The University of Manitoba is following in the footsteps of other post-secondary institutions by doing away with an old tradition.
University spokesman John Danakas told 680 CJOB the “for sale” sign in front of the stately home at 37 King’s Dr. in Fort Garry is a sign of the times.
“Times change. … Universities have been providing homes for presidents for decades, but recently, most universities have moved away from that,” he said.
“It had a lot of appeal. The president would entertain students, faculty, staff. … There would be receptions held in the home.”
The U of M, however, found that it was much more cost-effective and easier to control events if they were held on-campus, so its board of governors decided to sell the home earlier this year.
The recent appointment of a new university president, Michael Benarroch, meant the timing was good to take on the cost-saving measure.
“It’s a different era than it once was,” Danakas said.
“Certainly there was a historical aspect to this. Going back to before the 1950s, the university has been providing a home on-campus as well as off-campus to the president.
“The signal is that where there are opportunities for savings, where there’s an opportunity to control costs, universities across Canada are going to take advantage of those opportunities.”
Danakas said the school has already seen savings on the event front, as the COVID-19 pandemic has put a hold on all events for the time being.
The house has yet to be formally listed with a realtor, so there’s no price available at this point. Danakas said it’s not going to be a cheap purchase.
“It’s on the higher end of the listings in Winnipeg, no question about that.”
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