The generous donation made through the Front and Centre Campaign will establish The Asper Foundation Entrance Bursary, the first of its kind at UM. Unlike existing bursary programs, this entrance bursary will be available to students pursuing studies in any faculty or school. Each year, it will provide up to 200 undergraduate students enrolling at UM with a $1,000 entrance bursary.

Today’s donation is the latest milestone in the Asper family’s history of giving to UM which spans 39 years and collectively amounts to over $22 million.

At the announcement event this afternoon Dr. David T. Barnard, UM president and vice-chancellor said: “For decades, the generosity of the Asper family and The Asper Foundation has transformed Manitoba’s communities. Now, The Asper Foundation is taking its place with an investment that will have a profound and lasting impact on the development of our province’s future leaders.”

Hilary Ransom, a current student in the I.H. Asper School of Business and member of the Asper Network of Empowered Women, shared her experience with donor-funded financial support.

“Student support allows students to use more of their time and energy to explore the many opportunities available to them and reach their full potential. They can pursue new initiatives, volunteer their time and innovate. New relationships, partnerships and employment opportunities can arise. I would not be the person I am today if no one had the generosity to invest in my future and support me along the way.”

Members of The Asper Foundation, including Leonard Asper, chair of The Asper Foundation, and Gail Asper [BA/81, LLB/84, LLD/08], trustee, announced their investment in the UM Front and Centre campaign, demonstrating the Foundation’s commitment to higher education.

“We know that financial support improves access to post-secondary education for students – and that can be life-changing for an individual student. But we also know that access to post-secondary education has a broader impact on families, and communities,” said Leonard Asper.

“That’s why this gift is very much in the spirit of what our family stands for – creating opportunities that have a lasting impact on individuals and community alike.”

The Asper Foundation’s long-range vision and commitment to philanthropy has been an unwavering force and driver for change in causes related to social change, health care and education both in Manitoba and around the world.

At UM, the Asper family has made considerable philanthropic investments including support for the I.H. Asper School of Business from the late Izzy Asper, and The Gail Asper Performing Arts Hall in the newly renovated Taché Arts Complex, among several other major gifts.

This gift from The Asper Foundation continues their longstanding relationship and commitment to the cultural vitality of our province by creating opportunities for students at the University of Manitoba. It also brings the University closer to its $500-million fundraising goal for the Front and Centre Campaign with a new total of $368,503,210.

The U of M Schulich Leaders are among an elite group of 50 high school graduates from across Canada who received the scholarship, an initiative of business leader and philanthropist Seymour Schulich. “These students are our next generation of innovators who will make significant contributions within our community,” notes Jane Lastra, director, Financial Aid and Awards. “With their university expenses covered, they can focus on their studies, research projects and further pursue their goals.

Battad, 16, will study in the department of computer science. She was nominated for her commitment to academic excellence and strong leadership within the technology community at Balmoral Hall School.

“I’ve put a lot of effort into becoming a role model for young girls to explore their interests in STEM,” explains Battad. “Since childhood, I’ve had the privilege of discovering my own interests and passions, but I know not everybody is as fortunate. I see my role as reminding younger girls that programming and computer science can be for them as much as any other field.”

“To receive this award is indescribably validating to me,” says Battad. “I see it as a statement that the work I do in my community is worth continuing, and that I now have a larger platform and more resources to influence girls in the same way on a much larger scale.”

Reichert, 18, will join the department of electrical and computer engineering this September. Nominated by his school for his passion in STEM and academics, he has dedicated himself to improving the lives of those around him: supporting cancer patients and their family through Paws for a Cause, a fundraiser in affiliation with the Never Alone Foundation and local rescue initiatives; volunteering with the Manitoba Marathon, and mentoring fellow students.

“I was in school when I was notified that I received the award,” recalls Reichert. “Quite frankly I wasn’t sure if I was in a dream! My first thoughts were how life changing this scholarship is, and of how my family won’t have to worry about financially supporting me through university as I pursue my dream of becoming an engineer. It is an amazing opportunity to be able to join a community of like-minded students that share similar goals.”

