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Manitoba Organization: St. Boniface College / University of St. Boniface

Link to:
Rectors | Principals | Presidents

Founded in 1818 by Roman Catholic cleric Joseph Norbert Provencher, the St. Boniface College (now the Université de Saint-Boniface) was the first post-secondary educational institution in Western Canada. Incorporated formally in 1871, it joined with other religious colleges, St. John’s College (Anglican) and Manitoba College (Presbyterian) in 1877 to establish the University of Manitoba which initially served merely to confer degree on those trained by the member colleges, but later assumed responsibility for its own teaching.

The college offered baccalaureate programs in Arts and Education, and has periodically offered non-credit courses in such topics in business administration, accounting, and adult education.

The original St. Boniface College building was built in stages between 1880 and 1902. It was destroyed by fire on 25 November 1922, along with all its records and library holdings. Operations were moved to the St. Boniface Seminary on Cathedral Avenue, which remains its location today.

Rectors

Period	Rector
?-?	Louis-Raymond Giroux (1841-1911)
1884-1889	Francois Azarie Dugas (1852-?)
1889-1910	?
1910-1912	Joseph Carriere (1871-?)
1912-1913	Gustave Jean (1872-?)
1913-?	Edouard Lecompte
?-1917	Mgr. Gagnieur (?-1921)
1917-?	?
?-1925	Henri Bourque (1868-1943)
1925-?	?
?-1954	Jean d’Auteutl Richard (?-?)
1954-1960	Joseph Oscar Boily (1909-?)
1960-?	Guy Fortier
?-c1981	?
c1981	Claude Thibault

Principals

Period	Principal
1875-1881	Andre-Augustin Forget Despatis (1835-1881)

Presidents

Period	President
1881-1884	Alphonsus Avila Cherrier (1849-1935)
1884-?	?
?-2014	Raymonde Gagné
2014-2019	?
2019-?	Sophie Bouffard

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: St. Boniface College / Universite de Saint-Boniface (200 Avenue de la Cathedrale, Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: St. Boniface College Kitchen Wing Fire Plaque (607 Rue Langevin, Winnipeg)

Université de Saint-Boniface

MHS Centennial Organization: University of Manitoba

Sources:

“New Rector of St. Boniface College,” Manitoba Free Press, 29 April 1913.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 22 April 2020