University of Manitoba

Lambda Foundation for Excellence – Les McAfee Memorial Award

This annual award, valued at approximately $2,900, honours the memory of Les McAfee — a trailblazing activist whose life bridged political service and the fight for 2SLGBTQIA+ rights in Canada.

Les McAfee was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party in both Saskatchewan and Manitoba, where he worked alongside Bert Cadieu, MP, and served as Executive Assistant to the Minister of Mines and Natural Resources. In 1979, he became Special Advisor to the Honourable David MacDonald in Ottawa. Beyond partisan politics, Les was a tireless human rights champion: he was a founder and first President of EGALE (Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere), a dedicated fundraiser for Pink Triangle Services (PTS), and a general project manager of the Canadian Tribute to Human Rights. In 1989, he received the Gay Community Award, and in 1995 was posthumously honoured with the Lambda Foundation Human Rights Award.

This award was made possible through a testamentary gift by Mr. Christian Landry — a long-time civil servant in Ottawa and human rights activist, and a recognized Founder of the Lambda Foundation for Excellence — in tribute to his friend and colleague Les McAfee.

Eligibility

The award is open to full-time undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in any Faculty or School at the University of Manitoba who:

• Have achieved a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (or equivalent) on all courses completed to date
• Are conducting, or have proposed to conduct, research relating to 2SLGBTQIA+ people — including their community, values, achievements, art, and sports — or on policy and human rights issues that affect them

Applicants are assessed on academic standing, the relevance of their research to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and a letter of recommendation. Selection is made without discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, or disability, in keeping with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Preference is given to students whose research has been published or accepted for publication.

To Apply

Submit a curriculum vitae, current transcript, research proposal, and a letter of recommendation from the Head of your Department (or designate) to the University of Manitoba’s Office of Financial Aid and Awards.

Contact: awards@umanitoba.ca