All UM students, staff, faculty and alumni are welcome to attend. 

Here’s what to expect for Indigenous Homecoming 2023 on September 20, beginning at Migizii Agamik – Bald Eagle Lodge. 

10 a.m. – Welcoming remarks 

10:15 a.m. – Living library. Guests will rotate between invited alumni as they share about their student experience and career path. 

12 p.m. – Lunch will be served in the Circle Room at Migizii Agamik. 

1 p.m. – Walking tour begins 

The walking tour will begin after lunch. The tour will highlight Indigenous spaces at UM, including the Faculty of Education’s new gathering place, Gaa-maamawabing, and the new Sweat Lodge on campus. 

UM alumna Adrienne Carriere participated in last year’s event, and for her, Indigenous Homecoming is a time to connect as an Indigenous community. 

“The laughter, visits and conversations with alumni and colleagues is always a gift to cherish and an opportunity to talk about pathways that may create a better experience for future generations,” says Carriere. “Most importantly, it recreates a sense of community that is a reminder of how far we have come, the strengths we possess as a community and the many individuals who work tirelessly to create a brighter journey for those who will come behind us.” 

The event will wrap up at 3 p.m. and guests are welcome to join for all or any part of the festivities. 

Guests are asked to register here in advance.  

The weeklong schedule of events included Indigenous Homecoming’s Living Library, the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences Dean’s Breakfast, Bisons Homecoming Football game and Robson Hall’s 50^th year on the anniversary celebrations – just to name a few.

Adding to the excitement, the Front and Centre campaign reached a massive milestone with the support of 25,075 UM alumni who have given to the campaign to date. Thanks to donors, the campaign has reached $361,850,173 of the $500 million goal.

At the annual Homecoming concert, alumni heard the creative brilliance of Desautels Faculty of Music students preparing to illuminate stages across the world, who now rehearse in the historic Taché Arts Complex, one of 44 newly redeveloped places and spaces.

Our community also witnessed the legacy of athletic excellence support the next generation of Bisons when members of the 1969/70 Vanier Cup team announced a new scholarship, one of 629 new scholarships and bursaries.

Alumni had the opportunity to walk the halls of the Stanley Pauley Engineering Building, one of five new buildings constructed through the campaign, where students and faculty are conducting outstanding work to innovate and advance the world.

Experience an incredible week through the UM Homecoming wrap video 2019:

On Sept. 30, alumni had the opportunity to reconnect and reminisce at the Brown & Gold Brunch, celebrating Marilyn & Monty Hall. It also kicked off the official opening of the Marilyn & Monty Hall Retrospective Exhibit that showcased the breadth of achievements and philanthropy of these two late Hollywood legends and Emmy-award winning television stars. One of their children, Sharon Hall and Monty’s brother, Robert Hall, were in attendance to take part in the opening ceremonies.

“The University outdid themselves with this exhibit. We were overwhelmed with emotion and pride. Marilyn and Monty Hall’s life’s work and their humanity was on display in pitch perfect form,” said Sharon Hall.

Marilyn & Monty Hall Retrospective Exhibit

The official opening of the Marilyn and Monty Hall Retrospective Exhibit took place on Sept. 30, 2018

The Exhibit featured a specially curated collection of memorabilia donated to the U of M from the Halls’ estate after Monty’s passing last year. Fans of the popular game show Let’s Make a Deal, which Monty created, produced, and hosted, were treated to a walk-through recreation of the set which included props such as Monty’s microphone, gavel, podium, and hand-written cue cards.

A special highlight for guests was the opportunity to snap a selfie with Monty’s Emmy award, on loan to Archives & Special Collections.

Bison Ball

 

 

 

 

 

 

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That wraps The Bison Ball, the inaugural Homecoming event just for young alumni. It was great to see you all out. Thanks to everyone who helped make it happen: from @thehubsocialclub to the vendors, sponsors, volunteers and of course everyone who came! Check out our stories to see more. #umbisonball18 #umhomecoming

A post shared by University of Manitoba (@umanitoba) on Sep 28, 2018 at 10:08pm PDT

New to this year’s Homecoming celebrations was The Bison Ball: 2000s Edition, an evening created for alumni 35 and under. More than 150 people came down to enjoy throwback songs spun by DJ Blitz, and sample food and drink pairings on offer from fellow alumni, including Ian Moran [BSc(CE)/17] of Pour Decisions, and Tim Hudek [BA(Hons)/05] of One Great City Brewing Co.

