Arts Celebrating Arts is a luncheon held annually as part of the University of Manitoba’s Homecoming to honour the outstanding achievements and contributions of students, faculty and staff. This year's celebration will take place on:

Friday, September 27, 2013
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Marshall McLuhan Hall,
2nd floor, University Centre
University of Manitoba

Celebrated Alumni 2012

Paul Moist – is the 5th national president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Canada’s largest union with more than 605,000 members and the first president from Western Canada. Mr. Moist received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the U of M with studies in Canadian history and political science.

Mr. Moist is an ardent advocate for public services and has led CUPE to the forefront in the fight against privatization. He has championed the positive and vital role services like health care, education, and child care play in making our communities better places to live for all Canadians.
Mr. Moist is a firm believer in the labour movement as a force for social change, and has used his leadership to expand CUPE’s work in literacy, combating climate change, improving the socio-economic conditions of Aboriginal peoples, anti-racism, and LGBTT rights advocacy.
As national president, Mr. Moist is a leading voice on the economy, globalization, trade, and a staunch defender of human rights in Canada and around the world. Most recently he has focused on workers’ rights and pension reform.
Mr. Moist became a CUPE member in 1975 when he began working as a wading pool attendant with the City of Winnipeg. After a variety of other jobs with the City, he became and remains a greenhouse gardener.  He would go on to spend a decade as a national staff representative, and another ten years as president of CUPE 500 – representing 5,500 municipal workers in Winnipeg. His service to CUPE and the labour movement in his home province would continue as president of the provincial division of CUPE in Manitoba, and as a long-time executive member of the Manitoba Federation of Labour.
Nationally, Mr. Moist is vice-president of the Canadian Labour Congress, and a governor of the Labour College of Canada. On the international stage, he is a vice-president for Public Services International – the 20 million member global union for public sector workers.
Mr. Moist also has a long record of public service outside of CUPE. He has served as vice-chair for the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation, co-chair of the Manitoba Premier’s Economic Activity Council, treasurer of the United Way of Winnipeg, director of the Misericordia Health Centre, and director of the Winnipeg Library Foundation. He sits on the Board of Directors of Manitoba Blue Cross and the Shareholder Association for Research and Education (SHARE).

Niki Ashton  – is the NDP member of parliament for Manitoba’s Churchill electoral district. Ms. Ashton graduated with a BA in Global Political Economy at the University of Manitoba. She went on to complete her MA in International Affairs at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University. She is completing her PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies at the Arthur V. Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice at the University of Manitoba.
First elected MP for the riding of Churchill in 2008 and re-elected in 2011, Ms. Ashton is a strong voice for Northern Manitoba and for equality in Parliament.
Ms. Ashton has spoken out and been a leading voice on many issues affecting not only Manitobans but all Canadians. These issues include calling for action to end the poverty and third-world conditions facing Northern and Aboriginal people as well as maintaining Canadian jobs and control over our economy. Ms. Ashton has also been a strong advocate for gender equality and human rights, including same-sex marriage rights. She has also been a leading voice in the fight against the destruction of the Canadian Wheat Board, Motion-312, and the Experimental Lakes Area research program.
The youngest woman in the 40th Parliament, Ms. Ashton served as the New Democratic Party’s Post-Secondary and Youth Critic and as Rural and Community Development Critic. Recently,  Ms. Ashton was elected as the Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women in the current Parliament.
In November 2011 Ms. Ashton launched her campaign to lead the federal NDP. She was one of two women in the race. Throughout her campaign, Ms. Ashton put forward a vision of new politics that seeks to bring Canadians together. In April 2012, Ms. Ashton was appointed Status of Women Critic for the Official Opposition. Ms. Ashton  is excited about her new role and says that she plans to focus on violence against women.