About Schulich Leader Scholarships

Schulich Leader Scholarships are prestigious entrance scholarships awarded to high school graduates enrolling in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) undergraduate program at partner universities in Canada and Israel. Recognizing the increasing importance and impact that STEM disciplines will have on the prosperity of future generations, business leader and philanthropist Seymour Schulich established this $100 million scholarship fund in 2012 to encourage the best and brightest students to become the next pioneers of global scientific research and innovation. This program awards 100 scholarships annually (50 in Canada and 50 in Israel), valued at more than $7 million.

In 2019, Canadian high schools nominated 1,500 students. To date there are 370 Canadian Schulich Leaders. Nominations for the 2020 program will open in September 2019.

Established in 2017 through the Front and Centre campaign, the institute supports undergraduate and graduate students from a number of disciplines, helping them develop leadership knowledge and skills to pursue careers in a broad range of fields. It also provides a knowledge centre for innovative educational programming in leadership and serves as a leadership research hub.

“Thank you to the Province of Manitoba and to all our visionary donors—Power Corporation of Canada, Canada Life, and IG Wealth Management—who have made this transformational investment in our province’s future,” says David Barnard, President and Vice-Chancellor at the U of M. “This is an exciting opportunity that allows Manitoba to continue to elevate its competitiveness by harnessing the potential of young leaders across all disciplines and program areas province-wide. I am delighted that these talented students will have the opportunity to develop the leadership skills necessary to succeed in the 21st century.” 

Education and Training Minister Kelvin Goertzen said the government is committed to supporting post-secondary students.

“Our government is focused on ensuring Manitoba students have the education and training they need in order to compete for jobs today and in the future,” said Goertzen. “We are proud to support the James W. Burns Leadership Institute, enabling students to access relevant skills and opportunities for employment. Funding provided to the institute supports our goal to develop a talent pipeline that is responsive to industry workforce needs.”

“We’re pleased to hear the Government of Manitoba shares our companies’ commitment to leadership education. This investment to the James W. Burns Leadership Institute will help foster some of the province’s brightest young leaders, and benefit our province and communities,” said Paul Mahon, U of M alumnus and President and Chief Executive Officer, Great-West Lifeco. 

During a convocation celebration today in which Paul Desmarais, Jr., Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Power Corporation of Canada, received an honorary degree from the U of M, Mr. Desmarais unveiled the new name: The James W. Burns Leadership Institute.

“In deciding upon the name of this new institution, we reflected on great Manitoban leaders of the past, many of whom had graduated from the University of Manitoba, who made their mark not only in business, but on the lives of others. We wanted to find someone students would want to emulate and we could think of no better person than Jim Burns,” says Mr. Desmarais.

“The late Jim Burns was dedicated to his community and to making a positive impact on the well-being of Canadians from coast to coast to coast,” says Paul Mahon, U of M alumnus and President and Chief Executive Officer, Great-West Lifeco. “We’re proud to honour his legacy through this new institute and look forward to recognizing our future leaders who have studied under his name.”

Born and raised in Winnipeg, James Burns [BComm/51, LLD/87 (Hon.)] was former president and chair of Great-West Life, and president of its parent company, Power Corporation of Canada. Aside from his tremendous professional success, Burns—an Officer of the Order of Canada and a member of the Order of Manitoba—was an esteemed philanthropist and community volunteer. He presided over the U of M Alumni Association and established numerous awards that continue to support students today. Burns was also a key member of the citizen-driven campaign to save the Winnipeg Jets in 1974, helped create both the Manitoba Museum, and The Forks Skateboard Park, and he volunteered for more than 15 years with CancerCare Manitoba. Burns passed away earlier this year, on February 11.

“We are honoured to recognize such a generous, community-minded alumnus through the naming of the institute. James Burns’s legacy will now be honoured by creating more leaders like him,” says Gady Jacoby, Dean and CPA Manitoba Chair in Business Leadership, I.H. Asper School of Business. “Thank you to Power Corporation of Canada, Canada Life, and IG Wealth Management who made this investment in our province’s future. This is indeed a truly exciting opportunity not only for Asper, but also for the University of Manitoba and the province.”