Indigenous Homecoming

Indigenous Homecoming centred around the 10th anniversary of Migizii Agamik – Bald Eagle Lodge. Many members of the Migizii Agamik community attended, including those who first advocated for a space for Indigenous students; those who turned it into a reality; and those who continue to create a safe and supportive home for Indigenous students.

Throughout the day, guests participated in walking tours highlighting Indigenous art, culture and initiatives on campus. They also had the opportunity to participate in an interactive demonstration of Inuit games. The festivities concluded with a tree-planting ceremony beside Migizii Agamik, which represented setting down roots while looking ahead to future generations.

Homecoming Football Game

Despite the unseasonably cold weather, the Bisons received a sunny start to the day and a warm welcome from students, alumni, families, and the U of M community at Saturday’s annual Homecoming football game against the University of Regina Rams. The hard-fought, nail-biter game saw the Bisons put up a staggering 19 points in the fourth quarter to send the teams battling into overtime. The Bisons, led by a strong performance from their veteran defence, fell just one point short to the evenly-matched Rams after missing a two-point conversion, giving the game its final score of 32-31. However, a few days after the score was registered with the league, it was found that the Rams had an ineligible player on its roster, and the victory was forfeited to the Bisons. 

An Abundance of Faculty Events

As well as gathering with the wider community, returning alumni also enjoyed the chance to reconnect with their faculties. More than 20 faculty-specific events were held this year, including 75th anniversary celebrations for the College of Nursing and Faculty of Social Work.

The Faculty of Science welcomed alumnus Shawn Qu [MSc/90] and his family for a discussion on the future of solar energy; the first session in their 2018/19 Interdisciplinary Lecture Series: Fundamental Science as a Launchpad to Innovation.

The annual Homecoming concert was held in the stunning new Taché Addition with a roving concert format allowing guests to “curate” their own concert.

It was standing room only for the more than 250 guests, including incoming Dean of the Desautels Faculty of Music, Edward Jurkowski, and Daniel Raiskin, the new maestro of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Attendees were treated to a diverse program showcasing talent in music, theatre, and arts, which opened with a spectacular faculty performance by acting Dean of the Desautels Faculty of Music, Laura Loewen, on piano and soprano Tracy Dahl.

Thank you to everyone who returned to their alma mater to celebrate with us!

Make sure to mark September 16th to 22nd on your calendars as the official dates of Homecoming 2019.

Also, if your year of graduation ends in a “4” or “9,” you’re celebrating a milestone reunion next year! Get in touch with Alumni Relations at 204 474 9946 or alumni@umanitoba.ca for help planning an event during Homecoming 2019.

One of the 10 featured people is Destiny Seymour [BA ’00, MID ’13], a Faculty of Architecture Alumna. Destiny completed her degree in Interior Design at the UofM before going to work for Prairie Architects. As a student, Destiny was part of the team that designed Migizii Agamik.

“We worked closely with staff, students, and Elders to make sure it was a community-led and integrated design process. There was a lot of food and so much laughter. To see all these ideas start from sketches to numerous models, to design plans, and then to the final built form was incredible to me as the only design student on the team. I am very grateful for that opportunity. I remember wanting the new space to feel like a home away from home. There are many students that have to leave their home communities and families to complete their education. When I worked as a student advisor, one of the reasons many students didn’t complete their degree was feeling disconnected and unwelcome. We also really wanted Migizii Agamik to be welcoming to all nations.”

After working for Prairie Architects, Destiny went on to start her own design business, and she says, “Migizii Agamik will always be special to me because it was the first project I ever worked on. It had such a positive impact on me as a designer. I now have my own design business that focuses on community design projects.”

Read more about Destiny Seymour’s connection to Migizii Agamik and Indigenous Homecoming where Destiny will be speaking.