Journeys North

This summer, University of Manitoba law students working at the L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic and the Manitoba Legal Clinic for the Arts put in a lot of mileage on the road, travelling from Winnipeg to events in Flin Flon and Thompson, Manitoba, bringing their legal knowledge to northern communities. The students hosted booths and gave talks at three North-facing events in August, including visiting Flin Flon and its Blueberry Jam festival from August 6 to 9; talking to Northern entrepreneurs in Thompson from August 11 to 13 through Community Futures Manitoba North Central Development; and attending the Northern Association of Community Councils (NACC) 54th Annual General Assembly and Tradeshow, held August 18 - 20, 2026, in Winnipeg.

Beyond hard rock mining and hard rock music

First, University of Manitoba law students Kayla Bornemann (2L), Katarina Ewert (2L) and Jessie Canard(JD/26, currently an Articling Student) travelled to Flin Flon—“Canada’s Unexpected Music Town” — to meet northern artists, entrepreneurs and community leaders and host an information booth at Blueberry Jam, Northern Manitoba’s biggest music festival. The students attended at the invitation of Crystal Kolt, O.M., Flin Flon’s Director of Culture and Community Initiatives, and President of Blueberry Jam.

The students met with artists, entrepreneurs, small businesses and community organizations to share information about the Clinics and their free legal information, resources and services.

But the trip became about much more than promoting the Clinics. It gave the students a firsthand look at how a northern community builds opportunity through its people, creativity, history and commitment to one another.

Where mining meets arts and culture

While Flin Flon’s history is rooted in copper and zinc mining, its identity has never been only about that. Longtime resident Ken Pawlachuk gave the students a three-hour tour, sharing the community’s history and his own experience working in the mine. From him, they also learned how music and culture became an important part of community life.

The Flin Flon Community Choir, which has more than 100 members has performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York City. Locally, the choir has brought productions including Les Misérables, Annieand Godspell to northern audiences.

For Katarina Ewert (2L), the experience showed how industry, culture and community can work together. “Flin Flon’s identity extends well beyond its mining history. Its story is one of industry, music, and community coming together to create a distinctive and enduring cultural legacy.”

A culture of support

The students also learned about the community’s commitment to supporting one another through Vanessa Campbell, an Elder Coordinator with the Flin Flon Aboriginal Friendship Centre, who described the Centre’s work supporting employment, youth and Elders in Flin Flon, Creighton, Denare Beach and surrounding communities. Its programs also include arts and land-based activities for Indigenous youth.

Kayla was struck by the Centre’s regional reach. “As someone who has worked at a non-profit in a city, I was amazed by the commitment to programming and outreach in Flin Flon and the surrounding area. They are doing truly remarkable work.”

The students also met Kari Lentowicz, a renowned birch bark biter, mine rescue team leader and community volunteer. Kari shared her artistic practice and the story of losing her home in the devastating Denare Beach fire. Her experience offered another lesson in northern resilience: even in the face of extraordinary challenges, people can rebuild, support one another and look toward the future.

Learning through Blueberry Jam

At the Blueberry Jam festival’s Vendor Square, the Clinics’ information tent became a place for questions, conversations, and information-giving about accessing free legal services regarding forms of business structures, contracts or intellectual property -- and a very popular spot for free candy. The festival itself became an equally important lesson in community-building.

Over three days, music filled the Main Stage and the Rotary Wheel venue, an intimate local venue transformed into an acoustic performer’s dream. Of 73 performances, only three acts came from outside the region.

The students watched Ken and Crystal perform pieces from Godspell with the Flin Flon Community Choir, and saw Crystal’s husband, Mark Kolt [BMus/84; LLB/93] -- a retired lawyer, former UM School of Music and Faculty of Law graduate, and accomplished pianist and composer -- perform in more than 20 acts. They also enjoyed award-winning Winnipeg singer Jennifer Hanson, who has deep Flin Flon roots and serves on the Blueberry Jam board. 

The scale of community involvement was striking. The previous year’s festival attracted approximately 9,000 people and was supported by more than 250 volunteers. Best of all, the event is free, making it accessible to everyone including families regardless of income levels. Blueberry Jam offers a glimpse of what is possible when a community invests in its people.

For the law students, perhaps the most important lesson was simple: Flin Flon’s greatest resource is not only what lies beneath the ground. It is the creativity, resilience, innovation, entrepreneurship, generosity and determination of the people who call the North home --and their willingness to build the future together.

The Clinics look forward to continuing to support communities across Manitoba, including Northern communities that have much to teach us about strength, hard work and working together to build stronger communities.

Bringing Access to Justice to Thompson

From August 11 to 13, articling student Jessica Canard [JD/26], and clinic summer students Jenna Sigurdson(2L), Katarina Ewert (2L) and Kayla Bournneman (2L), headed to Thompson, MB  on behalf of the L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic and the Manitoba Legal Clinic for the Arts. Working with Community Futures Manitoba North Central Development, they delivered public legal education sessions for Northern entrepreneurs while also learning about the community, its history, culture and opportunities.

The experience reinforced an important lesson: access to legal services cannot always be delivered from an office in Winnipeg. For Northern communities, removing barriers can mean travelling north, listening and finding ways to provide information in person and in culturally appropriate ways.

Learning from the North

The students visited University College of the North (UCN), where they learned how education can be deeply connected to community.

UCN offers post-secondary programs with a strong focus on Northern and Indigenous values. Most of its students are Indigenous, and the university provides supports that connect students with culture and community, including access to Elders, traditional healing, a sweat lodge and child care.

The students saw modern classrooms equipped with technology that allows courses to be shared with remote campuses. Beyond academics, UCN serves as an important community gathering place, hosting public events and providing a welcoming space for people to connect.

