The Université de Saint-Boniface (USB) is a French-language

public university A public university or public college is a university or college that is in state ownership, owned by the state or receives significant government spending, public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private unive ...

located in the

Saint Boniface Boniface, OSB ( la, Bonifatius; 675 – 5 June 754) was an English Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of the Frankish Empire during the eighth century. He organised significant foundations o ...

neighbourhood of

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...

Manitoba , image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg , map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada , Label_map = yes , coordinates = , capital = Win ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

. An affiliated institution of the

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba. Taché(1854-1860)

Female hockey players of Université de Saint-Boniface

Université de Saint-Boniface was established by Father

Norbert Provencher Joseph-Norbert Provencher (February 12, 1787 – June 7, 1853) was a Canadian clergyman and missionary and one of the founders of the modern province of Manitoba. He was the first Bishop of Saint Boniface and was an important figure in the histo ...

(1787–1853) in 1818, making it

western Canada Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West or the Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a Canadian region that includes the four western provinces just north of the Canada� ...

's oldest

post-secondary Tertiary education, also referred to as third-level, third-stage or post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank, for example, defines tertiary education as including univers ...

educational institution. It began as a small school where

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

was taught to the boys of the French-speaking

Red River Colony The Red River Colony (or Selkirk Settlement), also known as Assinboia, was a colonization project set up in 1811 by Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk, on of land in British North America. This land was granted to Douglas by the Hudson's Ba ...

. In 1855, Collège de Saint-Boniface was constructed on the corner of Taché Avenue and Masson Street; this was overseen by Msgr.

Alexandre-Antonin Taché Alexandre-Antonin Taché, O.M.I., (23 July 1823 – 22 June 1894) was a Canadian Roman Catholic priest, missionary of the Oblate order, author, and the first Archbishop of Saint Boniface in Manitoba, Canada. Early life Alexandre-Antonin T ...

(1823–1894). From 1866 to 1870, under the guidance of Bishop George Dugas, Collège changed its programs to incorporate the instruction of Latin, Greek, and philosophy into a classical curriculum. Incorporated in 1871, Collège was one of the earliest official institutions of the new province of Manitoba, which had joined the

Canadian Confederation Canadian Confederation (french: Confédération canadienne, link=no) was the process by which three British North American provinces, the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, were united into one federation called the Dominion ...

the year before. In 1877, together with the Anglican St. John's College and the Presbyterian

Manitoba College Manitoba College was a college that existed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, from 1871 to 1967, when it became one of the University of Winnipeg's founding colleges. It was one of the first institutions of higher learning in the city of Winnipeg an ...

, it helped establish the

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

, Switzerland and

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

. In 1880, increased enrolment led to the construction of a larger building on the site of what is now Provencher Park. Annual enrolment was around 300 students at that time. In 1890, French lost official language status in Manitoba, and in 1916, the ''Thornton Act'' prohibited French-language instruction in the province's public schools. As a private institution, Collège remained in operation and encouraged public schools to oppose the government ban. French-language teaching continued in secret. On November 25, 1922, a fire started in a music room in the basement and the blaze destroyed the building, including all of its records and the 40,000-volume library; claiming ten victims. In response to this, Msgr. Arthur Béliveau, Archbishop of St. Boniface, donated the seminary (''Le Petit Séminaire'') on Avenue de la Cathédrale, the present location of USB. English-speaking Jesuits also founded their own college ( St. Paul's College) in 1925, and USB became a francophone institution. However, Collège offered business courses in English until 1941. The 1960s were marked by three major changes: the arrival of women in the classroom (1959), the beginnings of continuing education (including French and French as a second language classes, which sparked controversy), and the institution's transition to secular administration (1969). In 1975, Collège began to offer technical and professional programs, which led to the creation of the École technique et professionnelle (ETP) in 1989. In 1983, high school classes were transferred to Collège Louis-Riel and Collège began to focus solely on post-secondary education. The institution officially became the Université de Saint-Boniface in September 2011 after the passage of the ''Université de Saint-Boniface Act''. Despite its new

status Status (Latin plural: ''statūs''), is a state, condition, or situation, and may refer to: * Status (law) ** City status ** Legal status, in law ** Political status, in international law ** Small entity status, in patent law ** Status conference ...

as a university, USB continues to be affiliated with the University of Manitoba, which it helped establish in 1877. Enshrined in the ''Université de Saint-Boniface Act'', the university remained affiliated with the University of Manitoba, and USB was committed to preserving this 135-year-old relationship. University degrees continue to be conferred by the University of Manitoba. However, graduates of the technical and professional programs of the ETP or École des sciences infirmières et des études de la santé (ESIES) receive their diploma or certificate from Université de Saint-Boniface. Although a hub of French-language education and of Manitoba's francophone community, USB still accepts students from around the world.

