EXPERIENCE BIRDING with 90-minute midday Birding Walks, offered from UM’s Fort Garry campus by Justin Rasmussen and Bailey Hendry, UM alum and co-founders of UM Indigenous Birding Club. Participants learn about birds in Indigenous storytelling, while also discovering the benefits of birding on mental health.
A GOOD TIME TO GET TO KNOW CHURCHILL IS SUMMER, according to UM alum, John Gunter of Frontiers North Adventures. Enjoy the opportunity to view northern lights, paddleboard with belugas and possibly see a polar bear. Visitors are also eager to discuss climate change, says Stephen Petersen, UM adjunct professor in biological sciences, who has been guiding tourists in Churchill for the last decade.
THE BRUCE D. CAMPBELL FARM AND FOOD DISCOVERY CENTRE, a half-hour drive south of Winnipeg at UM’s Glenlea Research Station, offers interactive exhibits and handson displays that bring to life Manitoba’s agricultural scene. It also highlights ongoing research of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences.
DISCOVER WINNIPEG’S HUMAN RIGHTS HISTORY through a self-guided tour developed for the Masters of Human Rights Program in UM’s Faculty of Law. This tour leads participants to key landmarks, including Louis Riel’s grave in St. Boniface, the Gandhi statue outside the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and a residential schools monument at The Forks.
THE LEAF Rhonda Halliday, who studied prairie horticulture-greenhouse crop production at UM, is the horticultural supervisor at The Leaf at Assiniboine Park. “Our focus is on the stories that connect plants to people rather than the plants themselves, and that makes us unique.” Storytelling signage point to interesting individuals who immigrated to Winnipeg and their connections to plants native to their home countries. Horticultural team members are available weekdays at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. and weekends at 11:30 a.m.
LOCKHART PLANETARIUM IN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE HOSTS FREE ONE-HOUR OPEN HOUSES on the last Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m., offering guests a guided tour of stars and constellations visible in the city’s night sky. Seats are so reserve your spot.
UM ALUM INTERLAKE MURALS Heather Hinam—a naturalist, educator and interpreter with a deep knowledge of Manitoba’s history and diverse ecosystems—created interpretive signage and murals throughout the Interlake. Several of Hinam’s panels are in Selkirk, including one exploring flora and fauna in Little Lake Park. Learn about the urban prairie ecosystem outside the Gaynor Family Library and about UM alum Murray Sinclair, Manitoba’s first Indigenous judge and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, at Murray Sinclair Park. Other must-see stops include Gimli, Fraserwood, Meleb and Inwood.
THE DESAUTELS CONCERT HALL will open at UM’s Fort Garry campus Sept. 5 with Juno award-winning William Prince. Also performing at the Grand Opening Concert is Canada’s premier coloratura soprano Tracy Dahl and acclaimed soprano Andriana Chuchman with collaborative pianist, and associate dean of the Desautels Faculty of Music, Laura Loewen. The subsequent Concert Series continues with a lineup including Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra with acclaimed Cree author, playwright and musician Thomson Highway.
THE BISONS kick off their season against the Saskatchewan Huskies on Aug. 31 at Princess Auto Stadium. On Sept. 14, the Bisons take on the Alberta Golden Bears for the Homecoming Game during UM’s Homecoming week (Sept. 14-21). Alumni can claim up to four free tickets to all home Bisons games.
THE LATEST EXHIBIT by alum artist Dominique Rey opens at Winnipeg Art Gallery on Oct. 12. With video and photography, Motherground explores the universal theme of motherhood and its complex emotional layers and cultural constructs. “It explores how everyday gestures between a mother and child can be radical,” says Rey, a professor in UM’s School of Art.
This summer, show us where you see UM on your staycation!
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