Manitoba Area Council

About the Manitoba Area Council

The CITT’s Manitoba Council can trace its roots back to 1971 when Walter Morris of the Canadian National Railway was transferred to Manitoba. With the support of his fellow rail workers, Walter formed the first ever CITT Council in that province.

The members were primarily railway personnel, and meetings were held in a boardroom in the CNR station. The first Executive consisted of Walter Morris, Al Impey, John Bersiak and John Lysic, who were later joined by David Bibby. Walter and David were instrumental in getting CITT courses into Success College, Red River College and eventually, into the University of Manitoba’s Transport Institute. This is where the foundation was built for formal supply chain and logistics training at a local level.

By 1996, Council had dwindled down to only three members; Darren Christle, Richard Carlyle and Debby Gagnon. But they were determined to re-establish the Council. Through long hours, diligent research and plenty of faxes, attendance numbers started to grow. In an attempt to raise money and build interest, they staged the first Annual Graduation Dinner in 1997 that included a prize auction. This popular event continues to this day and is organized solely by the Manitoba Council.

Darren Christle became Chair in 1999 and although his time on Council (1996-2000) was short, it was extremely fruitful. Membership, event attendance and their bank account all grew, and a lasting Council presence was firmly established. Future Chairs included Kevin Guiney (2000), Reg Wightman (2001-04) and Don Connolly (2004-09).

The Annual Graduation Dinner and Convocation has become a must attend event. Sponsorships are even sold to raise money. Through such efforts, they now rank among the most active of all CITT Councils and are able to provide superior member benefits.

Since 2005, annual events such as the summer golf tournament and the family charity bowling night were created. CITT apparel is now sold across Canada through the Manitoba Council and new scholarships and bursaries have been launched. Council began speaking at high schools to educate the teachers and students about supply chain as a career of choice. Alliances with post-secondary institutions and business partners were strengthened, and the Council Executive rose to ten members.

Today

In order to be successful, Manitoba Council has developed an energetic, entrepreneurial spirit. Far removed from the busy Ontario – Quebec corridor and located near the centre of Canada, they serve as an unofficial liaison that unites CITT members East and West.

Today, they rank among the busiest of all CITT Councils in terms of number of events held and levels of participation. Such enthusiasm requires a focused, strategic direction and strong leadership from their Chair. Darcy Calder, CITT, currently occupies that pivotal role.

Don Connolly, CITT, has served on Council since 2000 in a variety of positions. He was Council Chair from 2005 to the end of 2009. Don was a hands-on leader, and his passion for CITT is almost unmatched. But when Don decided it was time to hand over the reins to someone else, Darcy Calder was eager to take over.

Darcy has been on the Council since December 2007 serving as Council secretary prior to becoming Chair. Darcy currently works as Manager, Canadian Operations for GHY International, a leading provider of Canadian and U.S. brokerage services and international trade solutions. He earned his CITT designation in 2006.

Darcy’s transition into the role of Chair came with high expectations.

“Don Connolly indicated that he would be stepping down and I felt it was the right time both professionally and personally to serve as council Chair,” said Darcy. “Manitoba historically has a strong and vocal Council presence, and I wanted to ensure it remains strong and growing well into the future.”

Darcy’s view of the role of a Council Chair echoes those forward looking sentiments.

“I believe the role of the Chair is to set the vision for the Council so we are delivering value to our members, through tours, seminars and speaking events,” said Darcy. “In addition, the Chair needs to actively pursue relationships with businesses, educational institutes and other associations to build and promote the CITT brand within the province.”

The short term goals of the Manitoba Council are to continue to deliver quality, worthwhile events on topics that are relevant in today’s economic environment. Their long term goals are to continue to reach out at grassroots levels to business and educational institutes (schools, colleges & universities) to create awareness about careers in supply chain and logistics as well as the many benefits of the CITT program.

And time and time again, they do a lot more than just talk.

The Manitoba Council already supports budding supply chain professionals by presenting the Walter Kenneth Morris Scholarship to the top student in Transportation Systems at Red River College. And recently they created another scholarship bursary that also serves to help honour one of their own. The Darren Christle Innovation Award given to a student from Windsor Park Collegiate in Winnipeg who shows an aptitude for supply chain as part of their Career Internship Program. This annual bursary includes a plaque and a cheque for $250.00.

“By creating and providing these awards, we are supporting our students as they further themselves in pursuit of the designation and a career in supply chain,” said Darcy.

In uncertain economic times, there remain many challenges. Like other Councils, participation is always an issue.

“Some of the challenges we face are drawing members out to our events,” said Darcy. “We have done well in maintaining a certain level of participation, but would like to attract not only more members, but non-members as well. This would serve to draw more people into the CITT stream.”

Through Council events, students and guests in particular are able to gain valuable knowledge and best practices that they in turn can take back to their workplaces. Events also provide opportunities to network with other professionals.The Manitoba Council holds many events during the year. In addition to their Annual Awards Dinner and Convocation held every summer, they also host a charity golf day and a bowling night. The money they raise assists in several worthy causes. And despite the volatile economy, recent events show the strength and continuing resolve of the Manitoba Council. Due in part to their outstanding contribution, corporate support for Reposition 2008 in Winnipeg exceeded all expectations and set a CITT record for sponsorship revenue.

As the CITT gateway to the West, the Manitoba Council remains an important part of the CITT’s identity. And thanks to their efforts, supply chain and logistics professionals in Manitoba receive a well-rounded and productive CITT experience.

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For more information on the Manitoba Area Council, please contact Darcy Calder at darcy@ghy.com