The University of Winnipeg Foundation (UWF) and the University of Winnipeg (UWinnipeg) are proud to announce Dr. Ida Albo, C.M., Managing Partner of the Fort Garry Hotel, Spa and Conference Centre, as the recipient of the 2025 Duff Roblin Award.
The inaugural Duff Roblin Award Dinner was held in 2007 to honour a community leader whose career, volunteerism, or philanthropy has made a significant impact on UWinnipeg and education in Manitoba. The first recipient was Dr. Duff Roblin, who served as Premier from 1958 to 1967.
"Ida Albo is one of the most generous and visionary leaders our city has ever known," said Kenny Boyce, Co-Chair of the Duff Roblin Award Dinner Committee. "Her unwavering commitment to community has touched countless lives whether through her support of health care, education, and wellness initiatives, or through her tireless work with a wide range of charitable organizations that uplift and empower diverse and varied communities."
The 17th Annual Duff Roblin Award Dinner and ceremony will be held on Thursday, November 6, at the Metropolitan Entertainment Centre in Winnipeg. Past award winners include the Honourable Gary Doer, OM, Gail Asper, Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, and Ruth Hastings.
"I am honored to be chosen as this year's recipient of the Duff Roblin Award," says Albo. "I know all the previous award recipients and am humbled to be in their company."
A proud graduate of both the UWinnipeg and Queen's University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and Master's Degree in Economics respectively, Dr. Albo's academic foundation shaped her future success as a business leader and community builder. She has been recognized with an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from UWinnipeg in 2016, honouring her exceptional contributions to her alma mater and to society at large.
"We look forward to celebrating such an exceptional member of our alumni community," says Danielle Dunbar, Vice-President, University Advancement at UWinnipeg. "Ida Albo's remarkable contributions to our province reflect the values at the heart of UWinnipeg's mission to strengthen communities and improve lives through education, engagement, and service."
The Duff Roblin Award Dinner raises funds to support the Duff Roblin Scholars Fund, the Opportunity Fund, and the Wii Chiiwaakanak Learning Centre. From providing Graduate Student Fellowships in Indigenous Governance to bursaries for Indigenous students, new Canadians, students from inner-city neighbourhoods, and refugees, this financial support helps students achieve their post-secondary dreams. Since 2007, the Duff Roblin Award Dinner has raised $2.4 million.
"This event has become a tradition to which we look forward, every year," says Sherri Walsh, Chair of the UWF Board of Directors. "It provides us with an occasion to celebrate the contributions of a distinguished community leader and to highlight the University's work in supporting and developing the future community leaders for generations to come."
For more information about the recipient and evening, please visit the 2025 Duff Roblin Award Dinner website.
