Legal Clinic outreach to Northern Manitoba

From November 27–28, 2025, law students from the University of Manitoba’s L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic and the Manitoba Legal Clinic for the Arts travelled to The Pas to bring free legal services to northern residents. It was their second visit to the town in recent years, following a trip to Thompson last spring.

The Clinics believe Northern Manitoba communities deserve equal access to legal help, education, economic and other opportunities. These Northern outreach trips aim to connect students and residents in the North with needed services that are too frequently out of reach or concentrated in Winnipeg, while giving law students first-hand insight into the needs, culture, and resilience of Northern Manitobans.

Pop‑Up Clinic at UCN

At the University College of the North (UCN) in The Pas, students set up a pop‑up clinic to answer questions from students, entrepreneurs, small businesses, start-ups including family businesses, non‑profits, charities, artists, creatives, arts and cultural organizations. The Clinic routinely provides information and advice to Manitobans on intellectual property, contracts, business structures and more, free of charge.

Rebecca Harris, a UCN administrator, welcomed the initiative: “It’s nice to see the supports come to the North. Having a presence here makes an impact for students to see the opportunities available.”

Third-year law student Travis Dech reflected on the experience: “Manitoba’s enterprising spirit is not bound by geography. The North has resources, opportunities and potential with well‑grounded plans to be an economic driver. I hope entrepreneurs here get the chance to be the change they want to see.”

The Pas: Gateway to the North

Located 520 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, and 25 miles east of the Saskatchewan border, at the confluence of the Pasquia River and the Saskatchewan River, The Pas has frequently been called “The Gateway to the North”. The Pas is a multi-industry northern Manitoba town that has served its surrounding region for centuries, even before Northern Manitoba became part of the Province of Manitoba in 1912, and long been a hub for trade and industry. Its roots stretch back to the 1740s, when Fort Paskoya was built by Hudson’s Bay Company traders. Today, the town’s economy includes agriculture, forestry, fishing, tourism, transportation, education, and more. Together with the Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN) and the Rural Municipality of Kelsey, The Pas forms a tri‑community with a population of about 5,700, nearly half of whom are Indigenous. While in The Pas, the Clinics stayed at the Kikiwak Inn, owned and operated by OCN, one of Manitoba’s largest and most enterprising First Nations. The Pas is one of the three largest communities in Northern Manitoba: others being Thompson and Flin Flon.

University College of the North

UCN plays a central role in northern education, research, development of Northern Manitobans, and is guided by Indigenous and northern values. Chancellor Edwin Jebb, a member of OCN, was one of the first Indigenous graduates of the University of Manitoba. President and Vice Chancellor Doug Lauvstad has championed economic and social progress across the region, and been a passionate advocate helping northern people and addressing northern issues.

For the visiting law students, UCN provided a welcoming space to connect with local students and members of the community.

Meeting Dr. Roberta Bondar

The trip coincided with a special event: Canadian astronaut and neurologist Dr. Roberta Bondar visited The Pas for a Grand Opening of Patterns & Parallels: The Great Imperative to Survive, an exhibition featuring photographic works of Dr. Bondar,  which will be  running until March 13, 2026. The exhibition, presented in partnership between UCN,  The Pas Guest List, and The Roberta Bondar Foundation, took several years to arrange, and is the first time Dr. Bondar’s work and exhibit had been translated into three first nation languages spoken in the area: Cree, Dene, and Anisinimowin.

In a packed auditorium, Dr. Bondar spoke about the environment and endangered migratory birds and how human development threatens their survival. Her career achievements — first Canadian woman and second Canadian in space, first neurologist in orbit, recipient of the Companion of the Order of Canada, NASA Space Medal, 28 honorary doctorates, and induction into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame — underscored her message of perseverance. She told the audience she had to be “overqualified everywhere [she] went” to break barriers and encouraged everyone to find “parallel paths” when doors are closed, such as in her case taking flying lessons independently because women were not allowed in Air Cadets when she was a youth.

For the law students, these messages were inspiring, as was sharing a flight with Dr. Bondar both to and from The Pas, made for an unforgettable experience.

For more information about this unique exhibit by Dr. Bondar in The Pas, check out CBC Radio Manitoba interview with Gabriella Swan of The Pas Guest List, here.

The Pas Guest List and Community Art

The Clinics also thank Gabriella Swan, a cofounder of The Pas Guest List, for introductions to so many in The Pas with whom the Clinics have connected.  

The Pas Guest List is an incredible social-artistic nonprofit that organizes community events and supports local arts. Its mural project along The Pas’ Walking Path has already added vibrant 40‑foot works celebrating resilience and creativity, with plans to expand to 20 murals over the next decade.

Third-year law student Jessie Canard described visiting the murals: “I was fortunate to have the opportunity and time to check the art in the Pas. Several murals made by the community and well-known Manitoba based artists and others are featured along the trail. It was such a beautiful experience because the snow fall made the colors extra vibrant.”

 A Lifetime of Learning

Though the law students spent only a few days in The Pas, there was a lifetime of learning and lessons learned which are lasting. They gained a deeper understanding of northern culture, needs and building trust with people in the North who now also know more about their rights and how to access free legal support from the Clinics. For the Clinics, these trips also reinforce the importance of meeting people in-person which is culturally appropriate in the North where there is a both need to remove barriers and build trust face-to-face.

Acknowledgement

The Clinics are incredibly thankful for the support of Innovation, Science & Economic Development Canada through the IP Clinics Program Grant funding which enabled and made for these important in-person Northern visits possible. 

Submitted by Manitoba Legal Clinic for the Arts & L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic