Working Together Magazine - Spring/Summer 2017

WORKING TOGETHER

IMPARTING KNOWLEDGE INSPIRING CONNECTIONS INFLUENCING CHANGE SPECIAL FEATURE: HOW LOCAL CHARITIES, INCLUDING MANITO AHBEE FESTIVAL, ARE UPHOLDING THE TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION’S CALLS TO ACTION

A MAGAZINE OF THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION SPRING | SUMMER 2017

FOR HELPING MAKE ‘A WINNIPEG WHERE COMMUNITY LIFE FLOURISHES FOR ALL.’ Photo by Ginger Johnson, courtesy of Manito Ahbee

WORKING TOGETHER | A MAGAZINE OF THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION | SPRING | SUMMER 2017

THANK YOU

THE LAST WORD WITH CEO RICK FROST

WHY SUPPORTING THE FORKS’ SOUTH POINT PATHWAY IS STRATEGIC WE ALL WANT TO FEEL A SENSE OF PRIDE IN WINNIPEG – AFTER ALL, IT’S OUR HOME AND IT’S NATURAL TO CARE ABOUT THE QUALITY OF LIFE WE SHARE TOGETHER.

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FINDING HAPPINESS IN A NEW HOME

How sport is helping newcomers like eight-year-old Syrian refugee Ahmed El Ahmar adapt to life in Canada. Read more starting on page 20.

o what makes a city great? Here’s why I think The Foundation’s recent grant of $500,000 to enhance the South Point entrance of The Forks makes good strategic sense.

First, great cities are widely recognized for doing some things very well. We all know The Forks is a public amenity space second to none. It has only been about 30 years since The Forks emerged from a rail yard and its world class status has been strengthened with every enhancement. The South Point pathway needs to keep pace with the rest of the site. It is also a critical component of the larger vision which creates a walkway loop on both sides of the rivers. The Forks is a jewel and we need to continually shine it.

Second, great cities pursue policies that promote social equity. This not only means harnessing the talents of everyone but also providing equal opportunity to enjoy the benefits offered by city life. Nothing is more equally available than parks and river walks. In this case, there is a reconciliation theme aimed at celebrating the Indigenous contributions to the culture of Winnipeg since the treaties were first signed. Social justice is an explicit part of this investment.

And third, great cities have town centres where citizens can gather to build relationships, share experiences and generate enthusiasm. The Forks defines itself as a gathering place reaching back for generations. As we think about the 2.2 km walking route that is being developed beside our rivers, it is easy to envision people having leisurely conversations – perhaps with friends, perhaps with strangers. This grant clearly enhances our town centre.

Last year, The Winnipeg Foundation made grants benefiting hundreds of local community projects. Like the South Point, every grant has an impact and we thank our generous donors for making this work possible.

Map images courtesy of Scattliff + Miller + Murray

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OUR VISION

WORKING TOGETHER

A MAGAZINE OF THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION SPRING | SUMMER 2017

A WINNIPEG WHERE COMMUNITY LIFE FLOURISHES FOR ALL

Contributors Nolan Bicknell

Preston Lindsay

Marie Bouchard

LuAnn Lovlin

Stacy Cardigan Smith

Nancy Mak

Spencer Duncanson

Justice Deborah

Noah Erenberg

McCawley

Leanne Fournier

Shaylyn McMahon

Richard Frost

Fred Morris

Vivian Ketchum

Robert Zirk

Photography Ian McCausland and David Lipnowski Design 23 Below

Working Together is published three times per year by The Winnipeg Foundation. In our ongoing efforts to connect with our many communities, we are always looking for ways to improve this publication. If you have comments, please email them to Stacy ssmith@wpgfdn.org.

If you do not wish to receive this publication, please contact us.

The Winnipeg Foundation is For Good. Forever.

We help people give back to our shared community by connecting generous donors with causes they care about For Good. We are an endowment-based public foundation, so gifts are pooled and invested and the annual earnings are granted back to the community Forever.

We strive to be a catalyst for strengthening community well-being, now and for future generations, by promoting philanthropy, creating partnerships and supporting diverse charitable organizations. Formed in 1921, we are proud to be the first community foundation in Canada.

We are committed to working with everyone in our community toward a shared goal of reconciliation. A copy of the Philanthropic Community’s Declaration of Action was signed in 2015 by both The Foundation’s Board Chair and Chief Executive Officer, and helps guide our strategic direction.

The Winnipeg Foundation Board of Directors Justice Deborah McCawley, Chair Mayor Brian Bowman, Ex-officio George Bass

Tracy Graham

Doneta Brotchie

Gerry Labossière

Tom Bryk

Patricia Mainville

David Cohen

Susan Millican

Carolyn Duhamel

Maureen Prendiville

Spencer Duncanson

Robert G. Puchniak

Albert El Tassi

Anita Southall

Daniel Friedman

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FEATURES

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24 FEATURE | TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

7 C ULTURAL AND COMMUNITY 12 A COMPLICATED INCIDENT LEADER

17 T HE CENTRE OF COMMUNITY

Family resource centres

26 C HANGING LIVES,

ONE VERY BIG BOOK AT A TIME

Bicentenary event

build capacity and hope,

Janet Simpson supports

Living the Manito Ahbee

promote reconciliation

bring residents together

early years’ literacy

lifestyle helps athlete thrive

at Battle of Seven Oaks

20 T HE TRANSFORMATIVE

28 N URTURING

10 I NDIGENOUS STORIES ON STAGE

Nanabush and the Drum

Historic Site

13 R EVISING OUR SHARED HISTORY

production presents many

Société historique de Saint-

firsts

Boniface makes decades of

11 R ELEVANT ACROSS THE WORLD Theatre company takes cues from Indigenous colleagues when examining contemporary issues

documents accessible online

14 B REAKING THE CYCLE

Empowering families to keep kids out of care

POWER OF SPORT

Newcomer youth find

A HEALTHY COMMUNITY

friends and structure

Patrice Yamada and Peri

through practice and play

Venkatesh’s gift helps Winnipeg blossom

24 F INDING FOCUS

Mediation program supported by Dr. Cathy Moser helps students discover inner peace

30 S UPPORTING INDIGENOUS STUDENTS

Rhyse Maryniuk’s academic success drives home the importance of scholarships

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DEPARTMENTS

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FROM OUR BOARD CHAIR

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NEW FUNDS AT THE FOUNDATION

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COMMUNITY NEWS COMMONS

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RIVER CITY 360

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OUR FOUNDATION

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BOARD SPOTLIGHT

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THE LAST WORD WITH CEO RICK FROST

STORIES

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MEMORIALIZING A LOVED ONE WITH A SCHOLARSHIP

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SCHOLARSHIPS AT THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION

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MEET OUR DONOR SERVICES TEAM

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A NEW STRUCTURE FOR CAMP MANITOU

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CAMPERSHIPS AT THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION

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EMERGING LEADERS’ FELLOWSHIP

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FAST PITCH BUILDS CAPACITY AND STRENGTHENS COMMUNITY

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VITAL SIGNS SHAPES OUR COMMUNITY’S FUTURE

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FOUNDATION WELCOMES GUESTS DURING OPEN HOUSE

STRETCH YOUR IMPACT TODAY! Until September 2017, for every $5 you give to a Community Building Fund, we’ll stretch it with an additional $1 (for a maximum stretch of $2,000 per fund per year). Your gift will help address our city’s most pressing needs and emerging opportunities.

