Students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff members and the public will be able to purchase a new University of Winnipeg specialty licence plate beginning next week, Andrew Swan, minister responsible for Manitoba Public Insurance, announced today.
The University of Winnipeg licence plate, to be administered by Manitoba Public Insurance, will be available on Monday, June 9, 2014. Cost of the plates will be $70 with $30 of that fee going toward scholarships for Wesmen Athletes and inner-city youth sports and recreation programming (see Background).
“The University of Winnipeg has roots in our community dating back more than 130 years,” said Swan. “From the early days of the Manitoba College and Wesley College to the foundation of United College in 1938 and the university officially receiving its charter status in 1967, UWinnipeg has always been one of our country’s leading post-secondary institutions.“Consistently recognized for its commitment to academic excellence and educational access, as well as innovative post-secondary and community programming, the University of Winnipeg is deeply deserving of a specialty plate to call its own.”
With over 10,000 international, undergrad and graduate students, the University of Winnipeg is an ever-growing institution that has expanded its campus by more than 35 per cent in the past decade, while at the same time being a leader in sustainable development, having achieved its Kyoto targets earlier this year.
“This plate allows current, former and future students – as well as parents, friends, donors, alumni, faculty and staff – to let the world know they are proud to be part of the UWinnipeg community,” said Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Winnipeg. “The past decade has been transformative as we’ve nearly doubled our student enrolment and added tens of millions of dollars in new investments to our downtown neighbourhoods. Most importantly, we’ve created robust access programs to ensure that all students, regardless of socio-economic background, may achieve their dreams here, and that includes inner city youth with athletic abilities. Proceeds from this license plate will allow us to strengthen these important programs. “
People interested in purchasing a University of Winnipeg license plate will be able to visit any of Manitoba’s more than 300 Autopac agents to complete the transaction, effective Monday, June 9, 2014.
Frequently Asked Questions about getting your UWinnipeg licence plate.
Wesmen athletes join Dr. Lloyd Axworthy and Minister for MPI Andrew Swan to unveil the new licence plate, June 2, 2014, Duckworth Centre
BACKGROUND
Wesmen Athletics
The Wesmen have a rich and proud history in our community. The Wesmen hold 20 National Championship titles (10 Men’s Volleyball, 7 Women’s Volleyball, and 3 Women’s Basketball). The Wesmen now field 13 teams and this April, the Wesmen Baseball team was accepted into NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) The Wesmen have a strong tradition of nurturing talent. Dr. David F. Anderson helped establish the University of Winnipeg’s first student-athlete scholarships back in the 1970’s, and since then, over $160,000 dollars has been distributed annually to support Wesmen Athletes. That means the Wesmen Scholarship Fund has distributed over $2 million dollars to support student athletes since its inception.
Inner City Junior Wesmen
The University of Winnipeg Athletics Department is embracing the concept of community learning and has created distinct inner city teams for multiple sports and recreation programs under the Inner City Junior Wesmen umbrella. It has also embraced meaningful partnerships with neighbourhood organizations with a shared goal of realizing the needs and aspirations of inner city youth.
The Inner City Junior Wesmen program now attracts approximately 300 neighbourhood youth and offers numerous teams for both boys and girls. Sports include basketball, soccer, and wrestling. Over the next several years the goal is to add flag football, baseball, volleyball, golf, and track and field, doubling the number of youth participating to 500 as the UNITED Health and RecPlex is fully operational. Many inner city children and teenagers are new immigrants facing language and financial barriers and Indigenous youth. UWinnipeg athletes, staff and coaches volunteer countless hours to ensure the program’s success.
UWinnipeg relies on generous private donors to support inner city athletic programs. Proceeds from the sale of the specialty University of Winnipeg licence plate adds capacity to this important initiative.
MEDIA CONTACT
Diane Poulin, Senior Communications Specialist, The University of Winnipeg
P: 204.988.7135, E: d.poulin@uwinnipeg.ca
