Campus Beautification Day is an opportunity for faculty, staff and students to take part in gardening activities, music, and a free lunch. Gardening activities will begin at 9:00 a.m. and go until noon at all locations. Join in the planting while connecting with each other and getting some fresh air!

Please bring your own gardening tools and a reusable water bottle. A free barbecue lunch at noon will follow, and everyone is encouraged to attend. Registration is required for Campus Beautification lunch for both locations. The registration will allow you to participate in the gardening activities in the morning and attend lunch at noon. A limited number of tools and gloves will be available at the coordination table, if you don’t have your own.

Official details for each campus event are as follows:

Fort Garry campus

Campus Beautification Day at Fort Garry campus is May 28, with a rain date of May 29, at St. Paul’s Green Space.

RSVP by May 16 to participate. Your lunch ticket will be available for pickup at the coordination table on the day of the event. Coffee, water and Timbits will also be available for participants.

Bannatyne campus

Campus Beautification Day at Bannatyne campus is May 26, with a rain date of May 27.

RSVP by May 16 to participate. Your lunch ticket will be available for pickup at the coordination table at Brodie on the day of the event. Coffee, water and Timbits will also be available for participants.

Questions can be directed to campus.beautification@umanitoba.ca.

Campus Beautification Day offers community gathering for gardening activities, music, and free lunch. Gardening activities will begin at 9:00 a.m. and go until noon for all three locations. The entire university community is invited to join in the planting while connecting with coworkers and getting some fresh air.

Please bring your own gardening tools and a reusable water bottle. A free barbecue lunch at noon will follow, and everyone is encouraged to attend. Registration is required for Campus Beautification lunch for the three locations. The registration will allow you to participate in the gardening activities in the morning, attend lunch at noon, and your name will be entered for a prize draw.

Official details for each campus event are as follows:

Fort Garry campus – updated location

Campus Beautification Day at Fort Garry campus is May 28 at St. Paul’s Green Space, with a rain date of May 29. RSVP by May 23 to participate. Your lunch ticket will be available for pickup at the coordination table on the day of the event.

Bannatyne campus

Campus Beautification Day at Bannatyne campus is May 23, with a rain date of May 24. RSVP by May 20 to participate. Your lunch ticket will be available for pickup at the coordination table on the day of the event.

William Norrie campus

Campus Beautification Day at William Norrie campus is June 6. RSVP by June 3 to participate. Your lunch ticket will be available for pickup at the coordination table on the day of the event.

Questions can be directed to campus.beautification@umanitoba.ca.

A map of Fort Garry campus showing locations for gardening and the barbeque for Campus Beautification Day.

An over head view of St. Paul’s Green Space at Fort Garry campus with mapped out locations for Campus Beautification Day festivities.

Activities go from 9:00 a.m. until noon both days. The entire university community is invited to join in the planting while connecting with co-workers and getting some fresh air. Participants are encouraged to bring their own small gardening tools.

Campus Beautification Day is a popular annual tradition at UM, thanks to the hard work and contributions of the volunteers who take the time out of their busy schedules to help spruce up the campuses.

Join in — we’re looking forward to seeing you! Read on to find out about all the fun and activities.

See the Campus Beautification webpage for more details.

For questions please contact: Leah Naumik at 204-474-8912 or leah [dot] naumik [at] umanitoba [dot] ca

Everyone’s invited for music and a free lunch

A free barbecue lunch follows at noon at both campuses — in the Quad at the Fort Garry campus and at the Bannatyne campus, in the green space between Medical Services and Medical Rehab (see maps). Both events will have music, and the Mark O’Riley band will also play live at the Fort Garry campus!

Fort Garry campus BBQ location in the Quad — marked with a pink star.

Bannatyne BBQ location is in the green space between Medical Services and Medical Rehab — marked with a pink star.

Everyone is encouraged to attend lunch and enjoy the band even if they didn’t participate in the gardening activities. Stick around for a chance to win some great prizes.

Campus Beautification prize draws

Each year, participants have an opportunity to enter a draw for some fabulous prizes, including this  year’s grand prize of one complimentary airfare courtesy of Air Canada.

The prize qualifies for airfare to and from any destination in Canada or the continental USA on scheduled flights operated by Air Canada and Air Canada Express in economy class (Hawaii and Puerto Rico are excluded). Space is subject to availability at time of booking and travel must be booked by Sept. 30, 2023, with travel completed by Mar. 31, 2024.

Donate to help others

Remember to bring items for the UM Food Bank — donation bins will be located at both Bannatyne and Fort Garry Campus Beautification events. Donations of non-perishable food and hygiene items are accepted. Please see the list of most-needed items.

Green Event Certification

Campus Beautification Day has been certified as a green event through UM’s new Green Events Certification program. In-person and virtual events that consider sustainability throughout their planning process can save energy, reduce waste and support social and environmental sustainability on campus. This event has been recognized with a Gold Green Events Certificate and Seal. To learn more, visit umanitoba.ca/sustainability

Each year, staff are encouraged to come out for some gardening fun with co-workers and dig in to flower planting and tidying at both campuses, as well as the Smartpark area.