In May 2017, a commitment from investors of $12 million was announced through the University of Manitoba’s Front and Centre campaign to create this new leadership institute, which recently enrolled its first cohort of students.

The James W. Burns Leadership Institute will build on the U of M’s proven capacity to produce leaders in every industry. Students from multiple disciplines across the province will have the opportunity to develop the skills they need to lead in any field they choose. This is a unique approach when compared with other leadership institutes across the country, which focus only on business students.

The new institute will enhance the U of M’s existing teaching and research by establishing the Canada Life Chair in Leadership Education, the IG Wealth Management Chair in Leadership Research, and the President’s Student Leadership Program. The latter is a novel and innovative program open to students from all Manitoban post-secondary institutions.

“This program allows us to continue to elevate our strengths and unlock the potential of young leaders across all disciplines and program areas province-wide,” says David Barnard, President and Vice-Chancellor at the U of M. “I am delighted that these talented young students will be part of the legacy of the James W. Burns Leadership Institute.”

As the curator of the western Canada’s largest insect museum—the J.B. Wallis/R.E Roughly Museum of Entomology in the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences—he views butterflies as space hogs. (The previous curator, Barb Sharanowski, also disliked butterflies; she felt they drew unwarranted levels of public adoration.)

Jason Gibbs curates the the J.B. Wallis/R.E Roughly Museum of Entomology. // Photo: Megan Dudeck

“I hate butterflies,” professor Gibbs says with a smile as he slides a slender glass-top case out of a towering shelf. The case holds dozens of butterflies and it’s one of hundreds in the museum. Over the years students, either for coursework or as volunteers, have identified, labeled and pinned into place nearly two million insects, including bees that glitter like gemstones, wasps as big as a thumb that kill tarantulas, ants the size of dust flecks, and butterflies.

“Butterflies take up so much space. I could fit 500 bees in this space that 20 butterflies take up,” Gibbs, a bee researcher, says.

But the butterflies he’s showing today are special: the orange-and-black-winged Speyeria atlantis (commonly called Atlantis Fritillary) were collected by former U of M dentistry professor and alumnus William Christie [DMD/64] at Red Rock Lake in Manitoba’s Whiteshell Provincial Park over the past 30 years and were recently donated to the museum.

Dr. Christie began collecting insects in the 1960s. His parents built their cabin in 1946 and the U of M’s Faculty of agriculture established a nearby research station in the 1950s to study insects, which his younger brothers worked at for the summer. They taught Christie how to collect and mount butterflies to meet museum standards, and he has been addicted to it since—“Some people do stamps. I do butterflies,” he says. “I want to retire from it. I want to quit. But I’m still looking for that rare one. The one that isn’t known to be here yet.”

Though the species he collected aren’t unusual, they are valuable because it’s very rare to have data from one spot over a long period of time, Gibbs says.

“I had a feeling my collection was unique,” Christie says. “Young Dr. Jason Gibbs was very amenable to having these added to the museum at the U of M and I want the scientific information of these species disseminated widely, and I know students need this material to study so I donated them because it would do them more good than me.”

The museum has specimens dating to 1894, and they, alongside Christie’s donation, are key to answering questions such as, how are insects faring in today’s world?

“You don’t have a time machine. The only way we can answer this question is by referring to the museum’s material,” Gibbs says, noting that researchers can compare what species occupy specific locales in given years, their abundance, body size, and aspects of physical fitness. This museum has the potential to answer questions that have yet to be asked, and it even helps drive discovery on its own.

Jason Gibbs shows a case of beetles, collected from around the world. // Photo: Megan Dudeck

In 2015 the federal government released a report on Canada’s wild species and said that of the 805 known species of bees in Canada, 236 make a living in Manitoba. But in the two years Gibbs has been curator of the museum, he and his students have scoured forests and grasslands and sand dunes and brought that number to 345 (one of which was named after Gibbs).

“So almost 50 per cent of bees found in Manitoba, no one knew about,” he says. “We’re still in the very early stages of figuring out what we have. So if you ask, ‘are bees in decline?’ It’s hard to answer that question if you don’t know what you have to start with. But now we know more about the species we have, and now we can monitor them. That’s what’s great about this museum.”