Campus

Located on 200 Avenue de la Cathedrale which is central to the St. Boniface neighbourhood. It is also close to the St. Boniface Hospital, the St. Boniface Cathedral, and the Red River. The

Esplanade Riel Esplanade Riel is a pedestrian bridge located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It was named in honour of Louis Riel. It is a side-spar cable-stayed bridge which spans the Red River connecting downtown Winnipeg with St. Boniface; it is paired with a vehi ...

leads from the Université to Winnipeg's downtown. The main USB building, build with

Tyndall stone Tyndall Stone is a registered trademark name by Gillis Quarries Ltd. Tyndall Stone is a dolomitic limestone that is quarried from the Selkirk Member of the Ordovician Red River Formation in the vicinity of Garson and Tyndall, Manitoba, Cana ...

, houses two gymnasiums, the Sportex fitness centre, a library, a chapel, the Étienne Gaboury student centre, the campus radio station, an amphitheatre, computer facilities, a performance hall and an art gallery. The new Pavillon Marcel-A.-Desautels health sciences building opened in 2011.

Student residence

The student residence, located at 474 and 480 Aulneau Street in Winnipeg, was acquired in 2005 from the

Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816, by Eugène de Mazenod, a French priest born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on August 1, ...

. In 2014, the building was officially named Résidence-Père-Théophile-Lavoie-O.M.I.

Fitness centre

Sportex, the university's fitness centre, first opened in 1988, offering sport programmes for students, university staff, and the general public.

Programs

Université de Saint-Boniface offers both university and technical and professional programs as well as continuing education courses.

University and college programs

Continuing education

Université de Saint-Boniface's Continuing Education Division has courses in several areas. Its Language School (École de langues) has French and Spanish courses, and produces instructional material for teaching French as a first or additional language. The Continuing Education Division has an annual enrolment of over 4,000 students.

Research

The research conducted at Université de Saint-Boniface is internationally recognised and focuses on areas related to the university, such as health and Francophone and Métis identity. Founded in 1985, USB's Research Centre houses the Centre d’études Franco-canadiennes de l’Ouest (CEFCO), Presses universitaires de Saint-Boniface (PUSB), and the Canadian Research Chair on Migrations, Transfers and Francophone Communities (CRC-MTCF). In the past it has also held the Canada Research Chair on Métis Identity (CRCMI) chaired by Dr. Denis Gagnon from 2004 to 2014, and the Community-University Research Alliance on Francophone Identities in Western Canada (ARUC-IFO) chaired by Dr. Len Rivard from 2007 to 2013.

Scholarships and bursaries

The Canadian government sponsors an Aboriginal Bursaries Search Tool that lists more than 680 scholarships, bursaries, and other incentives offered by governments, universities, and industry to support Aboriginal post-secondary participation. Université de Saint-Boniface scholarships for Aboriginal,

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: ** First Nat ...

and

Métis The Métis ( ; Canadian ) are Indigenous peoples who inhabit Canada's three Prairie Provinces, as well as parts of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Northern United States. They have a shared history and culture which deri ...

students include: Louis Riel Scholarships; Louis Riel Institute Bursaries.

Administration

The purposes and powers of Université de Saint-Boniface are set out in the ''Université de Saint-Boniface Act'', the most recent version of which is dated June 2011. Its bilateral governance structure consists of the Board of Governors and the Senate. A number of ad hoc committees are also in place.

USB President

Originally from Lévis, a suburb of Québec city, Sophie Bouffard obtained a doctorate in musicology (2011) from the University of Regina and a masters in music (2000) from Université Laval. Soprano opera singer by profession, she has given a number of performances in Canada and abroad. Specialist in the creation of new music, many works have been composed for her. Mrs. Bouffard is the second female president in USB history and is the 45th person to hold the position. She has been the USB president since August 2019.

