (UM) and the University of Winnipeg (UWinnipeg), hosted the Falling Walls Lab Manitoba 2025, bringing together some of the province’s brightest minds in a celebration of innovation, research, and collaboration. The event’s success underscored Manitoba’s commitment to fostering a vibrant, inclusive innovation culture, making it a truly Manitoban initiative.

At the prestigious global summit, Luma will present her groundbreaking idea alongside 99 other Lab winners from around the world. She’ll be representing the University of Manitoba, our province and Canada alongside fellow Canadian finalists Annika Benson (Atlantic Canada), Artem Kushnirenko (Toronto), and Harry Wilton‑Clark (Edmonton), showcasing the strength and diversity of Canadian innovation on the world stage.

This participation underscores Manitoba’s growing footprint in research, development and innovation, reinforcing how platforms like Falling Walls can bridge local insight with international opportunity.

Empowering Manitoba’s Innovation Narrative

With Manitoba’s research and innovation sector rapidly evolving, the arrival of Luma and Dr. Wieden in Berlin represents more than mere attendance, it signals strategic alignment and ambition. As the province continues to build capacity in science‑driven enterprise, having a representative stand on the global stage advances our story and elevates local credibility.

Dr. Wieden commented:

“Berlin is not only a centre for science but a nexus of global collaboration. For Manitoba to have a voice among the world’s leading early‑career innovators is a powerful step. This platform enables us to put Manitoba squarely on the map of breakthrough research and enterprise.”

Spotlight on Luma Clarindo Lopes

Luma, whose innovative project earned her the Manitoba Lab winner title, is preparing to showcase her idea at the Fallings Walls Summit and engage with peers, mentors and global decision‑makers.

She shared:

“Representing Manitoba on this global stage is incredibly exciting. Meeting other finalists‑innovators from around the world, exchanging ideas and learning from diverse perspectives will be a career‑shaping experience. I’m proud to carry the province’s flag and eager for every minute of the journey.”

Strategic Value for Manitoba’s Ecosystem

Platforms like Falling Walls Lab offer powerful momentum for both individuals and regions. For early-career innovators, it’s a chance to gain global exposure, sharpen their pitching skills, and build international networks. For ecosystems like Manitoba, it means a stronger talent pipeline, greater visibility, and new opportunities for collaboration.

These ripple effects support broader provincial goals, from accelerating research-to-market pathways to attracting investment and deepening ties between academia and industry.

In this landscape, Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden plays a pivotal role. He’s not only helping Luma prepare for the global stage but also positioning Manitoba’s innovation story within a wider international narrative. His mentorship highlights a key truth: behind every standout idea is a community working toward lasting impact.

Canadian Cohort Joins Global Innovation Line‑Up

• Annika Benson (Atlantic Canada): Winner of the Falling Walls Lab Atlantic Canada, now advancing to present in Berlin to present her research on development and testing of a miniature, high-resolution, tracked ultrasound probe for brain surgery.
• Artem Kushnirenko (Toronto): PhD candidate and Lab Toronto winner, heading to Berlin to pitch his translational surgical analytics innovation.
• Harry Wilton‑Clark (Edmonton): First‑place winner at Lab Edmonton 2025 with a project on antisense therapy for rare diseases.

Together with Luma, they form a Canadian cadre taking local innovation to the world’s premier science summit.

In Summary

The trip to Berlin is not simply a travel opportunity, it is a tangible expression of Manitoba’s ambition to be recognized among global centres of innovation. With Luma Clarindo Lopes representing Manitoba on the world stage, accompanied by Dr. Hans‑Joachim Wieden, the province is charting a path from local ingenuity to global relevance. The journey will unfold not just in Berlin, but in how Manitoba leverages this spotlight to advance its innovation agenda.

To listen to the interview, please visit CBC News.

Late on an October Monday night, George Springer smashed a three-run homer to send nearly 45,000 fans in Toronto’s Rogers Centre — and a record national television audience — into a frenzy.

Six outs later, the Blue Jays had qualified for the 2025 World Series against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

It had the feeling of a denouement. Yet, like other famed home runs in Blue Jays history, Springer’s blast was just one step in the long journey through baseball’s three playoff rounds.

Edwin Encarnacion’s extra-inning walk-off homer against the Baltimore Orioles in 2016 only won an elimination wildcard game.

A year earlier, Jose Bautista’s then-audacious bat flip followed a dramatic home run — also like Springer’s hit in the seventh inning — that moved the Blue Jays onto the same championship series round that they had not won since 1993. Until this year.

Toronto Blue Jays’ Jose Bautista flips his bat after hitting a three-run homer during seventh inning of Game 5 of the American League Division Series in Toronto in 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

The enduring legacy of 1993

Invoking 1993 holds special resonance for Blue Jays fans. It’s the last time the team won, let alone reached, the World Series.

