Mitch Bourbonniere

Biography:

MITCH BOURBONNIERE, O.M., is a social worker, educator and community activist who has worked for decades to strengthen Winnipeg's inner city. A founding member of the original Bear Clan Patrol, he is Community Outreach Liaison with the Downtown Community Safety Partnership and a mentor to at-risk youth. His honours include the Order of Manitoba, two Governor General awards and the Canadian Humane Association's Bronze Medal for Bravery.

Born in St. Boniface, Manitoba, Bourbonniere holds a Master of Social Work. He has taught at the University of Winnipeg and Urban Circle Training and has worked with Mount Carmel Clinic. He volunteers with Ogijiita Pimatiswin Kinamatwin (OPK) and the Action Therapy program, helped establish a men's healing group, and works extensively with people affected by homelessness, addiction, mental health challenges, domestic violence, gang involvement and sexual exploitation. He visits institutions and supports people as they leave prison and gang life.

A mentor and counsellor to at-risk youth, Bourbonniere created the Lateral Empathy program, in which young volunteers collect and deliver food, clothing, furniture and household goods to people in need. He received the Canadian Humane Association's Bronze Medal for Bravery for rescuing a young woman from a Winnipeg river in December 2016, two Governor General of Canada awards, the Order of Manitoba and, in 2026, the University of Manitoba's Distinguished Alumni Award for Community Service.

Sources: Downtown Community Safety Partnership (https://www.dcsp.ca/team/mitch-bourbonniere/); https://www.mitchbourbonniere.com/bio.html; University of Manitoba, UM Today (2026).

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