The same applies for global collections, one of which was also recently donated to the museum from Carol, Robert and Reg Anderson who live in Sandy Hook, Man. They donated tens of cases containing insects collected from around the world, including Bolivia, Japan, China, Slovakia, and France.

Students continue to curate the new additions and so far they suspect a few species of butterfly may be of value to U of M biological sciences professor Jeffery Marcus, a Canada Research Chair who studies genetics via butterfly wing patterns.

“It’s exciting getting a call saying someone wants to donate a collection. You don’t know what it will be, but for these ones we recently received, they took a lifetime to build. That’s incredibly valuable,” Gibbs says. “It’s exciting to get, but I always wish people took more time collecting bees.”

The U of M has identified childcare as an important component in supporting its institutional priorities of offering an exceptional student experience, promoting Indigenous achievement, and creating an outstanding workplace.

“How can students focus on their studies, be present in class, and explore new paths when they must also worry about finding safe, affordable, and reliable care for their children?” said Barnard. “For many student parents, having access to childcare can mean achieving academic success. That’s why I’m so pleased that today we are able to officially open this new expansion of the Campus Day Care Centre and offer affordable childcare to more students here on campus.”

The newly expanded daycare centre offers 54 new spaces for children, all of which have been filled primarily with the children of students. The project’s funders include the Government of Manitoba, which provided capital funding of $600,000, and through the Front and Centre campaign, the University of Manitoba Graduate Students’ Association provided $300,000, and the University of Manitoba Student Union gave $2.4 million to this initiative. 

The funding will also support Campus Children’s Centre in its efforts to weave traditional teachings into the day care’s curriculum, preparing the next generation to continue the process of reconciliation, which is a core value of the University of Manitoba. 

Dawn Montebruno, executive director of the Campus Children’s Centre, said at the event, “A great big thank you to President Barnard, Sarah Guillemard, UMSU and GSA for supporting Campus Children’s Centre, and recognizing the importance of quality childcare on campus.”

Attendees at the event were offered a brief tour of the facility, including a look at the indoor gym, kitchen facilities and the baby room.

Parents are always welcome at the facility, to nurse, or to read or make presentations to the children.

“Campus Children’s Centre provides culturally-diverse families of the University of Manitoba with child-inspired learning opportunities in a safe, inclusive and nurturing environment, so parents can better balance work, education and family life, and children can develop to their fullest potential,” said Montebruno.

In November 2005, her uncle David (T.D.) Einarsson started the Bison women’s volleyball endowment fund by generously donating $360,000, a gift that was matched by the province of Manitoba as part of the Manitoba Scholarship and Bursary Initiative (MSBI).

“It left a great impression on me,” Sharman says. “It was really a proud moment for our family.”

Carla is the mother of Asper student and Bison hockey forward, Alanna Sharman who was nine at the time of Einarsson’s gift. Eleven years later Carla Sharman has continued demonstrating her family’s philanthropy by creating the Bison women’s hockey endowment fund.

Since Alanna’s first year with the team in 2014, Carla has been an active member of the Bison hockey scholarship fundraising committee. The group organizes an annual event, usually a dinner or reception, aimed at supporters and partners of the Bison Hockey programs to raise funds for student-athlete hockey scholarships.

It was an early realization that more was needed.

Sharman had witnessed some girls have to give up their hockey dreams and leave the team after not being able to financially support their academics while playing post secondary sport.

With that in mind, Sharman went to former athletic director, Coleen Dufresne to discuss the process to start an endowment fund.

“I talked to my husband and said, why don’t we just get it going and we can try to continue to build it over time and maybe get some corporate funding or other people to support it so that down the road the coaches won’t be so dependent on fundraising every single year.”

The Sharman’s initial gift came in January of 2016 and was matched by the MSBI program to create an endowed fund of $25,000 that now generates close to $1500 for scholarships annually.

“My goal is to get people interested and contributing to it, so that the fund builds and we could eventually have scholarships for ten girls or 15 girls annually. It’s a building process that requires some effort to make people aware of it.”

