Over 40 years, the Transport Institute has distinguished itself as a hallmark of the Asper School's commitment to innovation.
Located within the Asper School of Business, the University of Manitoba’s Transport Institute (UMTI) celebrates their 40th year of world-renowned thought leadership in Canada’s supply chain industry in 2026.
Slated to kick off their anniversary year is the Northern Transport Conference, taking place February 19-20, 2026.
Rooted around the topic Climate, Sovereignty & Critical Minerals: Navigating the Future of Canada’s North, attendees get to be first-hand witnesses as supply chain leaders, government leaders, Indigenous Nations, industry experts, researchers, and the private sector plot the future of transport in Northern Canada.
Between climate change and shifting geopolitical tensions, Canada’s North is facing unprecedented pressure and opportunity. Melting permafrost threatens infrastructure, warmer winters destabilize traditional ice roads, and extended Arctic navigation seasons invite both economic potential and foreign interest.
Whether the focus is critical minerals, Arctic shipping routes, northern aviation, the Hudson Bay corridor, or the future of northern communities, this conference is where Canada builds its strategy.
The conference will be held at the Robert B. Schultz Lecture Theatre at UM’s Fort Garry campus. Partners of the conference are Dan Blizzard Integrated Services and Mining Suppliers Trade Association Canada (MSTA).
In 1986, the UMTI was established, with the mission to support outstanding collaborative scholarly publications determining the future of Canadian transportation and logistics research, from there facilitating the transfer of knowledge to professional communities and policymakers who can take real action.
Queen Elizabeth II, who happened to be visiting Manitoba, honoured UM by turning the first sod for the Transport Institute/Administrative Studies Building. Snipers were positioned on the fourth floor of Taché Hall for the Queen’s protection.
UMTI was housed in the Drake Centre upon its completion in July 1987, and has remained there since. Dr. Ed Tyrchniewicz and Dr. John Heads served as their first two directors until Dr. Barry Prentice was established as Director (for the first time) in 1996.
Around this time, the first “Fields on wheels” conference was conducted by Prentice. This world-class conference still runs today, and recently celebrated its own 30th anniversary.
Starting in 2002, UMTI grew exponentially. As they became more established, they were awarded funding nine new academic positions for teaching and research in logistics and supply chain management (SCM). Starting September 2003, students could take an undergraduate degree in SCM.
In 2018, Dr. Bruno Silvestre was appointed director, and spearheaded the development of a Master of Supply Chain Management and Logistics (MSCM) program, for future leaders seeking a world-class education in North America’s supply chain hub.
Once Dr. Silvestre became the current Dean of the Asper School of Business, Dr. Prentice was re-appointed director.
Today, Dr. Prentice is regularly interviewed for large publications, from The Globe and Mail to The New York Times looking for comment on world transportation news, especially involving Northern Canada.
Despite the massive size of the transportation industry, academic institutions are surprisingly few and far between. Prentice is very proud of the scrappy institution that has become exactly what it set out to be: one of Canada’s premier places for transportation and logistics thought leadership.
“The University has a real gem on campus,” says Prentice.
The University of Manitoba Transport Institute plays a highly important role in defining the direction of Canada’s and the world’s future scholarly research in transportation and logistics. Learn more here.
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