Good.

Better!

wpgfdn.org/give | 204.944.9474 5

FROM OUR BOARD CHAIR

FEATURE | TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

UNDERSTANDING THE CALLS TO ACTION FOUNDATION’S FOCUS ON TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION AIMS TO HELP US ALONG OUR JOURNEY

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ruth and reconciliation is a journey that calls on all of us – individually and collectively, corporately and institutionally – to respond.

The process we engage to do that will, of course, vary. But whatever path we choose, the important thing is that we familiarize ourselves with the 94 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and recognize that, together, we can make them happen.

The Winnipeg Foundation is committed to working with everyone in our community toward a shared goal of reconciliation. Like so many, we’re still discovering exactly what that means. We know education plays a significant role.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action represent, among other things, important steps to be taken to redress the legacy of the Indian Residential School system and the intergenerational impact it has had on so many. Since many of the Calls to Action are aimed at government and institutions such as museums, archives and educational organizations, The Winnipeg Foundation has identified an important role for philanthropy in advancing education and understanding in our community.

In 2015, The Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada drafted the Philanthropic Community’s Declaration of Action. This document was signed by The Winnipeg Foundation’s thenChair Susan Millican and our CEO Rick Frost.

This document, which is available in full on our website, is helping to guide our strategic direction.

By supporting projects that respond to the Calls to Action, The Foundation is engaging in the work of reconciliation. We are tracking the grants we make that support organizations and programs fulfilling the Commission’s Calls to Action.

In some cases, we are also demonstrating leadership by consulting with the community and proactively looking for programs we can support that uphold the Calls to Action. Instead of waiting for grant requests to come to us, we’re asking community, ‘How can we help?’ One example of this is our support for Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre’s Family Group Conferencing program. Read more about this on page 14.

We want to help individuals understand how the Calls to Action are making a difference in people’s lives and are being implemented in the work and programs of charitable organizations. In this issue of Working Together, we have included a special feature about truth and reconciliation that spells out one Call to Action each grant is upholding. Many of the projects featured uphold multiple Calls to Action, in which case we have chosen just one to highlight.

The Foundation recognizes these are just preliminary steps in our ongoing journey toward truth and reconciliation. We are looking forward to exploring new opportunities to support the implementation of the spirit, intent and content of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s findings and Calls to Action.

Justice Deborah McCawley

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INCREDIBLE IMPACT

CULTURAL AND COMMUNITY LEADER LIVING THE MANITO AHBEE LIFESTYLE HELPS ATHLETE THRIVE For 16-year-old superstar athlete Aiyana Hart, Manito Ahbee Festival is a way of life.

“It’s been great and I’ve been in this ever since I was young. It’s a lifestyle,” says Ms. Hart, who is the 2017 Manitoba Aboriginal Sports and Recreation Council’s Athlete of the Year.

Manito Ahbee Festival is a celebration, a place to learn about Indigenous culture and heritage, an event that unifies, educates and inspires.

Aiyana Hart

Aiyana’s entire family is involved with Manito Ahbee, and she’s been attending the festival for as long as she can remember. Learning about her Indigenous culture, particularly the Seven Sacred Teachings, has inspired her as a person, and as an athlete.

“It made me want to go represent… the Native kids who can’t play or participate in sports. It makes me want to strive more and more, and to be a better athlete.”

FEATURE | TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

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INCREDIBLE IMPACT FEATURE | TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

“ THAT’S WHAT WE’RE STRIVING FOR: OTHER CULTURES TO COME AND PARTICIPATE AND LEARN ABOUT OUR CULTURE.” – Candice Hart, Pow Wow Coordinator 8

R ecipient: Manito Ahbee Festival Program: Reconciliation Through Art program, and Elders’ participation Grant: $117,000 total since 2012, drawn from many Field of Interest Funds; the Moffat Family Fund, which is a Donor-Advised Fund; and the hundreds of Community Building Funds held at The Foundation, including the John and Marion Abra Fund, the Jean Pierre Allemand and William Herbert Milner Fund, and the Hope & Gratitude Community Fund

CALL TO ACTION UPHELD:

COMMEMORATION | 79. III.

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anito Ahbee Festival features several elements and events, including the Indigenous Music Awards, a music conference, a marketplace and trade show, art expo and challenge, and an International Pow Wow. This year marked the four day festival’s 12th anniversary.

Aiyana’s mother Candice Hart is the Pow Wow Coordinator, her father Derek Hart runs the MTS Youth Education Day, and her older brother Tyler Hart works security. Aiyana herself has volunteered in many roles, including supporting Elders.

Attending Manito Ahbee is a good way to learn more about Indigenous culture for everyone – whether you’re Indigenous or not.

“Everybody is welcome to come in and participate,” Ms. Candice Hart says. “One year we had a Chinese couple sitting in our Elders’ section and it was just so amazing to see them sitting there because that’s what we’re striving for: other cultures to come and participate and learn about our culture. It’s a beautiful culture.”

The pow wow, which draws up to 900 participants annually, is a time for people to gather together, reconnect and celebrate.

“You can just feel the energy. Everybody wants to dance and get up and enjoy seeing family and friends,” Candice says.

“We find people connect that have been lost for many years, like ’60s Scoop. A lot of [Indigenous] people have not been brought up in the culture so once they start hearing about these big gatherings, and find out that family members are going there, it’s so easy to find somebody who knows somebody, somehow in our community.”

Attending a pow wow can be emotional for many.

“Being exposed to pow wow, the drum is the heartbeat of our nation. And hearing that drum alone, it brings you to tears, especially for people that have not been exposed to their own culture,” Candice says.

The festival helps people along their journey of reconciliation, adds festival Operations Manager Sandy Fox. “Because Indigenous people and the culture was stifled for so many years, they weren’t allowed to practice their dance, their songs, their culture… As a non-Aboriginal person I’m obviously appalled by the fact the government could go in and

take children from families… There’s a lot of healing that has to go on. And our festival is a celebration, it’s healing for the people, but it’s a celebration that, ‘Now we can do this and be proud of it and invite other people to come in and join us,’” Ms. Fox says.

Reconciliation is different for everyone, and each person may be at a different place in that journey. Candice is at a place where she has forgiven and now wants to help others do the same.

“I’m already on my journey of trying to help everybody else look beyond the horizon. We’ve always raised our kids in a traditional environment so they know the ceremonies, they know what’s out there and that everybody’s equal… the Seven Teachings and to live by the medicine wheel. Sometimes it’s hard but we… try and help everybody else.”

This year, The Foundation made a grant to support the Reconciliation Through Art program, which involves both an art expo and an art challenge. For the challenge, two groups of 10 artists participated, and the pieces were voted on by the public.

Reconciliation Through Art’s intent was to provide a means of educating and communicating the Residential School experience, through reviving, creating and honouring Indigenous traditions and art disciplines, with the message of conciliation and reconciliation.

“For every artist it’s different, it’s their vision or their feelings or what reconciliation means to them because everybody deals with it differently,” Sandy says. “It’s not [only] Indigenous people that can join the art challenge because we want to make it all inclusive.”

In the past, The Foundation’s grants have supported Elders’ participation, including a hospitality suite.

