The Indigenous Students Art Program aims to create 5 paintings representing Canada’s historical legacy towards Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples for reconciliation. After a year of display, they will be auctioned off, and the proceeds will be donated to a charity chosen by the executive and the Indigenous student community representative, ISCR. UMSU received and displayed a painting by Kayla Thomas, and the auction proceeds will benefit Ka Ni Kanichik. 

• Including but not limited to:  

• The Inaugural Know Your Rights campaign 
• Harm Reduction campaign 
• Healthy Sexuality campaign 
• Mental Health Week campaign
• Food Insecurity campaign 

In our first year back to campus, UMSU has successfully facilitated the return of 112 Student clubs on campus. We have provided these clubs with sexual violence prevention training, funding, and more. 

Student creativity and talent was showcased in the first “Leave your mark on UMSU street” campaign, where multiple students created murals that were painted on the third floor of the UMSU University center. This campaign will, hopefully, be taken on every 3-4 years, so students are able to have a new set of murals each degree cycle, ensuring that the artwork is representative of the current UMSU membership at the time. 

UMSU kicked off Pride month with a flag-raising ceremony in front of the University Centre on June 1, complete with refreshments, courtesy of Degrees. The following day, we hosted a tabling event in the University Centre where we connected with local organizations that support the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and gave out 2SLGBTQIA+ resources. On June 5, we helped organize and walked in the Winnipeg Pride Parade with the University of Manitoba. We also hosted a fabulous Drag Queen Bingo at IQ’s Café and Billiards on June 23, complete with Pride-themed cocktails and mocktails, and delicious donuts courtesy of Oh Doughnuts.  

As part of our Welcome to the Herd program, we volunteered with Student Engagement and Success to help new students get acquainted with campus life. During UM Fall Orientation, we collaborated with Student Engagement and Success to facilitate the Welcome Day ceremony for first-year students. Additionally, we  served up free hot breakfasts to students every day for a week – a small gesture to help make their mornings easier. Finally, we hosted an Info Fair, where we brought in external vendors to provide students with information on how to access additional support services and get involved with different organizations throughout the year. 

UMSU’s first-ever Bison Bash was a huge success! We organized a variety of fun and engaging events that brought together the University of Manitoba community. During Quad Days, we hosted a series of outdoor lawn games on the Quad, including soccer, tug of war, checkers, connect 4, volleyball, an inflatable obstacle course, and even henna tattoos. The event was a hit with students, and we’re excited to make it an annual tradition. Karaoke Night was another popular event that students showed high interest in. It has since become a recurring monthly themed event. Movie Night was a cozy indoor event where students voted to watch Mean Girls. Snacks and drinks were available for purchase, and we even collaborated with Bulldog Outdoor Movies to ensure it was still a great experience even when we had to pivot it indoors due to weather considerations. The Night Market and Festival was another standout event, with about 15 vendors and 9 local artists featured throughout the night. We received a lot of positive feedback from the artists, showing interest in future events on campus. Finally, our first sold-out event was the Street Party, which took place on the 3rd floor of UC (UMSU Street) in collaboration with our businesses. We hosted a Silent Headphone Disco in IQ’s Café and Billiards, local DJs and hip-hop artists in VW Social Club, and even had The Happy Fits headline the evening. We’re proud of what we accomplished with Bison Bash and can’t wait to plan even bigger and better events in the future! 

We’re thrilled to share that we’ve been able to secure over $40,000 in revenue through sponsorships and partnerships with external organizations throughout the year! These funds were generated through our events, tabling initiatives, and media advertising. These sponsorships and partnerships are a testament to the strong relationships we’ve built with local businesses and organizations, and we’re grateful for their continued support. These funds have allowed us to expand our programming and offer even more opportunities and resources for students at the University of Manitoba. We look forward to continuing to work with these valued partners in the future. 

We’re excited to announce that we’ve been proud sponsors of several student association events this year! We were thrilled to support the Commerce Students’ Association’s yearly beverage gardens and Commerce on the Quad social in September 2022, as well as the Arts Student Body Council’s First Affair Social in January 2023. We also had the pleasure of sponsoring the School of Fine Arts Student Association’s “New Year, Same Me” social in January 2023 by providing a DJ and a door prize. In March 2023, we sponsored the Faculty of Music Students’ Association’s “Black and White Swing Thing” jazz social. Additionally, we’re excited to continue our partnership with the Science Students’ Association for their annual Bisons Walk-a-Thon for Childhood Cancer in May 2023. It’s been an honor to support our fellow student associations and to contribute to the vibrant campus life here at the University of Manitoba. 

UMSU has made significant progress in its Indigenous Student Initiative Programming this year. To mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, UMSU held a panel discussion featuring Julie Albert, John Morriseau, and Ivana Yellowback to share what truth and reconciliation truly looks like and how the Indigenous community can be best uplifted. UMSU provided funding and support for the NSA Truth and Reconciliation walk and organized Indigenous Students’ Month in November. The month-long event featured an Open Mic Night, a speaker Night, and an Indigenous Celebration and Market, with proceeds going towards the ISM Bursary. The events organized by UMSU have contributed significantly to creating awareness and promoting the Indigenous community’s welfare. 

UMSU’s newly revitalized Sustainability Week featured two events aimed at promoting sustainable practices. First, we hosted a pop-up thrift shop from April 3-7, where students could buy items ranging from $1-$5. All proceeds from the thrift shop will go towards the UMSU Holiday Hampers Program. This is a great way to shop affordably while also supporting the community. Secondly, UMSU organized the Reuse, Rewind, Remix Social on April 6th, where students were encouraged to re-use old costumes, grad outfits, or sports jerseys. This event aimed to promote sustainable fashion and reduce waste. The social featured DJ Timur playing throwbacks all night, and tickets were $5 at the door for 18+ students only. 

UMSU partnered with the UM administration to turn the iconic UM Quad into a skating rink during the winter season. This initiative allowed students and community members to enjoy the outdoors and participate in a fun winter activity while staying safe during the pandemic. The skating rink was free to use and open to all, with skate rentals available for a small fee. The Quad Skating Rink was a huge success and provided a unique and enjoyable experience for everyone involved. This partnership highlights UMSU’s commitment to working collaboratively with the UM administration to enhance the student experience and create memorable moments on campus.