That year produced the most dramatic home run in team history. Joe Carter’s Game 6, ninth-inning, three-run blast to left field was only the second time a World Series had ended with a walk-off home run. It clinched the team’s second straight championship.

It is easy to tell the story of the Blue Jays through the lens of dramatic game-winning home runs. However, the context of the team’s championships —and near misses — offers a more nuanced tale.

Toronto Blue Jay Joe Carter celebrates his game-winning, three-run home run in the ninth inning of Game 6 of the World Series in Toronto in 1993. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

Building a contending team

Toronto, thanks to funding from Labatt Breweries, was granted an American League expansion franchise in 1977, alongside the Seattle Mariners — the team Toronto just vanquished in the championship series this year. The Mariners remain the only current franchise never to have played in a World Series.

Following a handful of dire losing seasons, Blue Jays management earned a reputation for talent development. The first crop of stars — Dave Stieb, George Bell and Tony Fernandez — won a division championship in the team’s ninth season. They fell one game short of qualifying for the World Series, losing the only seventh game in a post-season series in franchise history prior to this year.

That team played in an open-air, refurbished football stadium. Fans chilled by the cool breezes off Lake Ontario did not enjoy the irony of cheering on their brewery-owned team in a venue where beer sales were prohibited by provincial edict.

Modernity came to Toronto in 1989 when the team moved into SkyDome, a then-state-of the-art domed stadium complete with retractable roof (and by then, beer vendors) that was funded and operated by a public-private partnership.

A U.S. marine honour guard flies the Canadian flag upside down during Game 2 of the 1992 World Series in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1992. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Hans Deryk

After playoff disappointments in 1989 and 1991, that generation of BlueJays stars broke through in 1992 to reach the World Series for the first time. Prior to the second game at Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium, the U.S. Marine Corps colour guard walked onto the field with the Canadian flag flying upside down.

The controversy was integrated into circulating narratives that Americans did not respect Canadian teams. It is a still-perpetuated trope: the Toronto Star has spent this playoff run reporting on “what the U.S. media said” about Blue Jays’ victories, as though that matters.

The Blue Jays 2025 success — realizing the promise of a new generation of star prospects headlined by Vladimir Guererro Jr. and Bo Bichette — has rekindled memories of these past glories: the first winning teams of the 1980s, the back-to-back champions in 1992-93 and the bravado of the Bautista-Encarnacion-Josh Donaldson teams from a decade ago.

Lost in this pantheon of star players and dramatic moments, however, is the two decades of mediocrity that followed the heights of the Carter home run.

Changes in corporate ownership

The Blue Jays core aged or moved on and Labatt’s was purchased by the Belgian conglomerate, Interbrew SA.

A more dispassionate, bottom-line ownership led to teams that failed to reap the talents of Hall of Famers like Roy Halladay and major stars like Carlos Delgado and Shawn Green.

Rogers Communications purchased 80 per cent of the Blue Jays in 2000, with Interbrew retaining 20 per cent. The on-field performance changed little, but the business model evolved significantly.

Rogers acquired the remaining 20 per cent of the team in July 2004. Before the year was out, it had gained control of SkyDome for $25 million, a fraction of the $600 million that the stadium has cost to build only 15 years earlier. Now fully privately owned, it was renamed the Rogers Centre.

Today, the Blue Jays reflect the vertical integration of modern commercial sports. The team is the primary tenant in a stadium operated by their owners. Their games are broadcast on television channels, radio stations and streaming services owned and operated by Rogers Communications. These channels market other Rogers-owned content during Blue Jays games.

Meanwhile, fans consume this content on cable subscriptions and internet services that are Rogers’ core businesses. The newest extension of this revenue-generation model is the increasing prominence of sports betting, which is integrated fully into broadcasts by on-screen commentators providing odds as though delivering sports “news,” not paid advertising

Canada’s team

The production and circulation of dominant narratives is a consequence of such a structure, what sociologist David Whitson termed “circuits of promotion.”

One of the most powerful is that the support for the Blue Jays is nationwide. They are Canada’s team. There is an element of truth to this. The Blue Jays’ fan base is considerable, particularly when they are winning.

Toronto Blue Jays’ George Springer connects for a three-run home run against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, on Oct. 20, 2025, in Toronto. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

But this is also a marketing construct — one that benefits from the Blue Jays being the only remaining Canadian-based team in a U.S.-operated professional sports league. This would be a much harder narrative to sell if the Montreal Expos were not now the Washington Nationals, and it is not entirely novel.

Basketball’s Toronto Raptors, themselves the beneficiaries of the relocation of the Vancouver Grizzlies, capitalized on both the team’s appeal as well as its monopoly on Canadian markets with its wildly popular 2019 marketing campaign, “We The North.”

Come Friday night, when Trey Yesavage throws the first pitch of the 2025 World Series, the absence of other Canadian-based teams and the centralization of media outlets in Toronto will ensure there will be a ready (and passionate) audience across the country all ready to chant: “Let’s go, Blue Jays!”