“Our Elders play a huge role in our festival. They guide us on what needs to be done, what should be done, and what shouldn’t be done,” Candice says. “I’ve always followed my elders and tried to help the best way I can and treat them the best we can. Our priority is taking care of them because they took care of us, and in the end, are still taking care of us.”

We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Survivors, Aboriginal organizations, and the arts community, to develop a reconciliation framework for Canadian heritage and commemoration. This would include, but not be limited to: Developing and implementing a national heritage plan and strategy for commemorating residential school sites, the history and legacy of residential schools, and the contributions of Aboriginal peoples to Canada’s history.

Dancer at Manito Ahbee Festival’s International Pow Wow. Photo by Ginger Johnson, courtesy of Manito Ahbee.

HEAD TO RC360.ORG TO HEAR MORE

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INCREDIBLE IMPACT

R ecipient: Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, in collaboration with Cercle Molière Program: Nanabozho et le tambour / Nanabush and the Drum Grant: $10,000, drawn from the hundreds of Community Building Funds held at The Foundation, including the Aleta and Wilbur Pollard Memorial Fund, the Friends of the Foundation Fund, and the Fusion Family and Friends Fund

FEATURE | TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

COLLABORATION BETWEEN CERCLE MOLIÈRE AND MANITOBA CHAMBER ORCHESTRA PRESENTS MANY FIRSTS

INDIGENOUS STORIES ON STAGE

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ercle Molière’s production of Nanabozho et le tambour / Nanabush and the Drum broke new ground in several ways for the local French-language theatre company: it was the first play that was bilingual in English and French, the first collaboration with Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, and the first performance at Westminster United Church.

“We’re really hoping the way the playwright signed the piece [was] so people who either only speak French or only speak English [were] able to understand and comprehend the full piece,” says Artistic and General Director Geneviève Pelletier.

Nanabush and the Drum was authored by local playwright Rhéal Cenerini with music by internationally-renowned composer Michael Oesterle. Ms. Pelletier describes it as “a love story for all ages,” a storytelling-focused piece interspersed with music.

The play, which ran June 7 and 8, was a collaborative effort from the beginning, when the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra approached Cercle Molière with the idea to work together three years ago. A grant from The Winnipeg Foundation helped fund workshops that led to creation of the text and its adaptation to music.

For Ms. Pelletier, who is of Métis descent, the production of Nanabush and the Drum represented an opportunity to explore Francophone Métis identity and culture.

“Francophone Métis have been sort of amalgamated with the Francophone community and there’s a re-appropriation of who we are within that framework, I feel, that is coming forth now,” says Ms. Pelletier. “In exploring who we are, I think the idea is to go back to our roots and try and figure out where we come from because we’ve lost a bit of that and we’ve lost a bit of the teachings.”

Collaborators from the Indigenous community also contributed to writing the play and an Elder followed the project. Ms. Pelletier noted these partnerships have been enriching both for her and for the theatre in general.

“It just feels like a natural fit,” says Ms. Pelletier. “It feels like we have this long history of working together and I think that’s just something that goes in the movement of what’s going on right now today.”

Artwork by Cash Akoza, commissioned by and courtesy of Cercle Molière.

CALL TO ACTION UPHELD:

COMMEMORATION | 83 10

HEAD TO RC360.ORG TO HEAR MORE

R ecipient: Theatre Projects Manitoba Program: Reservations and Huff Grant(s): $25,000 (total), drawn from Field of Interest Funds and the hundreds of Community Building Funds held at The Foundation, including the Burton and Agnes Kennedy Fund, the Simon Roy Armstrong Fund, and The Ryan Family Fund

“ OUR PLAYS [FOCUS ON] WHAT IS CURRENT AND RELEVANT NOT JUST IN THE CITY OF WINNIPEG OR THE PROVINCE OF MANITOBA, BUT AROUND THE COUNTRY AND ALSO, IN A CONTEMPORARY SENSE, AROUND THE WHOLE WORLD.” – Ardith Boxall, Theatre Projects Manitoba’s Artistic Director

RELEVANT ACROSS THE WORLD

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heatre Projects Manitoba closed its 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons with two plays that emphasized Indigenous issues: Reservations and Huff.

“Our plays [focus on] what is current and relevant not just in the City of Winnipeg or the province of Manitoba, but around the country and also, in a contemporary sense, around the whole world,” says Artistic Director Ardith Boxall.

The first play, Reservations, explored two stories linked through themes of belonging, systemic discrimination, restitution and reconciliation. One story dealt with conflicting views between foster parents and an Indigenous Child and Family Services agency, while the other revolved around a Mennonite farmer’s choice to offer his land to the Siksika First Nation.

THEATRE PROJECTS MANITOBA TAKES CUES FROM INDIGENOUS COLLEAGUES WHEN EXAMINING CONTEMPORARY ISSUES

Huff, a production of Toronto-based Native Earth Performing Arts, closed Theatre Projects’ most recent season. Written and performed by Indigenous actor and playwright Cliff Cardinal, the play deals with substance abuse and the plight of systemic discrimination, but offers a sense of resilience and hope. “[Cliff] has a wicked sense of humour, and he’s not afraid to wield that,” says Ms. Boxall. “It takes the audience along with him so that when the dark things happen, they are invested in a very human and connected way with the characters Cliff is portraying on stage.”

Ms. Boxall emphasized the importance of ensuring Indigenous artists have a platform to tell their stories in the way they want to tell them.

“I follow the lead of my Indigenous colleagues,” says Ms. Boxall. “It’s not my place or the place of Theatre Projects Manitoba to say ‘Let’s tell an Indigenous story – let’s go find one about this issue or that issue, or let’s tell it through a lens of hope or through a very dark lens.’”

Although plays like Huff deal with difficult themes, Ms. Boxall understands the need for artists to tell these stories.

“While these kinds of themes – substance abuse, suicide, and sexual abuse – are so, so tough to witness, they must be acknowledged,” says Ms. Boxall. “To paraphrase a line in Cliff’s play, ‘You have to go – it’s the darkness that will lead you through to the light.’”

We call upon the Canada Council for the Arts to establish, as a funding priority, a strategy for Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists to undertake collaborative projects and produce works that contribute to the reconciliation process.

Both Cercle Molière/Manitoba Chamber Orchestra’s production of Nanabush and the Drum and Theatre Projects Manitoba’s productions of Reservations and Huff uphold Call to Action 83.

Left: Actor Cliff Cardinal in Huff. Photo by Akipari, courtesy of Theatre Projects Manitoba.

Right: Actor Tracey Nepinak in Reservations. Photo by Leif Norman, courtesy of Theatre Projects Manitoba.

HEAD TO RC360.ORG TO HEAR MORE

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INCREDIBLE IMPACT FEATURE | TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

R ecipient: Manitoba Historical Society Program: Bicentenary celebrations of the incident at Seven Oaks Grant: $2,000, drawn from the hundreds of Community Building Funds held at The Foundation

BICENTENARY EVENT PROMOTES RECONCILIATION AT SEVEN OAKS HISTORIC SITE

A COMPLICATED INCIDENT

Monument at the site of the Battle of Seven Oaks.

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he Battle of Seven Oaks took place more than 200 years ago, when a party of Métis employees of the North West Company, led by Cuthbert Grant, was confronted by a group of Selkirk Settlers and Hudson’s Bay Company employees, led by Robert Semple.

