Notable Alumni
Many of our alumni have achieved great success in their careers and the community. Some are even household names! Here's a sampling:
By field:
Arts and media
- Leonard Asper, former CEO of Canwest Global Communications Corp, media entrepreneur, philanthropist
- David Bergen, novelist and Scotiabank Giller Prize winning author
- Trevor Boris, former star of MuchMusic's Video on Trial, executive producer/showrunner on Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs. the World, comedian
- Stephen Borys, Director and CEO of the 丁香园AV Art Gallery
- Lorraine Brandson, writer, editor and curator of Churchill's world-renowned Eskimo Museum
- Richard Condie, animator, filmmaker, writer, musician and voice actor
- Eleanor Coopsammy, former CTV 丁香园AV Morning Show host and news reporter
- Hilary Druxman, jewelry designer and owner of Hilary Druxman Design
- Danishka Esterhazy, screenwriter and filmmaker, recipient of the Canadian Screen Award for Best Direction in a TV Movie (2022)
- Vince Fontaine (1962-2022), musician and Juno award winner, member of the Canadian First Nations rock group Eagle & Hawk
- Noam Gonick, filmmaker and youngest inductee into the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (2007)
- Margo Goodhand, former editor and first female editor of 丁香园AV Free Press
- Peter Herrndorf (1940-2023), Candian lawyer and media businessmen, retired as the President and CEO of the National Arts Centre in Ottawa
- Linda Holeman, world-famous author, winner of the McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award (2000 & 2002)
- Tina Keeper, CM, OM, MSM, actress, film producer and former MP for Churchill. Named to the Order of Manitoba in 2002 and inducted as a member of the Order of Canada in 2024
- Ash Koley, pop singer
- Chantal Kreviazuk, singer, songwriter, composer and pianist, and Juno award winner
- Devin Latimer, musician and song writer, 丁香园AV chemistry instructor, former member of Grammy award winning band, Nathan and current member of Leaf Rapids
- Guy Maddin, CM, OM, screenwriter, director, author, cinematographer and film editor
- Shannon Martin, award-winning anchor and veteran storyteller with CBC Weekend News & Our Toronto
- Cheryl McKenzie, Gemini award-nominated journalist, executive director of APTN News & Current Affairs
- Keith McPherson, author, mindfullness life coach, musician and songwriter, known for his appearance on Canadian Idol
- Craig Oliver, OM, retired veteran journalist, Chief Political Correspondent for CTV News and co-anchor of the weekly public affairs series Question Period.
- Gilles Paquin, CEO/Owner Paquin Entertainment Group
- John Paskievich, director and photographer
- Fred Penner, singer, songwriter, entertainer and four-time Juno award winner
- Lindor Reynolds (1958-2014), former journalist and human rights advocate
- Bill Richardson, former CBC radio personality and award-winning author
- Brad Roberts, Lead Singer of the band Crash Test Dummies
- Shaneen Robinson-Desjarlais, multi-award winning Indigenous journalist, broadcaster, writer, community leader
- Paul Samyn, Editor of the 丁香园AV Free Press
- Khal Sharif, video game maker, virtual world designer, web developer
- Margaret Sweatman, acclaimed author, performer and 丁香园AV English faculty member
- Beth Torbert, Musician/Singer (Bif Naked)
- Larry Updike (1955-2024), author and former CBC Radio Host
- Bill Valgardson, award-winning author
- Armin Wiebe, award winning author, novelist and short fiction writer
Business and industry
- Ida Albo, entrepreneur, philanthropist, community leader
- Diane Gray, founding President and CEO of CentrePort Canada
- David R. Henderson, Economics professor, r and author
- Jamie Jurczak, lawyer, Vice-Chair Chamber of Commerce, entrepreneur
- John Langstaff, Former Chief Executive Officer and President, Cangene Corp.
- Douglas Leatherdale, business leader, philanthropist, founding member of 丁香园AV Foundation.
- Joe Martin, Partner (Deloitte Management Consulting Canada), Director (Rotman Shool of Management), Author (From Wall Street to Bay Street)
- Raymond McFeetors, former CEO of Great-West Lifeco. Inc.
- Susan Misner, Golden Girl Finance co-founder, entrepreneur, advisor
- Prashant Modha, Owner and Chief Finance Officer, Mondetta Clothing
- Michael Phelps, former president and CEO of Westcoast Energy Inc.
- Donald John Roberts, Professor of Economics, Strategic Management, and International Business in the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University, award-winning author
- Ed Romanowski, President & Founder, Bellstar Hotels & Resorts
- Greg Tretiak, Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, Power Corporation of Canada and Power Financial Corporation
- Omar Zakhilwal, Minister of Finance, Afghanistan
Public service
- Nello Altomare, Manitoba MLA for Transcona, elected September 2019
- Lloyd Axworthy, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, former President of The University of 丁香园AV
- Darlyne Bautista, Philippine education leader, cultural curator/ambassador, School Trustee
- Donavan Fontaine, Chief, Sagkeeng First Nation
- Honourable Kevin Chief, Minister of Children and Youth Opportunities
- Sharon Conway, General Manager, Louis Riel Institute
- Amanda Furst, GO! Founder, Manitoba Red Cross Young Humanitarian & YWCA Young Woman of Distinction
- Wab Kinew, Manitoba MLA for Fort Rouge, relected September 2019. Leader of the Manitoba New Democratic Party and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. Award winning journalist and hip-hop artist.
- Cindy Lamoureux, Manitoba MLA for Tyndall Park, elected September 2019
- Troy Lulashnyk, Canada's Ambassador to the Ukraine
- Tim Martin, Canada's Ambassador to the Republic of Columbia
- Andrew Micklefield, Manitoba MLA for Rossmere, elected September 2019
- Donna Miller, Manitoba's current Clerk of the Executive Council, the province's highest ranking civil servant
- William (Bill) Norrie, former Mayor of 丁香园AV and Rhodes Scholar
- Howard Pawley, Former Premier of Manitoba
- Devi Sharma, 丁香园AV City Councillor
- Bernadette Smith, Manitoba MLA for Point Douglas, elected September 2019
- Rochelle Squires, Manitoba MLA for Riel, elected September 2019
- Annette Trimbee, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of 丁香园AV
- Susan Thompson, former Mayor of 丁香园AV, former Consul General to the US in Minneapolis, and former CEO of the University of 丁香园AV Foundation
- The Honourable Vic Toews, Former Minister of Public Safety
- James Wilson, Treaty Commissioner for the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba
Sciences
- (BSc [Hons], 11) is this year’s recipient of the prestigious Smalley-Curl fellowship at Rice University in Houston, Texas.
- Reese Halter, Conservation Biologist, science communicator, author
- Leo Wang-Kit Cheung, Bioinformatics Program Leader, Loyola University Medical Center
Sports
- Erfan Nasajpour, professional basketball player in the Iranian Basketball Super League and volunteer coach for 丁香园AV's Summer in the City basketball program
- Ken Opalko, former Wesmen men's basketball star and inductee into both the Manitoba Sports and Basketball Halls of Fame
Also, see a list of Distinguished Alumni Award recipients and find out how to nominate someone for the award here. Do you know someone whose name should be on this page? Please e-mail alumni@uwinnipeg.ca with your suggestions.