Mission, Vision, Objectives

Marshall McLuhan died in 1980, but his warnings about technologies that affect perception, communication, and the human condition, and his clarion call to think critically about these effects, is more compelling than ever.

Mission

The Marshall McLuhan Initiative Inc. (The Initiative) is a Canadian registered charity dedicated to heralding the life and work of renowned educator, philosopher, and media visionary, Marshall McLuhan, by advancing his enduring insights of how technology and media are reshaping our culture, communication, and the human condition.

Vision

The Marshall McLuhan Initiative is transforming 507 Gertrude Avenue, his most significant childhood home, where he lived from 1920 to 1934 — the longest he lived anywhere in his life — into The Marshall McLuhan Centre. The Centre will serve as a vibrant hub, a place of learning, dialogue, hospitality, and global connection, where The Initiative invites us to “Come for the Message and stay for the Medium.”

From this humble address in Osborne Village, we seek to advance Marshall McLuhan’s thought through education, sponsoring both a scholar- and a student-in-residence, and welcoming visitors, offering an informed perspective on media for individuals and communities throughout the Global Village.

Core Objectives

  • To extend Marshall McLuhan’s legacy, and to explore and illustrate the ways his prairie roots and Christian faith have influenced and shaped his work
  • To celebrate Marshall McLuhan’s Winnipeg roots by procuring, preserving, and curating representative artifacts.• To create a tour/pilgrimage of McLuhan sites in Winnipeg
  • To increase the knowledge of the faith, works, ideas, and global influence of Marshall McLuhan
  • To foster awareness of Marshall McLuhan’s thought within the communities associated with his alma maters —Gladstone, Earl Grey, and Kelvin Schools — and the University of Manitoba through educational events
  • To honour those individuals who continue the McLuhan legacy of his faith, by bestowing upon them The Medium and the Light Award