Semple, Governor of the Red River Colony, was trying to enforce a proclamation forbidding the removal of pemmican from the district.

In the bloody confrontation, 22 men from the Hudson’s Bay side and one from the North West side were killed.

The tragic events that day have been called many things: a battle, a massacre, an incident. Regardless of which term is used, both the site and the monument are places of reflection for Canadians, helping us understand the sometimes difficult and painful process of building a nation.

The battle is remembered as a key step in the development of Métis national identity but there is still debate about many aspects.

“The Battle of Seven Oaks is known as such by others, but not by us. We didn’t write that history,” Manitoba Métis Federation President David Chartrand says. “This is the Victory of the Frog Plain according to the history of our people, and it will be known as that by our people, forever.”

Today the corner of Rupertsland Boulevard and Main Street, the centre of the incident at Seven Oaks, is recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada. The Manitoba Historical Society erected the first monument there in 1891 and it still stands today. Additional signage was recently added to show the Métis perspective.

On June 19, 2016 – the 200th anniversary of the events at Seven Oaks – a celebration highlighted how people living around the area at the time, led by legendary Chief Peguis, quickly moved beyond the ordeal and succeeded in establishing a peaceful, inclusive community – an example of reconciliation that is relevant today.

The anniversary celebration was organized by the Manitoba Historical Society, the Seven Oaks Historical Society and the Manitoba Métis Federation, and included a re-dedication of the monument and an entire day of activities and entertainment. A prayer service for healing and reconciliation was also held at nearby St. John’s Cathedral with the Archbishop of St. Boniface and the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Rupert’s Land officiating.

Manitoba Métis Federation’s David Chartrand emphasized the importance of a thorough understanding of the full story of the incident at Seven Oaks.

“The Métis have always defended our homeland and our families. Our ancestors stood strong together for the preservation of our people and our identity.” Mr. Chartrand says.

CALL TO ACTION UPHELD:

COMMEMORATION | 79. II.

R ecipient: Société historique de Saint-Boniface Program: Digitize and manage archival materials and provide online access Grant: $5,000, drawn from the hundreds of Community Building Funds held at The Foundation

SOCIÉTÉ HISTORIQUE DE SAINT-BONIFACE MAKES DECADES OF DOCUMENTS ACCESSIBLE ONLINE

REVISING OUR SHARED HISTORY

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ue to societal pressures of the past, many Indigenous people destroyed documents linking them to their heritage. Those who didn’t kept their documents hidden for decades. Now, these and many more are accessible for the first time thanks to Société historique de Saint-Boniface (SHSB).

SHSB has made it easier to access the troves of historical information it maintains, including hundreds of Indigenous documents previously hidden away because of shame or fear.

Digitizing documents is a long and difficult job. A grant from The Winnipeg Foundation helped SHSB scan and digitize hundreds of documents to improve access, as well as preserve these important historic pieces for the rest of time.

“This particular collection of documents from the Union nationale métisse Saint-Joseph du Manitoba fonds is important to the Métis people of the West, and to the general public,” says Julie Reid, Archivist at SHSB. “The history of the Métis has been in the news more and more in the past few years and this collection is an important part of it. The more accessible it is, the better!”

Scanned documents, some of which are often the last remnants connecting people with their past, are now available through SHSB’s website, shsb.mb.ca.

“Most of our clients for genealogical searches are Métis descendants so their history is important to them.

When they come here to retrace their ancestry, they often want more information,” Ms. Reid says. “Once they have retraced their roots, we can provide them much of that information.”

A sample from the Union nationale métisse Saint-Joseph du Manitoba fonds, now available on Société historique de Saint-Boniface’s website.

We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Survivors, Aboriginal organizations, and the arts community, to develop a reconciliation framework for Canadian heritage and commemoration. This would include, but not be limited to: Revising the policies, criteria, and practices of the National Program of Historical Commemoration to integrate Indigenous history, heritage values, and memory practices into Canada’s national heritage and history.

Both Société historique de Saint-Boniface and the Manitoba Historical Society’s projects uphold Call to Action 79 ii.

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INCREDIBLE IMPACT FEATURE | TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

BREAKING THE CYCLE EMPOWERING FAMILIES TO KEEP KIDS OUT OF CARE

Angeline Spence became a ward of CFS at the age of eight. At 16 she got pregnant. Against many odds, she was able to break the cycle of CFS involvement in her life, thanks to support she received through Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre’s Family Group Conferencing program.

“ WHEN MY DAUGHTER WAS EIGHT-YEARS-OLD, I LOOKED AT HER AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, ‘I’M SO GLAD THAT SHE DOESN’T KNOW THAT [OTHER] WAY.’” – Angeline Spence, Family Group Conferencing participant 14

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a Mawi provides an Indigenous solution to supporting and rebuilding families. Family Group Conferencing empowers families whose children have been, or are at risk of being, taken into care. The Indigenous-based and Indigenous-led process shifts decision-making to the family and community by gathering a large support system around the children.

“I believe Family Group Conferencing can give the voice back to the family,” says Ms. Spence, 32, who today is the proud mom to 14-year-old Jade and nine-year-old Mitchell.

As a pregnant teen, Angeline decided to move into Isobel’s Place, a home for young mothers run by Ma Mawi. A stipulation of moving into the facility is having a Family Group Conference.

Angeline connected with Family Group Conferencing Coordinator Jackie Anderson, who asked her to look around her support system to see who could help when baby arrived. Angeline could name just three people: her sister, a support worker, and the father of her child. Jackie asked if she could branch out and ask for more supports on Angeline’s behalf.

“I just didn’t think it was going to be possible,” Angeline says, of finding more people to support her.

To her surprise and delight, she was wrong.

“In the end, the day I moved into Isobel’s place, it turned out my daughter’s family was there too, I think there must have

R ecipient: Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre Program: Family Group Conferencing Grant: $1 million over three years, drawn from the Moffat Family Fund

been 17 of them at the Conference… It made me feel good. I guess I wasn’t used to that family unit.”

For most of the people in the room, it was the first time they were meeting. And although the Family Group Conference took almost an entire day, by the end, everything was figured out; from who would be with Angeline at the hospital, to who would teach her to budget and help grocery shop, to who would provide breastfeeding support.

“Their plan was extremely powerful, everything was looked at,” says Ms. Anderson, who today is the Children in Care Coordinator at Ma Mawi. “To look at Angeline at the end of that [session]… the stress and anxiety of becoming a young mom was completely gone because she knew she had all of these people that were going to be here to help her.”

Without that support, there’s a good chance the lives of both Angeline and her children would be very different today.

“You have more success if you have more supports in your life when you have a child,” Angeline says.

“When my daughter was eight-years-old, I looked at her and I thought to myself, ‘I’m so glad that she doesn’t know that [other] way.’”

Today, Angeline works at Isobel’s Place, helping young women in the same way she was helped.

“I kind of got drawn to the field where I wanted to make sure our young people were keeping their kids, especially our young Aboriginal women, because I feel where you came from doesn’t mean you can’t succeed and accomplish things, and also, you break that cycle.”

The Family Group Conferencing model was passed to Ma Mawi from the Maori of New Zealand in 2000.

Based around traditional ways of life, it primarily focuses on the children.

