While the start of the new school year at the University of Manitoba always offers new hope and new opportunity, this fall will be especially memorable because of changes we are making to better serve a new generation of trailblazers, visionaries and innovators.
The transformations bearing fruit this fall are part of a vision to revitalize the physical spaces where we live, work, study and play. In addition to bringing new excitement to our university, these changes are also contributing to the impressive vibrancy already being experienced in our city and province.
One of the most visible signs of progress is the completion of the new Pembina Hall Residence, which will provide a student experience like no other.
All 360 units at Pembina Hall are single rooms with an exterior glass wall providing plenty of natural light and excellent views of the Fort Garry campus to the north and the Red River to the south. Each room is complete with its own private bathroom and shower.
Our School of Art will have a new home this fall when it moves into the stunning new 70,000 square foot ARTLab. It will serve as home for visual artists to learn and create and will be the new home to Gallery One One. It is designed by Vancouver’s Patkau Architects, founded by University of Manitoba alumni John and Patricia Patkau.
The ARTLab is a cornerstone of our plan to develop an innovative nurturing ground for visual and performing arts that takes advantage of the space made available when Taché Hall was closed as a student residence in the spring.
The Taché Arts Complex will give the iconic building new life while preserving its historic façade. The space will be transformed into a new music complex, housing the Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music, classroom space, and a 500-seat concert hall with an orchestra pit. When completed, it will be a hub of cultural activity that will enhance our university’s reputation for inspiring the creative spirit of our students.
This fall marks the last season for our Bisons football team to play its home games in University Stadium. Next year, they will play in one of the best football stadiums anywhere – a 33,000 seat facility that will offer one of the best game day experiences in North America.
This facility will help recruit athletes and will be a great location where students, staff, alumni and other fans can cheer on the Bisons. Further improvements will come to the facilities our athletes, students, staff and the community use when construction begins on the New Active Living Centre.
There will also be more positive innovations in the year ahead. We have recently created a new Office of Campus Planning to facilitate discussions about how to make best use of assets such as the former Southwood Golf Course.
There will be some challenges along the way. I want to thank you all for your patience if and when construction projects require some short-term disruptions in traffic, pedestrian movement or temporary relocations of office or classroom space.
However, the improvements in our campus spaces will more than make up for those challenges.
We congratulate our innovative staff who have overseen the design and have executed the plans that are coming to fruition. We are also grateful for the visionary support of our provincial and federal partners and our generous benefactors.
So as we begin the fall term, I am proud to welcome new students to our community of trailblazers, visionaries and innovators.
I also want to wish everyone great success in the year ahead.
Sincerely,
David
David T. Barnard, Ph.D., President and Vice-Chancellor
202 Administration Building, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg MB R3T 2N2 Canada
Office: +1-204-474-9345 FAX: +1-204-261-1318
Email: president@umanitoba.ca