Past presidents

Source: * Msgr. Norbert Provencher (1818–1853) * Msgr. Alexandre-A. Taché (1854–1860) * R.P. Jean-Marie Le Floch, omi (1860–1862) * R.P. Joseph Lestanc, omi (1862–1865) * R.P. Valentin Végreville, omi (1865–1866) * R.P. Georges Dugas (1866–1869) * R.P. Louis-R. Giroux (1869–1870) * R.P. Théophile Lavoie, omi (1870–1878) * R.P. A.-A. Forget-Despatis (1878–1881) * R.P. A.A. Cherrier (1881–1884) * R.P. François-A. Dugas (1884–1885) * R.P. Hippolyte Lory, s.j. (1885–1890) * R.P. Xavier Renaud, s.j. (1890–1891) * R.P. Henri Hudon, s.j. (1891–1894) * R.P. Rémi Chartier, s.j. (1894–1898) * R.P. Julien Paquin. s.j. (1898–1900) * R.P. Hyacinthe Hudon, s.j. (1990–1903) * R.P. Jacques Dugas, s.j. (1903–1908) * R.P. Télesphore Filiatrault, s.j. (1908–1910) * R.P. Joseph Carrière, s.j. (1910–1911) * R.P. Gustave Jean, s.j. (1911–1912) * R.P. Edouard Lecompte, s.j. (1912–1914) * R.P. Alexandre Gagnieur, s.j. (1914–1915) * R.P. Grégoire Féré, s.j. (1915–1919) * R.P. Henri Bourque, s.j. (1919–1924) * R.P. Joseph Desjardins, s.j. (1924–1930) * R.P. Fernand Faure, s.j. (1930–1933) * R.P. Joseph Béliveau, s.j. (1933–1940) * R.P. Martial Caron, s.j. (1940–1943) * R.P. Louis Mailhot, s.j. (1943–1947) * R.P. Georges Desjardins, s.j. (1947–1951) * R.P. J. d'Auteuil Richard, s.j. (1951–1954) * R.P. Oscar Boily, s.j. (1954–1960) * R.P. Guy Fortier, s.j. (1960–1964) * R.P. Alfred Ducharme, s.j. (1964–1967) * Msgr. Antoine Hacault (1967–1969) * R.P. Stéphane Valiquette, s.j. (1969–1970) * Roger Saint-Denis (1970–1974) * Georges Damphousse (interim) (1974–1975) * Roland Cloutier (1975–1979) * Claude Thibault (1980–1981) * Paul Ruest (1981–2003) *

Raymonde Gagné Raymonde Gagné (born January 7, 1956) is a Canadian politician and academic who was named to the Senate of Canada to represent Manitoba on March 18, 2016. Prior to her appointment to the Senate, Gagné was a longtime faculty member and preside ...

(2003–2014) * Gabor Csepregi (2014–2019)

Board of Governors

The 15-member Board of Governors administers USB affairs. Its duties include managing the institution's assets, appointing senior staff, approving the USB budget, and adding or eliminating programs.

Notable alumni

USB alumni includes judges, lawyers, bishops and archbishops, radio and television personalities, hockey players, architects and singers. A notably famous USB alumnus was

Louis Riel Louis Riel (; ; 22 October 1844 – 16 November 1885) was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political leader of the Métis people. He led two resistance movements against the Government of Canada and its first ...

, the Métis leader who negotiated the terms under which the province of Manitoba entered Canadian Confederation in 1870. Notable athletes from the university include: * Tony Gingras, Stanley Cup champion –

Winnipeg Victorias The Winnipeg Victorias were a former amateur senior-level men's amateur ice hockey team in Winnipeg, Manitoba, organized in 1889. They played in the Manitoba Hockey Association (MHA) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Victorias ...

(1901 & 1902) * Clem Loughlin, Stanley Cup champion –

Victoria Cougars The Victoria Cougars were a major league professional ice hockey team that played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) from 1911 to 1924 under various names, and (after the PCHA's merger with the Western Canada Hockey League) in the W ...

(1925) * Rosario Couture, Stanley Cup champion –

Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...

(1934) * Duke Dutkowski, professional hockey player (

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

) Among entertainment personalities, a notable alumnus is Rosemary Barton, a

CBC News CBC News is a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC.c ...

correspondent and singer Daniel Lavoie.

University press

The ''Presses universitaires de Saint-Boniface'' (PUSB)

university press A university press is an academic publishing house specializing in monographs and scholarly journals. Most are nonprofit organizations and an integral component of a large research university. They publish work that has been reviewed by scholars ...

was established in 1990. It publishes the research findings of Université de Saint-Boniface faculty and the work of the Centre d’études Franco-canadiennes de l’Ouest (CEFCO) and the Cahiers ''franco-canadiens de l’Ouest''. To date, PUSB has published works on educational integration, translation, grammar, cultural production, inter-linguistic and socio-cultural relations, and francophone education in a minority setting. The literary works of

Gabrielle Roy Gabrielle Roy (March 22, 1909July 13, 1983) was a Canadian author from St. Boniface, Manitoba and one of the major figures in French Canadian literature. Early life Roy was born in 1909 in Saint-Boniface (now part of Winnipeg), Manitoba, and ...

and Roger Léveillé have also been published at PUSB.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Universite de Saint-Boniface Universities and colleges in Winnipeg French-language universities and colleges in Canada outside Quebec Educational institutions established in 1818 University of Manitoba Catholic universities and colleges in Canada Saint Boniface, Winnipeg Municipal Historical Resources of Winnipeg