“It gives more personal accountability to the parent or participants and the family because they’re now empowered and committed to a process when it’s focusing on the children,” Jackie says of the model. “So regardless of what’s happened in the past, it’s about moving forward to make sure they have a strong support system and a strong care plan to be able to have children back with family.”

There are currently about 11,000 kids in care in Manitoba, 90 per cent of which are Indigenous.

Family Group Conferencing rates of reunification are very high. According to Ma Mawi, of the 62 admissions of children in 2014/2015, 49 were reunified with family – a reunification rate of 79 percent and an annual cost savings of $1.16 million.

Continued next page

Angeline Spence with son Mitchell and daughter Jade.

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INCREDIBLE IMPACT FEATURE | TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

“ OUR VISION IS TO STRENGTHEN FAMILIES AND BUILD THEIR CAPACITY, BECAUSE WE KNOW THEY HAVE THE STRENGTH. THEY KNOW WHAT IT IS THEIR FAMILY NEEDS. FAMILIES SOMETIMES STRUGGLE, BUT THAT SHOULDN’T DICTATE THE REST OF THEIR LIVES OR THEIR CHILDREN’S LIVES.” – Jackie Anderson, Ma Mawi’s Children in Care Coordinator

Family Group Conferencing is currently available to young moms in Isobel’s place, and to those in Community Lead Organizations United Together (CLOUT), a short-term foster care program.

Thanks to a $1 million grant over three years from The Foundation, Ma Mawi anticipates being able to work with more than 1,100 children between 2017 and 2021, resulting in a savings of more than $26.5 million.

Additional support can’t come soon enough, Jackie says.

“Right now we’re getting almost daily phone calls from different agencies or family themselves or grandparents that need some advocacy, need some help.”

Ma Mawi is looking to hire six additional staff, for a total of nine devoted to Family Group Conferencing.

“Our vision is to strengthen families and build their capacity, because we know they have the strength. They know what it is their family needs,” Jackie says. “Families sometimes struggle, but that shouldn’t dictate the rest of their lives or their children’s lives.”

The Moffat Family Fund’s vision is a Canadian society where all individuals have equal opportunity to develop their potential. Established in 2001, this DonorAdvised Fund has now distributed more than $50 million in community support.

This generous support is appreciated by countless agencies around Winnipeg.

Angeline Spence (left) with Jackie Anderson, Ma Mawi’s Children in Care Coordinator and Angeline’s former Family Group Conferencing Coordinator.

CALL TO ACTION UPHELD:

CHILD WELFARE | 1. II. 16

HEAD TO RC360.ORG TO HEAR MORE

We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial, and Aboriginal governments to commit to reducing the number of Aboriginal children in care by: Providing adequate resources to enable Aboriginal communities and child-welfare organizations to keep Aboriginal families together where it is safe to do so, and to keep children in culturally appropriate environments, regardless of where they reside.

INCREDIBLE IMPACT “ THIS COMMUNITY CENTRE HAS MADE THIS A COMMUNITY, NOT A HOUSING PROJECT. IT’S A CHANCE TO MEET FRIENDS, MEET YOUR NEIGHBOURS, AND LOSE ANY STIGMA. EVERYBODY HAS THEIR STRENGTHS, AND WE SHARE THEM.” – Judi Zolondek, Keenleyside resident

THE CENTRE OF COMMUNITY

FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRES BUILD CAPACITY AND HOPE, BRING RESIDENTS TOGETHER

Fran Reilly (left), Sharon Lagimodiere and Charlene Picard cook together in the kitchen at Family Dynamics’ Keenleyside family resource centre.

R ecipient: United Way of Winnipeg Program: For Every Family Grant: $1 million over six years, drawn from the hundreds of Community Building Funds held at The Foundation, including the Elsie K. (McKay) and Christopher L. Fisher Memorial Fund, the Mayor Bill and Helen Norrie Fund, and the Lavera Moore Fund.

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INCREDIBLE IMPACT

J

udi Zolondek doesn’t like weekends much. That’s when her family resource centre is closed.

“To sum it up, Monday to Friday is my favorite time. I don’t like weekends anymore because the centre is closed. I enjoy the friendships and the compassion this centre shows to everyone.”

Ms. Zolondek has been living in the Manitoba Housing complex on Keenleyside for almost six years. The on-site family resource centre, run by Family Dynamics, is the social hub of the community for many in the 92-unit facility, including Judi.

“Without the resource centre a lot of people wouldn’t get out and meet their neighbours, they wouldn’t get out and socialize. I’m mobility-limited and if it wasn’t for this place, I wouldn’t see anyone except for my son because I can’t even make it to the bus. This is my lifeline to the world.”

Encouraging collaboration The Winnipeg Foundation supports all of these family resource centres through our normal grant-making and will continue to do so.

The Foundation prizes collaboration and has allocated special funding for projects that include a collaborative component bringing together two or more charitable organizations.

Our Board recognizes For Every Family is a special effort to augment existing programming. We appreciate the United Way’s leadership with the For Every Family program because of the collaboration it demonstrates and fosters.

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A $15 million, six-year initiative spearheaded by the United Way is ensuring additional support for the 24 family resource centres across Winnipeg. The For Every Family program is supported by a $1 million grant from The Winnipeg Foundation and is also supported by the Province of Manitoba and many additional donors.

According to United Way, more than 35,000 citizens accessed programs and services offered in family resource centres across Winnipeg last year.

“In every neighborhood across this terrific city we all share, people with the greatest needs are concentrated [around family resource centres],” says Marilyn McLaren, Chair of United Way. “They know how to find these family centres and they make an incredible difference in their lives. They provide a safe, welcoming and nurturing space for people… There’s a very real connection between the important work done at these centres and better outcomes for children and their families.”

Currently, a lack of funding restricts the number of hours centres can be open – some as few as six hours a week.

“It’s a complete mishmash, the centres are living on a shoestring [budget]. But on that shoestring, they’re doing unbelievable work,” says Dave Johnston, Chair of the For Every Family Working Group.

For Every Family aims to keep family resource centres open a minimum of 40 hours a week, help them access additional programming resources, and build a network connecting them, so centres can share best practices.

Additional support for their family resource centre is great for residents in the Keenleyside complex, as hours were recently cut.

The centre offers many programs including a community kitchen, clothing depot, counselling, anger management, budgeting, parental coaching, scrapbooking workshops, family nights, kids cooking classes, and more. All programs are decided by residents at twice-monthly tenant meetings.

“It empowers people to make choices,” Coordinator Sharon Lagimodiere says of the tenant meetings. Ms. Lagimodiere opened the centre four years ago and now works alongside fellow coordinator Louise Friesen.

“We guide, but they make decisions… They empower each other: someone knows how to cook, someone knows how to bake, someone knows how to sew. It strengthens them when they can [organize programming] for themselves.”

The community kitchen program is a favourite for tenants. For just $4, they can make and take home a meal that will feed four.

“It broadened my recipe repertoire, I really enjoy sharing new recipes. It’s cost effective. I’m eating things that I never ate before, like the different spices and different combinations. That’s encouraging me to continue at home. I love it,” Judi says.

Working together in the kitchen also helps build relationships, especially with newcomer populations.

Family Dynamics’ Keenleyside family resource centre Coordinator Sharon Lagimodiere with a young program participant.

FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRES RECEIVING SUPPORT • Andrews Street Family Centre • Canadian Muslim Women’s Institute • Elmwood Community Resource Centre and Area Association • Family Dynamics (Elwick) • Family Dynamics (Keenleyside) • Family Dynamics (Plessis) • Family Dynamics (Tuxedo)

“ WE CAME HERE FROM A REALLY ROUGH PLACE SO [MY KIDS ARE] HEALING. MY DAUGHTER, SHE WAS AFRAID OF MEN WHEN WE GOT HERE, AND NOW SHE’S NOT ANYMORE. THAT COMES FROM BEING AROUND HEALTHIER PEOPLE IN A HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENT.”

• Family Dynamics (Westgrove) • Family Dynamics (Woodydell) • Fort Garry Women’s Resource Centre • Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre (Anderson) • Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre

– Charlene Picard, Keenleyside resident

(McGregor) • Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre (Spence)

“We get past that language barrier and work together and cook together,” says resident Charlene Picard. “Some of us come from places where we didn’t have big families or a lot of support, we didn’t get to work together as a family. I think that it builds capacity in us, and it builds hope in us.”

Some residents may have trust or mental health issues. Coordinators work hard to encourage residents to come to the centre. In one recent case, Louise and Sharon spent a year encouraging a woman and her kids to come to programming.

“We do a lot of outreach. If we see somebody struggling or somebody new [to the complex] or even to the city… we will go invite them in and sometimes it takes a while but they come in and they’re happy,” Sharon says.

Ms. Picard and her three children moved into the complex about two and a half years ago. Being in the positive space has changed their lives.

“We came here from a really rough place so [my kids are] healing. My daughter, she was afraid of men when we got here, and now she’s not anymore. That comes from being around healthier people in a healthier environment.”

This positivity expands to the entire housing complex.

“We build bonds with each other and then we’re watching out for each other outside of the community centre,” Charlene says. “We kind of built a strong foundation. If we didn’t have a community centre we would be watching our own backs, we wouldn’t have that strength.”

Judi Zolondek agrees.

“This community centre has made this a community, not a housing project. It’s a chance to meet friends, meet your neighbours, and lose any stigma. Everybody has their strengths, and we share them.”

HEAD TO RC360.ORG TO HEAR MORE

• Marlene Street Resource Centre • North End Women’s Centre • North Point Douglas Women’s Centre • NorWest Co-Op Community Health (Blake Gardens) • NorWest Co-Op Community Health (Gilbert Park) • NorWest Co-Op Community Health (Alexander) • South Winnipeg Family Information Centre • Thrive: Community Support Circle • West Central Women’s Resource Centre • Winnipeg Central Park Women’s Resource Centre • Wolseley Family Place

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INCREDIBLE IMPACT

THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF SPORT NEWCOMER YOUTH FIND FRIENDS AND STRUCTURE THROUGH PRACTICE AND PLAY

A

hmed El Ahmar runs and plays just like other boys his age. But at just eight-years-old, he has already lived a life more difficult life than many can comprehend.

Ahmed and his family are Syrian refugees, driven out of their family home after it was destroyed by a bomb. As a result, Ahmed was trapped under debris and lost his left leg at the upper-thigh.

Sport is helping Ahmed and other newcomers adapt to life in Canada, and a grant to True Sport from the Community Fund for Canada’s 150th is helping ensure they can participate.

Through True Sport’s Community Connections: Welcome to Winnipeg program, Ahmed, his brother Muhammed, sister Sehid, and dozens of other newcomer children go swimming, play soccer and volleyball, and participate in other sports every Wednesday evening and Sunday afternoon at various locations throughout the city.

At a recent soccer practice, Ahmed’s eyes light up when he chases the ball and passes back and forth with his brother. He yells and cheers after scoring a goal and getting assists, and if he falls, he gets right back up.

Ahmed uses a crutch on each arm to assist with balance and dribbling. He’s very skilled and keeps up with the other boys. Plus, he’s got a heck of a shot.

R ecipient: True Sport Program: Community Connections: Welcome to Winnipeg Grant: $15,000, drawn from the Community Fund for Canada’s 150th

“I like to play. I like scoring goals and passing to my friends.

I’m goalie… sometimes,” Ahmed says. “But someone might hit you in the face [as a goalie].”

As with many Syrian boys, as soon as Ahmed could walk he played soccer. Although he lost his leg when he was only threeyears-old, he had already developed a love for the game by then.

When the family first arrived in Canada in early 2016, Ahmed’s mother Fatma Cuhadar noticed he seemed unable to find happiness, even within the safety of their new Canadian home.

“When I asked him what was wrong,” Fatma says through a translator, “he said he felt like no one liked him anymore because he was different now.”

Ms. Cuhadar noticed an immediate improvement in Ahmed’s mood and energy levels when he started participating in True Sport’s programming.

“When he comes to soccer, I feel relieved when I see him that happy,” Fatma says. “My children, all three, make me very happy.

But even [more so] when I see Ahmed playing and running again.”

True Sport’s Community Connections: Welcome to Winnipeg program aims to help newcomer athletes and their families by connecting them with quality sport programs, and by creating a sense of belonging and cohesion in our province.

Carolyn Trono is with the Newcomer Soccer and Multisport Academy, a volunteer-run organization that helps to coordinate the many volunteers and organize each event.

“We’ve noticed a big difference in [the children’s] ability to cooperate, to work as a team, to communicate effectively, and to follow rules and procedures,” Ms. Trono says. “The kids are happy. They have friends. The kids are able to follow the instructions of the coach. It’s ‘unstructured structure.’”

The values of True Sport are: ‘try everything, play fair, respect others, keep it fun, stay healthy, include everyone, and give back.’

And thanks in-part to the Canada’s 150th grant, True Sport was able to translate its supplemental materials into Arabic to help pass along these values to the newcomer children as they learn and play.

In addition to the structure and friendship that sport has established for the kids, they’ve been able to improve their English and social skills as well.

“Sport is a common language. We can come together and we can play a game. If we have these skills we can play together, and then we get to know each other a little bit differently,” Ms. Trono says. “It doesn’t matter where you’re from, if we have this common element.”

HEAD TO RC360.ORG TO HEAR MORE

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“ SPORT IS A COMMON LANGUAGE. WE CAN COME TOGETHER AND WE CAN PLAY A GAME. IF WE HAVE THESE SKILLS WE CAN PLAY TOGETHER, AND THEN WE GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHERE YOU’RE FROM, IF WE HAVE THIS COMMON ELEMENT.” – Carolyn Trono, program organizer

Participants in True Sport’s Community Connections: Welcome to Winnipeg program.

Community Fund for Canada’s 150th This fund was developed to create opportunities for Canadians to participate in local, regional and national celebrations that help build a sense of pride and attachment to Canada.

The fund aims to: • BUILD a vibrant and healthy community, with inclusive engagement of many community members • INSPIRE a deeper understanding about our community and our country • ENCOURAGE community participation to mark Canada’s 150th anniversary

A collaboration between Community Foundations of Canada, local community foundations including The Winnipeg Foundation, and the Government of Canada, the fund offered of up to $15,000 for projects.

Locally, 19 organizations received support through the Community Fund for Canada’s 150th. For a complete list, go to wpgfdn.org.

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INCREDIBLE IMPACT

Donors’ generosity makes it possible for The Foundation to fund a variety of organizations and projects in our community.

