Five Bisons honoured for leadership and impact
Each year, the University of Manitoba’s Distinguished Alumni Awards recognize alumni for outstanding achievement and commitment to community both here and around the world. The 2026 recipients reflect that enduring legacy—leaders advancing health care, sport, the arts, community care and Indigenous language rights. In every field and every community they touch, these alumni are Bisons at the centre.
Dentist, educator, entrepreneur and community leader, Dr. Ernest Cholakis [DMD/82] has built a career defined by professional excellence, institutional leadership and sustained service to Manitoba. In 1984, he founded the Cholakis Dental Group, which has grown into one of Canada’s largest interdisciplinary dental and oral-systemic care groups, serving more than 40,000 patients across multiple Winnipeg clinics. Having served over 15 years as an Adjunct Assistant Professor and Co-Director of Dental Practice Management Studies at the University of Manitoba, Dr. Cholakis also served as Founding Chair of the Dean’s Advisory Board and received the University Award for Teaching Excellence. In partnership with UM, he helped relaunch the Kids Dental Outreach Program, providing free dental care to inner-city students while strengthening hands-on clinical training opportunities for dental trainees. His volunteer leadership has extended to the arts and health sectors, including serving as Chair of the Winnipeg Art Gallery during the $75 million Qaumajuq campaign and as Chair of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. His lifelong contributions reflect a deep commitment to community, mentorship and public service.
Ron Paley [BMus/71] is a pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader whose five-decade career has helped shape the sound and structure of jazz in Manitoba. After studying at the University of Manitoba and Berklee College of Music, he toured internationally with the big bands of Buddy Rich and Woody Herman, performing alongside Frank Sinatra on the 1974 album The Main Event – Live. Returning home in 1976, he founded the Ron Paley Big Band—leading it for more than 40 years as a cornerstone of Winnipeg’s music community—and served as musical director of the University of Manitoba Faculty of Music stage band from 1976 to 1986, where he played a vital role in initiating curricular interest in jazz studies that later developed into the Faculty’s Jazz Studies degree program. Under his direction, the ensemble collaborated with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and Royal Winnipeg Ballet, toured across North America and provided apprenticeship and employment for hundreds of musicians. A prolific composer with six recordings as a leader and major commissions from national arts institutions, Ron has combined artistic excellence with extraordinary professional leadership. His contributions have been recognized with the BreakOut West Heritage Award and the Order of Manitoba, affirming his lasting impact on Canada’s jazz landscape.
Dr. Lorena Sekwan Fontaine [LLB/00, PhD/18] is Cree and Anishinaabe and a member of Sagkeeng First Nation whose scholarship has transformed the field of Indigenous language rights in Canada. A Professor and Department Head of Indigenous Studies at the University of Manitoba, she is internationally recognized for her groundbreaking research on constitutional protections for Indigenous languages and the legal redress of “linguicide” arising from the residential school system. Her 2025 book, Living Language Rights: Constitutional Pathways to Indigenous Language Education, has been widely acclaimed as a landmark contribution to legal scholarship and policy, influencing national dialogue and legislative reform, including expert testimony before the Standing Senate Committee on the Indigenous Languages Act. A Canada Fulbright Research Chair and recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal, Dr. Fontaine has also demonstrated exceptional academic leadership and mentorship, building interdisciplinary Indigenous language programming and guiding graduate scholars whose work advances reconciliation and justice. Her scholarship has redefined the constitutional landscape of Indigenous language rights in Canada and set a new direction for legal and educational reform.
Mitch Bourbonniere [BSW/87, MSW/95] is a social worker, educator and community leader whose paid work and volunteer service for decades have strengthened Winnipeg’s inner city. In his role as Community Outreach Liaison with the Downtown Community Safety Partnership and founding member of the original Bear Clan Patrol and Mama Bear Clan, he supports those affected by addiction, gang involvement, incarceration, mental health challenges and poverty. As a volunteer with Okichidah Pimahtisiwin Kiskinawmatowin (OPK) he leads the “Mitch Walk” twice weekly, where 40 to 50 volunteers—including UM social work practicum students—prepare and distribute food and clothing along Main Street. He also volunteers with Drag the Red, Red Road Lodge and serves on the boards of N’Dinawemak Inc—Our Relatives Place, the Gonzaga Middle School Foundation and the Scott Garland Foundation. Mitch has received the Order of Manitoba, two Governor General honours, the Winnipeg 150 Medal, the St. Paul's High School Ignatian Challenge Award and the Canadian Humane Association’s Bronze Medal for Bravery for rescuing a young woman from a Winnipeg river. His decades of on-the-ground leadership have built trust and renewed hope for those too often overlooked.
Olympian swimmer, national record-holder and student-athlete, Kelsey Wog [BSc(Agr)/22, MSc/26] has achieved world-class success in the pool while excelling academically and giving back to her community. A two-time Olympian, she represented Canada at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Games and holds the Canadian record in the 100-metre breaststroke. As a Bison, Kelsey became one of the most decorated student-athletes in U SPORTS history, earning 16 individual national gold medals and being named U SPORTS Female Athlete of the Year, while maintaining Academic All-Canadian standing in Plant Biotechnology. She recently completed a Master of Science in Microbiology at UM, where her research on antifungal resistance has direct relevance to prairie agriculture. Kelsey continues to inspire young athletes through community outreach and coaching, serving as a Director with Swim Manitoba and Chair of its Sport Committee. Still early in her career, Kelsey has already left a lasting mark on Canadian sport and the next generation she now mentors.
“For 67 years, these awards have recognized UM alumni whose work shapes Manitoba and reaches far beyond it,” says Tracy Bowman, Executive Director of Alumni Relations. “This year’s recipients reflect the range of what UM grads do best: they lead with purpose, they stay connected to community and they turn big challenges into bold progress. We’re proud to celebrate them and the impact they continue to make.”
Join us for the 2026 Distinguished Alumni Awards Celebration of Excellence, presented by TD Insurance, will take place on the evening of Thursday, September 24 as part of Homecoming 2026. Get your tickets now.
To purchase sponsorship or a table, please contact Tracy Bowman at alumni@umanitoba.ca.
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