Sharman has seen first-hand the benefits that university hockey has had on her daughter, both on and off the ice. It’s also the highest level of hockey currently available for women in Manitoba.

She hopes that by continuing to grow the fund, more female athletes will have the opportunity to show their skills and grow both as players and people without having to be concerned with finances.

“The obvious benefit is the team building and the support that the girls provide for each other at university to make it a very positive experience,” Sharman says of the university hockey experience.

“It teaches them organization skills when they have to balance academics with travelling and training. It will also give them life-long friends that they’ll stay connected with I’m sure. It’s such a good life lesson about getting along with people and trying to do your best and be your best.”

To contribute to the Women’s Hockey Endowment Fund visit give.umanitoba.ca/BisonWomensHockeyEndowmentFund or for more information, please contact Ashley Davidson: Ashley.Davidson@umanitoba.ca or call 204-474-7899

Carter Liebzeit, a second-year Law student, spent last summer completing an internship with the United Nations office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva, Switzerland.  Volunteering provided real-world context to his studies, he says.

“I was able to assist with actual preparedness projects in developing countries. I had a first-hand look at the intersection between human rights and the way we respond to environmental disasters.”

Carter’s experience was made possible through donor support. Last fall, he was chosen to receive a scholarship from the Schwartz/Reisman Scholars Program, launched in 2016 by alumnus Gerald Schwartz [BComm/62, LLB/66, LLD/16] and his wife Heather Reisman [LLD/16], both icons of Canadian commerce. Their foundation’s $1-million investment through the University of Manitoba’s Front and Centre campaign will award scholarships valued at up to $30,000 to students in the I.H. Asper School of Business and the Faculty of Law each year until 2019-2020.

Already 27 students have received the award recognizing community involvement, leadership, and academic excellence. Molly Smyth, a third-year Bachelor of Commerce Co-op student, was one of the first recipients. As a board member of AIESEC (a leadership organization that facilitates youth international exchange), she dreamed of participating in an exchange program herself but thought it might be out of reach.

Gerald Schwartz and Heather Reisman

“There are so many students that are unable to fulfill their goals because they are tied up in impossible finances,” says the Schwartz/Reisman scholar who is currently completing an exchange in Santander, Spain. “This scholarship allowed me to fulfil my dream of studying abroad while still continuing to volunteer and participate in student groups. I want to go on to obtain a graduate degree, and now I will be able to tackle that goal much sooner.”

Supporting the University of Manitoba’s student leaders was an ideal fit for the The Gerald Schwartz & Heather Reisman Foundation, says Schwartz. He is founder, chairman, and CEO of Onex Corporation, one of the world’s most respected private equity firms. Reisman is founder, chair and CEO of Indigo Books and Music, Canada’s largest book, gift and specialty toy retailer. Together they are long-standing supporters of the University and known nationwide for their philanthropy.

“By giving the University’s most promising students strong foundations to build on, we are helping them reach their full potential and go on to make a difference in Manitoba and beyond,” says Schwartz.

Carter, for one, is already looking to make an impact and has accepted a clerkship position at the Federal Court in Ottawa this summer. “I hope to pursue a career focused on achieving justice through public interest legal work,” he says.

“I am still inspired by the fact that Dr. Schwartz and Dr. Reisman made such a generous contribution. I will always be grateful for the role this award played in advancing my education.”

Read more about the campaign:

Michael Kehler, a student at Calvin Christian School and Alex Kitt of Dakota Collegiate are this year’s recipients.

Alex Kitt

For Kitt, who will enter the Faculty of Science this fall, this award means everything.

“Receiving this award is like being recognized for everything I’ve done, all the way through high school, at the same time. It’s incredibly gratifying.”

Created in 2012 by Canadian business leader and philanthropist Seymour Schulich, this annual scholarship program encourages promising high school graduates to embrace the STEM fields in their future careers.

“This award gives me the opportunity to pursue my dreams, and maybe even change my mind if I want to. I have the freedom to do so because the Schulich Foundation is investing in people, not just their plans,” says Kitt, who will receive $80,000 to pursue his degree. “With this award, I have the financial independence to explore educational opportunities like studying in different countries through the U of M’s co-op program and pursuing a graduate degree.”