Here’s a sampling of recent grants.

Winnipeg Jewish Theatre (WJT) ASL-interpreted subscription

$20,000 drawn from the Moffat Family Fund WJT presents professional theatre reflecting the Jewish experiences of the past, present and future; encourages the creation of new Winnipeg and Canadian plays of Jewish interest; and promotes a better understanding of Jewish culture in the community at large.

JOANNA TURNER, COMMUNITY GRANTS ASSOCIATE “ This project is important for Winnipeg as it is working to increase access to the arts. As part of WJT’s 30th anniversary season, they will put on British playwright Nina Raine’s drama, Tribes. The play is unique in its casting requirements because the central role must be played by a deaf actor. Tribes presents a new way to connect with Manitoba’s deaf community and reach out to new audiences. Projects like this are essential to achieving inclusion in all aspects of community life.”

Hands of Hope New delivery van

$35,000 drawn from the Moffat Family Fund

Miles Macdonell Collegiate Youth in Philanthropy Committee Miles Mac Bazaar

$1,000 YiP in Action! grant, drawn from Community Building Funds The Foundation’s Youth in Philanthropy program allows young people to make grants to charitable organizations based on issues important to them and needs in their community. YiP in Action! lets students apply for an additional grant of up to $1,000 to implement a project. The Miles Mac Bazaar is a street shop that will provide residents in the inner city with various supplies including school supplies, toys, food, clothing and hygiene products.

TOLU ILELABOYE, YOUTH ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR “ Providing youth with the opportunity to take a hands-on approach to community development helps to balance our community – where no person thinks they are greater or less than the other. This Bazaar will provide a space where youth and people living in underserved communities will have the opportunity to connect with each other as partners in strengthening community.”

Luxton Adult Literacy Working Group Luxton Family Literacy program

$4,000 drawn from the Literacy for Life Grants program Hands of Hope responds to Winnipeg families in need of basic household essentials. This grant will buy Hands of Hope a new van to help deliver household items to people in need, such as refugees, newcomers, people with physical and mental barriers, single parents and elderly people.

RICK LUSSIER, SENIOR GRANTS ASSOCIATE “ The people [Hands of Hope is] dealing with are in really poor circumstances, and the fact they can provide some basic furnishings and equipment can really go a long way to alleviating the stress that comes with those circumstances, and often it can really help in terms of job search and better futures. It’s a very important project.”

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The Luxton Family Literacy program offers quality family literacy programming to families in the community. The goal of the program is to allow caregivers and their children to come together and enjoy family literacy to promote better literacy skills for the whole family.

KERRY RYAN, COMMUNITY GRANTS ASSOCIATE “ This program is a great opportunity for kids to start building their literacy skills at a young age, and for parents to practice their literacy skills and learn how important it is to read to their kids. As Chair of the Literacy for Life Committee, I’ve seen the impact of these small grants we’ve made to these intergenerational programs where kids and their parents are learning together. It really makes a big difference in their lives.”

North Point Douglas Women’s Centre (NPDWC) Safety Coordinator position

Megan Tate, Director of Community Grants

$34,048 drawn from Community Building Funds and the Moffat Family Fund NPDWC provides women in the North Point Douglas neighbourhood with a secure place to build and access social networks, as well as resources, programs and activities to create a safe, healthy community for themselves and their families.

MEGAN TATE, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY GRANTS “ I like this project because of how it engages residents in the safety of their neighbourhood, which I think contributes to not only safety, but also pride in the community – some of the activities that are part of this project include neighbourhood events such as a street festival and a bike rodeo.

North Point Douglas Women’s Centre is taking a positive approach to address what can be a challenging issue.”

SEED (Supporting Employment & Economic Development) Winnipeg

Marie Bouchard, Community Grants Associate

Donna Edmundson, Community Grants Specialist

Ana Hrynyk, Community Grants Administrative Assistant

Tolu Ilelaboye, Youth Engagement Coordinator

Access to Benefits: Increasing Capacity and Reducing Barriers project $75,000 drawn from the Moffat Family Fund

Rick Lussier, Senior Grants Associate

SEED Winnipeg works to combat poverty and assist in the renewal of Winnipeg’s inner city. Through its Access to Benefits program, SEED works with community partners to broaden access to benefits for financially vulnerable community members.

Jan McLellan, Community Grants Administration Coordinator

MARIE BOUCHARD, COMMUNITY GRANTS ASSOCIATE “ This project caught our interest because it is an opportunity for lowincome families to have better access to the benefits that are owed to them; simple things we take for granted like having essential pieces of identity: a valid driver’s license or insurance card, even a medical health card. There is no bigger inequitable situation than not being able to access what you have a right to have.”

Kerry Ryan, Community Grants Associate

Joanna Turner, Community Grants Associate 23

OUR GENEROUS DONORS

FINDING FOCUS

MEDIATION PROGRAM SUPPORTED BY DR. CATHY MOSER HELPS STUDENT DISCOVER INNER PEACE

I

t’s 9:15 a.m. and students at Songide’ewin School on Selkirk Avenue are meditating. Their faces are calm, their breathing regular, and even the ambulance siren heard through the open window doesn’t disturb them.

About 20 students have been practicing transcendental meditation during the past few weeks, and the changes they’ve seen in that brief time are numerous.

“It affects my life in many ways,” says 16-year-old Kevin Smith. “It helps me with doing school work, it keeps me really focused. When I do it in the morning right after the shower, it wakes me up, keeps me very energized, it keeps my mind clear of negative thoughts. When I wasn’t doing TM, I wasn’t a social person, but now I can actually relate to people more.”

“It gives me peace of mind and it makes me calmer in situations when I’m usually not so calm,” says Jada Sanderson, 18. “I’ve been coming [to school] more often, I’ve been doing more of my work. Sometimes… I’ll be so nervous and anxious and have anxiety, and then when I meditate it helps.”

These comments don’t surprise Psychologist Dr. Cathy Moser and Meditation Teacher Chaya Green, who established the Quiet Time Program at Songide’ewin, a school for students who have difficulty functioning in a traditional classroom setting. Dr. Moser has also established a fund at The Foundation to support transcendental meditation programming.

“In my practice in psychology, I’ve been using meditation for training students who have all sorts of difficulties: anger management, anxiety, attention deficit,” says Dr. Moser, who has been personally meditating for more than 30 years.

“When you meditate and get in touch with your real self, part of what we hope is you realize you’re an awesome person and human being. Once you have that realization, you can be much more self-assured because you don’t worry what anybody thinks of you.”

“You know how they have that saying, ‘True happiness doesn’t lie out there, true happiness lies within,’ but then they don’t tell you where ‘that’ is or how to get there?” asks Chaya Green. “True happiness does lie within, we just have to have access to it. Access is a very natural process once you have the technique of allowing the outward directed mind… to turn within and transcend.”

The Quiet Time Program encourages people to meditate twice a day for between 10 and 20-minutes a time, depending on age. Participants recite a mantra internally to help with the meditation.

Through transcendental meditation, people tap into inner resources and “improve their lives from within,” says Ms. Green. “[It gives] them more coping skills, more abilities, increases their IQ, makes them calmer and more relaxed.”

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FUND Youth of Winnipeg Quiet Time Fund TYPE Donor-Advised Fund SUPPORTS Quiet Time (transcendental meditation) programming in schools and other organizations that work with groups of children

Dr. Cathy Moser.

