Louise Leatherdale and the Hon. Peter A. Cumming (K.C.) will receive honorary doctorates at The University of Winnipeg’s 123rd Convocation on Friday, October 13.
Leatherdale and Cumming will be honoured during a 9:30 a.m. ceremony for the conferral of degrees in Arts, Business & Economics, Education, Graduate Programs, Kinesiology, and Applied Health & Science. Professional, Applied and Continuing Education (PACE) certificates and diplomas will be conferred at a second ceremony beginning at 2:30 p.m.
Louise Leatherdale
A true Manitoban in every sense of the word, Louise Leatherdale’s legacy of philanthropy remains both permanent in the structures she has helped build and far reaching in lives she has helped enrich.
Born in Duluth, Minnesota in 1947, Leatherdale is an education graduate from Indiana University. After moving back to Minnesota to work with UnitedHealthCare, she rose to the position of retention manager, a role that saw her take part in the handling and selling of insurance products to businesses.
It was during this time that she met United College alumnus Doug Leatherdale, who she’d marry in 1988. They would become longtime UWinnipeg donors.
Leatherdale’s role as a donor is evident when walking around campus. Her generous gift of $2.5 million in 2015 attracted fundraising support for Leatherdale Hall, which officially opened in 2017.
Her continued commitment to the awards her and Doug established during his tenure on the UWinnipeg Foundation’s Board of Directors is equally as impressive. The Walter W. Leatherdale Scholarships and Dr. Douglas W. Leatherdale Global Citizen Internships, in addition to many accompanying funds, have all benefited greatly from her generosity.
With a giving history of more than $8.8 million, Leatherdale has forever changed the lives of countless students.
In addition to UWinnipeg, the Winnipeg Art Gallery and Assiniboine Park Zoo are each part of the funding trifecta she has remained dedicated to supporting – with numerous programs, exhibits, scholarships, and buildings owing their creation to her.
By championing fundraising efforts through her charities, Leatherdale has brought important change to UWinnipeg, the City of Winnipeg, and Province of Manitoba.
UWinnipeg alumna Susan A. Thompson, who was the first woman to serve as Mayor of Winnipeg, says Leatherdale has “undoubtedly helped shape our community for the better through her philanthropic endeavours.”
Peter A. Cumming
Peter A. Cumming has dedicated his life’s work to ensuring Indigenous rights and laws are protected.
Born in Winnipeg, Cumming is a United College alumnus, graduating in 1959. Upon graduation, he began his law studies at the University of Manitoba, serving as President of the Law Students Association in his final year. He later studied at Harvard Law School as the recipient of the Mackenzie King Scholarship. While then practicing law in Winnipeg, Cumming became involved as a volunteer advising Indigenous persons as to their rights.
In 1968, Cumming joined Osgoode Hall Law School at York University, Toronto, where he taught contracts, commercial law, tax, fiscal federalism, energy law, and Indigenous rights. It was during this time that he became very involved in First Nations rights.
He worked to develop the field of Indigenous law in the 1970s when there were very few lawyers or academics in the field. He spoke extensively in Canada and countries around the world about Indigenous rights and issues. Championing the recognition and protection of Indigenous rights was particularly important to Cumming, especially with the development of oil and gas resources already underway in the Arctic. In 1972, he co-edited the first comprehensive legal text in Canada on Indigenous rights, Native Rights in Canada (2nd edition).
From 1978 to 1995, Cumming was appointed by the Ontario and Canadian governments to act as Chair of many human rights tribunals involving very important legal issues of first instance under the new legislation by each level of government.
Cumming was retained by various Indigenous organizations to represent them in their negotiations with the Government of Canada. Through this work, both as a lawyer and scholar, he played a crucial role in the negotiations that led to the first comprehensive land claim settlements involving federal lands in the 1990s.
His commitment to Indigenous rights also extended to the classroom at Osgoode Hall Law School and as a lecturer at other universities. He developed courses and seminars exploring Indigenous law, which gave future generations of lawyers the ability to make their own contributions to the field.
Cumming’s work was recognized by the Province of Ontario in 1984 when he was appointed Queen’s Counsel. In 1995, he was named Professor Emeritus at York University, and appointed to what is now named the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. His career as a judge involved in particular the development of the law relating to class actions and significant decisions for the specialized Commercial List. Since his retirement in 2013, Cumming has been working as a mediator and arbitrator.
In recognition of exceptional service, achievement, and distinction, The University of Winnipeg presents a variety of awards to deserving members of the University and wider community at our Convocation ceremonies. Learn more about our 123rd Convocation.