The students’ visit also highlighted Thompson’s vibrant arts and cultural community. At the Mall of the Arts, Executive Director Andria Stephens described how the organization supports Northern artists through workshops, lessons and an Artisans Market. The organization is also part of the imagiNorthern Network, which connects Northern artists with audiences and markets in southern Manitoba and beyond.

At Heritage North Museum, the students learned more about Thompson’s history and the region’s Indigenous heritage. Established by nickel mining company INCO in 1956, Thompson is located on Treaty 5 territory and on the traditional lands of the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation and the Métis people. 

Legal knowledge meets entrepreneurship in the North

Community Futures North Central Development supports entrepreneurship, self-employment and community economic development through financing and other business supports, including programs for women entrepreneurs, Indigenous entrepreneurs and Indigenous youth, as well as microloans in Northern Manitoba The law students joined Community Futures in delivering two legal education events. More than 20 participants with diverse business interests and backgrounds attended a lunch-and-learn covering business structures, contracts, intellectual property and how to access free legal assistance through the Clinic.

A second, three-hour workshop gave participants an opportunity to work through business plans and identify potential legal issues. Meals for both events were provided by the Thompson Friendship Centre.

For UCN student Emily Bushby, attending the sessions offered a new perspective on entrepreneurship.

“The workshop hosted by the L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic was such a unique opportunity to look at entrepreneurship and businesses from a different perspective,” she said. “I really appreciated being able to connect with other like-minded people and learn alongside such a bright and motivated community.”

“Being able to be in a community with people who want legal information so they can enhance themselves and their business was so rewarding,” said Jessica Canard. “Having lawyers and students-at-law physically around to share legal information was important and reassuring.”

Ewert said participants demonstrated a strong commitment to their ideas and businesses.

“It was a pleasure to attend the event in Thompson and meet with participants to learn about their businesses and future goals,” she said. “It was clear that they were passionate about their work and had invested significant time and effort into developing their ideas.”

Building relationships that last

The Thompson visit was more than a series of educational sessions. It was an opportunity for the students to see how partnerships can strengthen access to resources and create a greater impact.

By working alongside Community Futures Manitoba North Central Development, the Clinics were able to reach entrepreneurs directly, while learning from the people and organizations already supporting Northern communities.

The Clinics plan to continue building relationships in the North through future in-person visits and online learning opportunities offered in partnership with Community Futures North Central Development.

The goal is simple: to ensure that Northern entrepreneurs, artists and organizations know that free legal support is available—and that they do not have to navigate the legal side of pursuing their livelihoods alone.

For the students, the journey north offered a lesson that will extend well beyond the classroom: removing barriers and meaningful access to justice begins with meeting people where they are.

The journey’s last leg: The power of partnerships in the North

Second-year law students Will Huh and Kayla Bornemann attended the Northern Association of Community Councils (NACC) 54th Annual General Assembly and Tradeshow, held August 18 to 20 at the Radisson Hotel in Winnipeg. It was the fourth year the Clinics participated in the event and the first for Huh and Bornemann.

The Assembly brought together representatives from 47 northern communities, along with federal and provincial officials, businesses and organizations working to support Northern Manitoba. The message was clear: stronger communities are built through collaboration, connection and shared commitment.

For more than 50 years, NACC has represented northern and remote communities governed under The Northern Affairs Act. It advocates for greater equity and works with the Province, Indigenous governments, industry and community partners to address challenges involving health, food security, safety, education, employment, resources and sustainable economic development.

Its goal is not to compete with larger centres, but to ensure Northern Affairs Communities have the respect, opportunities and tools needed to build strong, sustainable futures—a message that resonates with the Clinics’ commitment to expanding access to legal services and opportunities across Manitoba, including the North.

Learning from Northern leaders

Throughout the Assembly, delegates heard from political, business and community leaders, including federal Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs Rebecca Chartrand; Manitoba Minister of Justice Matt Wiebe; Manitoba Finance and Manitoba Hydro Minister Adrian Sala; Minister of Municipal and Northern Relations Glen Simard; Deputy Minister Maurice Bouvier; Arctic Gateway Group President and CEO Chris Avery; and Lorne Peletier, Senior Economic Advisor with the Manitoba Métis Federation and others.

A common message emerged: Northern Manitoba matters to the entire Province. Its people, resources and economic opportunities are important to Manitoba’s future, and progress depends on governments, communities, businesses and organizations working together.

Law students Huh and Bornemann represented the Clinics, sharing information about the free legal services available while learning more about the needs of Northern Manitoba communities and how the Clinics could help.

Building connections

For the law students, the event was about more than listening. It was an opportunity to build relationships.

Bornemann described the conference as “alive with energy and innovation.” She was impressed by the technologies and infrastructure being developed for northern communities and said she left feeling she had been part of “something new and exciting.”

Huh said being surrounded by people committed to northern development was inspiring. The experience was eye-opening, he said, leaving him proud to represent the Faculty of Law and the Clinics and excited about the role he could play in creating change.

The students connected with organizations whose work aligned with their interests, including Urban Systems, the Healthy Horizons Foundation and Community Futures Manitoba North Central Development with whom they had collaborated the previous week on presentations and workshops for emerging and established self-employed entrepreneurs.

Lessons to carry forward

The NACC Assembly left the students with lessons extending well beyond their summer employment: meaningful progress begins with listening, building relationships and working together.

Northern communities know their own needs and have their own visions for the future. Effective solutions require those voices to be heard and respected.

For Will Huh and Kayla Bornemann, the experience demonstrated that collaboration and partnership are not simply ideals -- they are necessary practical tools for building healthier, safer, stronger and more economically self-sufficient and sustainable communities.