University College of the North (UCN), in partnership with Margaret Barbour Collegiate Institute (MBCI), is proud to celebrate the success of the 2026 BizQuest competition. The competition highlights the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of northern Manitoba high school students.
BizQuest provides students with a hands-on opportunity to develop and pitch original business ideas, building practical skills in innovation, problem-solving, and presentation. The competition continues to serve as a platform for emerging young entrepreneurs to explore business education and career pathways.
“Through our partnership with MBCI, BizQuest provided an amazing opportunity to see students bring their ideas to life. Watching them develop and present their own business concepts showed just how much talent and innovation we have in our community,” said Cindy Hiebert-Dixon, UCN Business Instructor.
UCN is pleased to recognize this year’s top performers:
First Place — Praise Alexander, awarded a full year of tuition in UCN’s Business Faculty
Second Place — Cooper Rousson, awarded a full year of textbooks in UCN’s Business Faculty
Third Place — Evelyn Parks
Fourth Place — Jace Dorion
All participants demonstrated strong leadership, creativity, and business insight, reflecting the potential of youth across northern communities.
“MBCI is grateful for the opportunity to partner with UCN on an innovative project such as Bizquest. It was inspiring to see students apply their business knowledge to real-world case studies and then develop original business concepts of their own.” said Lisa Gibb, MBCI Business Teacher.
UCN extends its appreciation to Margaret Barbour Collegiate Institute for its continued partnership and commitment to experiential learning. Together, the institutions are helping to create meaningful opportunities that prepare students for future academic and career success.
Through initiatives like BizQuest, UCN reinforces its commitment to youth engagement, education, and regional economic development by inspiring the next generation of innovators and leaders.
UCN congratulates all participants for their dedication and outstanding achievements.
University College of the North provides learning opportunities to northern communities while respecting diverse Indigenous and northern values.
