Celebrate Winnipeg's First Woman Mayor Susan Thompson Scholarship

Susan Thompson Pic

Our Goal: $250,000

Your contribution, big or small, will go a long way in helping us support students at The University of Winnipeg and in honouring Susan's remarkable career.

Raised: $277,151
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Update:

As of September 1st, 2022, we are pleased to share that we've surpassed our goal of $250,000 thanks to overwhelming support from multiple donors who have kindly offered their support this year. In an effort to continue this success,  the fundraising committee and campaign Co-Chairs have elected to raise the new goal to $300,000. We'd like to take this opportunity to offer our thanks to all the generous donors who have helped launch this fund to new heights and let you know that if you're interested in learning more about the fund's namesake and the community who have rallied behind the award, you can click on the following links:

CBC's Marcy Markusa interview with Dr. Susan Thompson: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-29/clip/15948411

Globe and Mail -  Pitching in: Promoting women in leadership at the University of Winnipeg

About This Project:

In celebration of Dr. Susan A. Thompson's 30th anniversary of being elected Winnipeg's first (and only) woman Mayor to date, a volunteer fundraising committee, co-chaired by Elba Haid, Doris Mae Oulton and Carol Bellringer, and made up of Susan's close friends, is set to establish the Susan A. Thompson Scholarship for Women in Leadership.

This new scholarship will support students who identify as female in any area of study who are pursuing or have future aspirations of serving in, a leadership role within their community.  It will be awarded to a continuing, undergraduate student with high academic standing, outstanding leadership qualities, and significant extracurricular involvements on and off-campus.

Dr. Thompson has longstanding ties to campus as a graduate of both The University of Winnipeg Collegiate ('67) and UWinnipeg ('71). In 2003, Susan returned to her alma mater to become the founding President and CEO of The University of Winnipeg Foundation. She grew the organization from the ground up while simultaneously launching the University's largest fundraising campaign to date.  Susan led the Foundation as its endowment grew from $21 to $38 million-helping oversee a total of $135 million in donations as part of the "World of Opportunity Capital Campaign."

In 2012 she was the recipient of The University of Winnipeg Distinguished Alumni Award and in June 2016 she received an Honorary Doctor of Laws.

Susan began her successful retail career as an international buyer at Eaton's and The Bay before she became the first woman to own her family's business: Birt Saddlery. After purchasing it in 1980 from her father, she served as owner and president for 15 years. As an accomplished leader in the world of business, politics, and philanthropic fundraising, she is a tireless contributor to her community.

In 1992, Susan was the first woman ever elected to serve as Mayor of Winnipeg. During her two terms, she led the city through the 1997 Flood of the Century - one of the biggest crises for Winnipeg in the last 100 years. She also led successful bids for the 1995 Winter Cities International Conference, the 1998 Canadian Briar Curling Championship, the 1998 World Junior Hockey Championship, the 1998 Grey Cup, the 1999 Pan American Games, and the 2001 World Indigenous Games.

In 1999, as Canadian Consul General in Minneapolis, she served an eight-state territory consisting of 15 million people and $32 billion in Canada-US trade. She later served as a Special Advisor of Canada-U.S. Relations for the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Most recently, as Executive Consultant for the Winnipeg Art Gallery, she helped raise $65 million for and coordinated the Grand Opening of the new Inuit Art Centre, Qaumajuq.  The new museum, home of the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world, is the first-of-its-kind centre connecting to the WAG on all levels, creating a 185,000-square-foot cultural campus in the heart of downtown Winnipeg.

Susan is a proud lifetime Sponsor of HMCS Winnipeg and namesake of the City of Winnipeg's Susan A. Thompson Administration Building. In 2016 she received the Order of Manitoba and was named one of the Top 100 Most Interesting Manitobans that year. In 2020 she was honoured as one of the 150 Manitoba Women Trailblazer Award Recipients.

Susan's many successes are built on hard work, integrity, perseverance and commitment to her community. An inspiration to both her fellow female leaders and the next generation of aspiring women, she exemplifies the values of UWinnipeg and The Collegiate.

Those looking to learn more about Thompson's time in office, as well as her connections to UWinnipeg are welcome to follow the link below to the Hallowed Halls podcast:

https://www.isaacwurmann.com/hallowed-halls

Help Support The Susan A. Thompson Scholarship for Women in Leadership

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Give By Phone

Call: 204-786-9995

Give By Check

Send a cheque to:

The University of Winnipeg Foundation
901 - 491 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2E4 Canada

*Note: Please make sure to mark your cheque for " The Susan A. Thompson Scholarship for Women in Leadership Fund ".