Creativity, collaboration, and a little Winnipeg winter humour led to a big win for students in Mme Tugby’s Late Immersion class at École Van Belleghem.
When the City of Winnipeg launched its first-ever Name That Plow! contest in late November 2025, Mme Tugby came across the opportunity on social media. Shortly after, a colleague shared the link, and the students saw an opportunity to make their mark on the city.
The contest invited residents to submit name ideas for snow-clearing equipment, including a fleet of sidewalk and pathway plows. City staff shortlisted their favourite submissions before opening the final round to a public vote.
Rather than simply submitting an idea, the class approached the challenge as a team — brainstorming winter-themed names and refining their top choice together. Students generated approximately 15 ideas and eventually narrowed it down to two.
“We listed all our ideas on the board and voted for the best,” said student Alex Tsoyi. “It took multiple rounds.”
Their clever entry, Brrrr-ger Kings, was selected as the winning classroom submission and is now the official name of the City’s sidewalk and pathway plow fleet.
The class also crafted a short description explaining their choice. One student summed it up perfectly: the plows “deserve to be treated like royalty for the work they do for our community.”
“It references the cold, and they really deserve a reward because they’re making it easier to move around,” said student Muhammad Usman.
The contest drew significant interest across Winnipeg, with thousands of entries submitted. After a public vote in December, winners were announced in January — and Mme Tugby’s class came out on top.
What stood out most to Mme Tugby throughout the process was the enthusiasm.
“The kids were super excited,” she said. “Every morning, they would update me on the vote totals. They were planning who they were going to ask to vote. They were canvassing. It certainly wasn’t a passive victory — they worked really hard for it.”
For many students in the class, the experience carried deeper meaning. A number of them are new to Winnipeg — and to Canada.
As part of their prize, the class was invited to City Hall for a pizza party with Mayor Scott Gillingham. Students received certificates signed by the Mayor with the official seal and even enjoyed custom cookies featuring their winning name.
“We got to meet the mayor for the first time,” said student Bolu Adebola. “We’ve never even seen the mayor before, and it was the first time any one of us got to do such a thing. It was a great opportunity, and the mayor was very nice. The pizza was really good!”
For Mme Tugby, watching her students be recognized in such a public way was especially meaningful.
“People can live here their whole lives and never meet the mayor,” she said. “To have him celebrating their idea and their teamwork in such a special way — I hope it’s something they remember for the rest of their lives.”
For these students, the experience was about more than just naming a fleet. It was an opportunity to see how their voices can contribute to their community — and to watch their idea become part of Winnipeg’s winter landscape.
Congratulations to Mme Tugby’s class on this outstanding achievement!
City Hall Pizza Party Gallery