Save the date, join in for fresh air and fun

This year’s Campus Beautification event takes place on May 25 at the Bannatyne campus (rain date May 26) and May 31 on the Fort Garry Campus (rain date June 1).

Activities will begin at 9:00 a.m. and go until noon both days. The entire university community is invited to join in the planting while connecting with co-workers and getting some fresh air.

A free barbecue lunch will follow at both campuses, and everyone is encouraged to attend even if they did not partake in the gardening activities. Participants can also enter to win some great prizes.

We look forward to seeing you!

 See the Campus Beautification webpage for details.

For questions please contact: Leah Naumik at 204-474-8912 or leah [dot] naumik [at] umanitoba [dot] ca  

UM’s annual Campus Beautification Days took place on both campuses with gardening activities followed by a BBQ lunch for all staff, students and community members at the Bannatyne campus on May 14, followed by the Fort Garry campus on June 1. An oak tree planting honoured President Emeritus David Barnard’s 12 years of service as President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manitoba.

June 1 also also kicked off UM’s Pride Month celebrations, and the UM community gathered for the flag-raising ceremony in front of UMSU University Centre for cupcakes, fruit and to hear from speaker Dr. Fenton Litwiller (they/them), Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management and Chair of UMQueer.

On June 14, UM staff, faculty and students celebrated Sneaker Day with Billy the Bison by getting active together — teams laced up their walking shoes to join the accessible cross-campus walk.

☞Scroll down for photo galleries from these community events!

Want more fun with colleagues? Join us for the UM Faculty and Staff Golf Tournament on Aug. 31 at the Kingswood Golf and Country Club. Early-bird registration extended! Register by 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27 to take advantage of special early-bird pricing of $110. 

Scroll through this photo gallery from Sneaker Day 2022. Photos by Luc Desjardins

Scroll down for more photos from Campus Beautification and Pride flag-raising at Fort Garry campus. Photos by Mike Latschislaw

In 2022, Campus Beautification Days are back. The university community will leave their classrooms, lecture halls and offices to embark on some flower planting and weed-pulling at both campuses, as well as the Smartpark area.

All staff and faculty are encouraged to come out and have fun with their co-workers. This year, Bannatyne will have its event on May 13. The early date will allow us to have the campus looking its best in advance of Bannatyne Convocation on May 19.

Fort Garry Campus Campus Beautification Day is scheduled for June 1, with a rain date of June 2.

With Mother Nature still struggling to relinquish its colder temperatures, the Operations & Maintenance team have created a plan to prevent any plant material loss, including covering plant material at night when needed and carefully timing their preparation and planting tasks.

Gardening activities and BBQ, and don’t miss the Pride Flag Raising

Activities will begin at 9:00 a.m. and go until noon on both campuses. Also join us for the Pride Flag Raising at Fort Garry Campus on June 1 at 9am.

The entire university community is invited to join in a day of gardening and planting at both campuses, with free barbecue lunch to follow. Everyone is encouraged to attend (even if you didn’t get to participate in the planting).

Please note: The location of the BBQ lunch at Fort Garry campus has been changed to the Active Living Centre Patio.

Participants can also enter to win some great prizes!

UPDATED MAY 27: For the Fort Garry Campus Beautification Day on June 1, flowers will be delivered in advance to all concrete planters and planting sites, including the Administration Building, Arthur Mauro Residence, Curry Place, University Centre Patio and many more (see plant list at the Physical Plant webpage).

Participants can plant and beautify around their buildings, and can also stop by one of two coordination tables set up by the entrances of Physical Plant and the Engineering Building to pick up work gloves, choose a task from the list and head out to the area of their choice! Participants are encouraged to bring their own personal handtools due to limited supply.

Note that starting at 9 a.m., everyone can also pick up coffee and cookies at the coordination tables!

June 1 also also kicks off UM’s Pride Month celebrations, and we invite the entire UM community to join us at at 9 a.m. for the flag-raising ceremony in front of UMSU University Centre (near the flag poles) for cupcakes, fruit and to hear from speaker Dr. Fenton Litwiller (they/them), Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management and Chair of UMQueer.

At 11 a.m. the UM community is invited to attend the oak tree planting to honour President Emeritus David Barnard’s 12 years of service as President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manitoba. David will also be in attendance, so please join us for this special commemoration.

A popular and successful tradition

Campus Beautification Days have been a long-running, popular and successful tradition, thanks to the hard work and contributions of the volunteers who take the time out of their busy schedules to help beautify the campus space.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to bring our community back to campus to reconnect with each other, enjoy the outdoor spaces and instill pride in working and learning together,” says Naomi Andrew, Vice-President (Administration).

Should you have any questions please see the Physical Plant webpage.

A message from Dr. Michael Benarroch, President and Vice-Chancellor, and Naomi Andrew, Vice-President (Administration)  

The warmer weather over the past few days is a welcome sign of spring as more of us return to campus. It’s wonderful to see our friends and colleagues, to pause for informal chats in hallways and to enjoy the outdoor spaces.

