Winnipeg, MB - Today, Mayor Brian Bowman and Speaker Devi Sharma, joined by former Mayor Susan Thompson, officially unveiled the newly named Susan A. Thompson Building located on the City Hall Campus at 510 Main Street.
“I am pleased to be able to recognize former Mayor Susan Thompson in this way, and I want to thank my Council colleagues for their unanimous support for renaming the administration building in her honour,” said Mayor Brian Bowman. “Susan is a role model and inspiration for many other women across our community to become more involved in business and politics, and it is very fitting to recognize her as one of Winnipeg’s most influential women to advance the role of Canadian women in politics and to commemorate her commitment to public service.
During Susan Thompson’s two terms as Winnipeg’s 40th Mayor, one of her many considerable contributions to public service in Winnipeg was the implementation of the current administrative structure still utilized more than two decades later. After public office, Susan Thompson went on to serve as the first woman Consul General at the Canadian Consulate in Minneapolis, the founding President & CEO of The University of Winnipeg Foundation, and was a recipient of the Order of Manitoba. This year marks the 25th anniversary of her election win as the first female Mayor of Winnipeg.
"Simply said, this is one of the most incredible honours of my life,” said former Mayor Susan Thompson. ”I am most grateful to Mayor Brian Bowman, Councillor and Speaker Devi Sharma, and all members of Winnipeg City Council for this most historic honour. We are in a time of history when the importance of recognizing and acknowledging the leadership of women is paramount, and the Susan A. Thompson Building makes this statement. Yes, it is my name on this building, and it is my wish that it also be a symbol of recognition and respect for all the women of Winnipeg. May it also be an encouragement to others to name more buildings in Winnipeg after the women of Winnipeg. With my name on this building come four cornerstones - truth, integrity, hard work, and perseverance. The only thing one ever truly owns in life is their name, and with these four cornerstones of my life, I am proud to have my name on this important City of Winnipeg building."
As the City of Winnipeg's first female Council Speaker, and strong advocate for women in politics, Councillor Sharma had been working with Mayor Bowman to identify a way to recognize women in politics. Councillor Sharma originally proposed the concept of renaming the building last year, as a way to recognize the important role of women in politics and to mark the 100th Anniversary of women’s first right to vote in Canada. The naming of the Susan A. Thompson Building was supported unanimously by Council.
“Former Mayor Susan Thompson’s commitment to our community, and equal opportunity, is an inspiration to women in Winnipeg and across Canada,” said Councillor Sharma. “The dedication of the Susan A. Thompson Building is a vivid reminder of her historic achievement. It will serve as a permanent reminder and a very important symbol of what women can aspire to, not only in politics, but in any sector they choose."