Kehler, who will graduate from Calvin Christian School and start in the Faculty of Engineering in September, plans to take mechanical engineering with the hopes of specializing in the aerospace stream. He’s drawn to engineering because of a desire to take things apart, find out how they work, improve them and apply these concepts to other things. Kehler will receive $100,000 to help fund his studies.

“This award opens so many doors. I am able to go beyond my bachelor’s degree at the U of M and take more courses,” says Kehler. “It also allows for more options after I graduate and gives me pride and encouragement to continue to do quality work and to strive be an example to others.”

All Canadian high schools, secondary schools and CEGEPs (in Quebec) have the opportunity to nominate one outstanding student to receive these scholarships. In the end, only 50 students across the country will win one of these significant awards to fund their undergraduate studies at one of the 20 designated universities in Canada.

“Receiving this award is very encouraging,” says Kehler. “Not just to make it easier to pay for university, but to help me believe that I’m moving in the right direction.”

Kitt was in a meeting with his guidance counsellor when he found out that he was a recipient. When he heard the news, he was in shock.

“I didn’t really believe I had won at first. I got a phone call from an unknown number and I was about to just let it ring through before I figured it might be a call for a job interview,” says Kitt. “When the person told me I won, I had to repeat what she said, because I actually thought I misheard her. My guidance counsellor was basically jumping up and down as I tried to stay concentrated on the phone call. When I got a certificate signed by Mr. Schulich himself, that’s when it really set in, and now I’m super pumped.”

With support from partners like the Schulich Foundation, the University of Manitoba’s Front and Centre campaign is committed to providing students with an exceptional experience. By supporting an outstanding student experience, we are unlocking the potential in our students, helping them discover new paths, and positioning them for academic and career success.

ABOUT SCHULICH LEADER SCHOLARSHIPS

Schulich Leader Scholarships are prestigious entrance scholarships awarded to high school graduates enrolling in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) undergraduate program at partner universities in Canada and Israel. Recognizing the increasing importance and impact that STEM disciplines will have on the prosperity of future generations, businessman and philanthropist Seymour Schulich established this $100 million scholarship fund in 2012 to encourage our best and brightest students to become the next pioneers of global scientific research and innovation. This program awards 100 scholarships annually (50 in Canada and 50 in Israel), valued at more than $7 million.

Each year, every Canadian high school can submit one Schulich Leader Nominee (Cégeps can submit two Nominees) based on their student excelling in STEM subjects and demonstrating at least two of the following attributes: academic excellence, leadership and financial need.  In 2018, high schools across Canada put forth 1,400 Nominees, who in turn became eligible to receive the scholarship and become Schulich Leaders. Schulich Leaders can devote their full time and attention to their studies, as all of their financial needs are covered over the course of their degree. To date there are 320 Canadian Schulich Leaders. Nominations for the 2019 program will be accepted starting in September 2018.

Growing up in Winnipeg, Antonio Deluca didn’t have much exposure to the farm.

These days however, he’s enrolled in the agriculture diploma program at the University of Manitoba, one of an increasing number of non-traditional students pulled into the program by the promise of interesting work and strong employment opportunities.

He recently got a hands-on introduction to the industry through work with Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiatives (MBFI).

As a student who excelled in agriculture communications courses, he took on the task of building up the organization’s website design and social media presence to educate urbanites during the summer of 2017.

“It was a special experience for me,” said Deluca. “I didn’t come from an agriculture background and I went in at MBFI on that premise. I learned so much about the MBFI research, brand and the goals of the organization.

One of his target audience was other students at the university.

Michele Rogalsky, chair of the School of Agriculture, says partnerships like the one between the MBFI and university give students without an agriculture background an opportunity to learn practical lessons about the sector as well as giving students from the farm insight into other sectors.

She also noted stakeholders like MBFI will be vital to increasing the amount of experiential learning in the school’s new curriculum.

“Industry stakeholders were actively involved in shaping the revised diploma curriculum and are partnering to help deliver it,” she said. “This year MBFI has provided opportunities for students to apply these skills as developing agricultural professionals.”

Read more.