This past weekend, many of us also had the opportunity to gather in-person to honour Indigenous graduates at the Annual Traditional Graduation Pow Wow. It was a beautiful event and wonderful to be part of the celebration. 

Reconnect at Campus Beautification Days and Pride Flag Raising

We invite the entire UM community to dig in for Campus Beautification Days, which are taking place again after a two-year hiatus. Join in at Bannatyne campus on Friday, May 13 and on Wednesday, June 1 at Fort Garry campus (rain date June 2).  

You can catch up with colleagues and friends across campus during the gardening activities starting at 9 AM, and the free BBQ lunch at noon on each campus. All are welcome for lunch—and there are great prizes to be won. Dress for the activities and bring your gloves, spades and rakes!

The day kicks off with the Pride Flag Raising at Fort Garry Campus on June 1 at 9am. Watch for more details to come.

Reset with THRIVE 

Another opportunity for staff and faculty is the upcoming THRIVE week, UM’s learning and wellness event, with sessions scheduled from Monday, May 16 to Thursday, May 19. Everyone is invited to discover new resources, tools and supports to enhance your work and stay healthy. 

And don’t miss the special keynote address at noon on May 16 by Tina Chen, UM’s inaugural Executive Lead (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) on the topic “Why does equity, diversity and inclusion matter?”  

We all share in making our community more welcoming, accessible and inclusive. Plan to join in online at this important virtual event, and find out more about how we are prioritizing equity, diversity and inclusion in institution-wide planning and action. 

We look forward to seeing you soon!

This year’s event takes place on Thursday, May 30 at the Fort Garry and Bannatyne campuses. Activities will begin at 9:00 a.m. and go until noon. The entire university community is invited to join in planting and weed-pulling at both campuses.

A free barbecue lunch will follow at both the Fort Garry and Bannatyne campuses, and everyone is encouraged to attend even if they did not partake in the gardening activities. Participants can also enter to win some great prizes.

What can participants expect for this upcoming year?

• Flowers will be delivered to all planting sites, including Administration Building, Arthur Mauro Residence, Curry Place, University Centre Patio and many more
• 2 Coordination Stations will be at EITC and Physical Plant and each will be stocked with donuts, coffee and project ideas
• Lunch at Active Living Centre’s Agora at noon
• Every year, hand tools are in short supply, so bring your own if you can

Many of our volunteers traditionally work around the buildings in which they work, which is greatly appreciated. There are also plenty of opportunities for additional planting along Curry Place and University Centre Patio.

Check back for more information about Campus Beautification at the Bannatyne campus. There is a rain date of May 31.

We look forward to seeing you!

For any questions please feel free to contact:

Leah Naumik – 204-474-8912 leah.naumik@umanitoba.ca  – Fort Garry Campus

Marco Aguirre -204-789-3792  marco.aguirre@umanitoba.ca  – Bannatyne Campus                         

More information about Campus Beautification Day, including the locations of the coordination stations, will be made available on the Physical Plant website.

May 22 saw the Bannatyne campus enhance their space, followed by the Fort Garry campus on May 25 and Smartpark tenants on June 4. All three events concluded with barbecue lunches to which all staff, students and community members were invited, even if they didn’t participate in the planting, raking and weed-pulling.

“These events help build community by giving people the opportunity to mingle, make new connections and discover what our campuses are all about,” says Lyle Morin, manager of grounds and general services in the U of M’s physical plant department.

“Campus Beautification Days’ longstanding history helps make these events so successful, and we appreciate everyone’s efforts in making our spaces look even more beautiful all summer long,” he continues.

For photos from Campus Beautification Days 2018, check out our gallery below.

As part of our annual Campus Beautification Days, the university community will leave their classrooms, lecture halls and offices to embark in a little planting and weed-pulling at both campuses, as well as the Smartpark area.

Friday, May 25 saw the Fort Garry campus beautified, followed by Smartpark tenants on Monday, June 4 (postponed from June 1 date, due to rain forecast). Bannatyne hosted theirs May 22.

A free barbecue lunch will follow each event, and everyone is encouraged to attend even if they did not partake in the gardening activities. Participants can also enter to win some great prizes, including a Thermea gift package.

Campus Beautification Days remain a popular and successful tradition, thanks to the hard work and contributions of the volunteers who take the time out of their busy schedules to help beautify the campus space. Staff are encouraged to come out and have fun with their co-workers.

While Physical Plant will provide as many gardening tools and as much equipment as possible, participants are encouraged to bring their own gloves, spades and rakes, as well as suitable footwear.

More information about Campus Beautification Day, including the locations of the coordination stations, is available on the Physical Plant website.

We look forward to seeing you!

Campus Beautification Day event details

• Fort Garry campus: May 25 from 9 a.m. to noon, followed by barbecue lunch at the Active Living Centre’s Agora
• Smartpark: June 4 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., followed by free barbecue lunch at the Event Centre