Providence University College is ramping up to celebrate its one-hundredth anniversary. The festivities will kick off over the weekend of September 5–7, beginning with an awards reception and gala in Winnipeg on Friday, September 5.

The following day, Providence will host a free on-campus festival, followed that evening by the first major concert at the Southeast Event Centre in Steinbach with Grammy-winning Christian music artist Zach Williams and Niverville’s own Juno-winning Jordan St. Cyr taking the stage.

Families visiting the campus on Saturday can look forward to bouncy castles, facepainting, a petting zoo, and food trucks during their visit. Those interested in learning more about the campus can participate in a self-guided tour or meet English literature and science professors hosting interactive activities for guests.

Sports fans can spectate as Providence Pilots take on Université de Saint-Boniface in a morning soccer match. Music lovers can look forward to live performances from alum and southern Manitoban musicians such as Brandon Post and Trio, Amy Peters and Friends, and Joel and Howard Jolly.

To top it off, the afternoon will feature a celebratory flyover by Harv’s Air, a longtime Providence aviation partner.

The community is also invited for a commemorative outdoor worship service at the campus the next day at 2:00 p.m.

“We really want the greater community to come out and be part of the events,” says Kathryn Mulolani, Providence’s director of marketing. “The festival is not only for students, friends, and alumni but for the surrounding community in southern Manitoba because they have supported us so well throughout the years.”

She adds that the school’s alumni have gone on to become educators, healthcare professionals, counsellors, business leaders, and pastors.

Founded in 1925 in Winnipeg by H.L. Turner as the Winnipeg Bible Training School, the college has grown from a small faith-based institution with just 26 students in its first year into a university with far-reaching influence while maintaining its Christian mission.

After several moves within Winnipeg, it relocated in 1970 to the former location of St. Joseph’s College (Maison Saint-Joseph) in Otterburne, where it has remained for the past 55 years.

This legacy of growth and faith is reflected in the centennial theme: “Holding fast, pressing forward.”

 “‘Holding fast, pressing forward’ has become our theme, honouring our mission while moving ahead,” Mulolani says. “We found this phrase in our archival work. The first part is drawn on from the book of Titus, where leaders are called to ‘hold fast the faithful word,’ and the full phrase felt like the perfect fit for our centennial.”

Mulolani adds that the school will be using the occasion to honour 26 people with the Distinguished Service Award.

These individuals, including past faculty, donors, and integral members of the community, have all made a remarkable impact on Providence.

From its earliest days, Providence has also stood out for the role women played in shaping the school. When the Winnipeg Bible Training School opened its doors in 1925, women were among the founding faculty and continued to be central to its growth.

Among this year’s honourees is Muriel Taylor, a founding faculty member who dedicated 25 years of service to the school and, since 2020, has been the namesake of the women’s residence on campus.

Another is Gail Tiessen, whose leadership in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) earned her the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Literacy in 2006.

Their stories, among others, highlight a century of women influencing Providence’s mission and success.

The athletic department is celebrating its own milestone this year. It has been 50 years since it was first established in 1975 under founding athletic director Dr. Dennis Hiebert, now a sociology professor.

Currently, the Providence Pilots have teams spanning basketball, soccer, volleyball, futsal, and a newly formed cross-country team. Recent highlights for the athletic department include the women’s soccer team winning a national championship in 2022, women’s basketball taking the Northern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NIAC) title in 2024, and the men’s team earning their first in 2025.

This past spring, Providence and the Town of Niverville co-hosted the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s Volleyball National Championships, bringing the national stage to southern Manitoba.