These reasons were a big draw for Songide’ewin Coordinator/Teacher Karyn Parypa, who helped introduce the program at the school, which is a satellite location of Niji Mahkwa.

“We have a very large group of our students here who are self-identified as having mental health issues. And that’s one of the big reasons why they choose to come to our program as opposed to regular school,” says Ms. Parypa, who has been with Songide’ewin since its creation in 1994.

Meditating is completely optional. If students do decide to participate, they undergo about an hour and a half of training each day, on four consecutive days.

Since students started meditating, Ms. Parypa has noticed big changes.

“I’ve noticed differences in the classroom with how students handle things that happen to them; questions they’re unable to do, frustrations. They seem to be better problem-solvers and more willing to ask for help.

I also believe doing group meditations brings us closer together… I see kids talking about their meditation experiences and that’s really important to me as well.”

The Quiet Time Program was developed in the U.S. and is now active in more than 350 schools there, and in 30 countries around the world. The movement has been supported by a foundation established by film director David Lynch, and it has had great success work-

R ecipient: Niji Mahkwa School, and its satellite location Songide’ewn Program: Quiet Time Program Grant: $17,500 in community grants, drawn from the Moffat Family Fund and Field of Interest Funds. The schools have also received additional funding through Donor-Advised Funds, including the Youth of Winnipeg Quiet Time Fund

Songide’wein students, Coordinator/Teacher Karyn Parypa (second from right) and Dr. Cathy Moser (far right) begin their morning with meditation.

“ IT GIVES ME PEACE OF MIND AND IT MAKES ME CALMER IN SITUATIONS WHEN I’M NOT SO CALM. I’VE BEEN COMING [TO SCHOOL] MORE OFTEN, I’VE BEEN DOING MORE OF MY WORK. SOMETIMES I’LL BE SO NERVOUS AND HAVE ANXIETY, AND THEN WHEN I MEDITATE IT HELPS.” – Jada Sanderson, student ing with students in less-advantaged areas, as well as with veterans, refugees, homeless people, and many others. Funding is not currently available for the program in Canada.

Locally, the Quiet Time Program was piloted with students at Niji Mahkwa school in the 2014/2015 school year. Dr. Moser funded it the first year to gauge feasibility, and The Foundation has provided a grant in each of the past two years. Dr. Moser has also established a Donor-Advised Fund at The Foundation to support transcendental meditation programming for young people.

She believes transcendental meditation has the power to create connections all over Winnipeg.

“Ultimately the hope is children across the city will learn how to meditate and we will connect students… and they will recognize we all have that inner place, that sacred place, that transcends race, color, social strata… something like a ‘Me to We’ experience.”

To make a gift to the Youth of Winnipeg Quiet Time Fund, go to wpgfdn.org/give and search “Quiet Time.”

HEAD TO RC360.ORG TO HEAR MORE

DONOR-ADVISED FUNDS

This type of fund supports whatever projects you want! You work with Foundation staff to choose which charitable programs and projects receive support.

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OUR GENEROUS DONORS JANET SIMPSON SUPPORTS EARLY YEARS’ LITERACY THROUGH FUND

CHANGING LIVES, ONE VERY BIG BOOK AT A TIME

J

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anet Simpson may have retired from her career as a Speech-Language Pathologist, but she’s still educating people about how books – in this case big books – can help infants and preschool children improve literacy skills.

Ms. Simpson recently spent a Saturday afternoon showing the early learning community how they can rewrite children’s books – like Goodnight Moon for example – to include Moe the Mouse™. Moe and his cuddly friends are the stuffed animals at the centre of an innovative early speech and language development program incorporating Indigenous themes. Each animal is associated with a different sound. The recent workshop was held as part of the Very READ-y initiative, an early literacy program for Point Douglas families supported by The Winnipeg Foundation.

As part of her presentation, Ms. Simpson brought along some of the big books she’s created.

“What I’ve done is adapted familiar books like Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see? and turned it into Moe the Mouse animals [and concepts]. It is ‘moose, moose, what do you say?’ or ‘squirrel, squirrel, what do you say?’” Ms. Simpson explains.

“And of course, it’s not so much about what I’ve done, it’s more about how I can help others think about what they can do…

It’s asking them the question, ‘So how do you think you can use a book and promote Moe the Mouse?’”

During her 36-year career as a Speech-Language Pathologist, Janet saw how access to books helps infants and preschool children develop literacy skills.

“You can use storybooks for so many things when working with children’s speech and language development,” she says.

“Reading a book to [a] child every night, and maybe doing it in a more interactive way. Using the book as a way to build conversation with your child… We know those interactive conversations between parents and children are very valuable in promoting speech and language skills.”

Similar to the way she encouraged the early learning community to think about ways they can integrate Moe the Mouse into their work, throughout her career Jan-

et aimed to empower parents and give them ownership over their family’s literacy. For example, instead of sitting down with a parent and child and demonstrating what to do, she would have a discussion with the parent about what needed to be worked on, and then let the parents decide what they wanted to do and when.

“What I saw as my role in the last 10 years of my career was as coach/facilitator versus the expert who knows how to work with children. My job is, ‘How do I help these parents learn how to work with their children, what works for them?’”

While working at the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority’s Access Downtown location, Ms. Simpson often worked in the downtown and Point Douglas communities.

“I always brought a book and showed them how to read with the kids, demonstrated it, or had fun around some sort of book and activity. I really wanted to be able to have the parent take that book home so they could actually use it at home. And we had no budget for that.”

Through support from First Books Canada, she was eventually able to make some books available at Access Downtown and to give some out in the community as well.

Janet remembers visiting a family in Lord Selkirk Park, and the three-year-old girl she was working with answered the door in her pink princess pajamas. The book Janet brought was about Disney princesses, and the little girl immediately started reading it with her siblings.

“It was pink, it had sparkles, it was just perfect for that little girl at that time and she was a hero in her family because it was her book, she was sharing it. It was very special.”

Ms. Simpson knows more books are always needed, so she established the Janet Simpson Books for Kids Fund at The Foundation to ensure charities can purchase books and learning materials for kids.

“I wanted [the fund] to be in place before I retired…

[I thought] instead of a gift they could just make a contribution to this fund and it would help to get it set up.”

In addition to volunteering at Very READ-y events, Janet sits on the initiative’s Advisory Committee. She also regularly presents at literacy workshops, is working on an early-years book that will be distributed through the Downtown Parent Child Coalition called Communities 4 Families, and teaches a course about speech and language disorders in children at the University of Winnipeg.

To make a gift to the Janet Simpson Books for Kids Fund, go to wpgfdn.org/give and search “Books for Kids.”

HEAD TO RC360.ORG TO HEAR MORE

FUND Janet Simpson Books for Kids Fund TYPE Field of Interest SUPPORTS Books and learning materials for kids up to five-years-old

“ I REALLY WANTED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE PARENT TAKE THAT BOOK HOME SO THEY COULD ACTUALLY USE IT AT HOME. AND WE HAD NO BUDGET FOR THAT.” – Janet Simpson, fund holder

This type of fund will make a lasting difference in an area you’re passionate about.

You can choose one or more areas of focus that are meaningful to you.

FIELD OF INTEREST FUNDS

Janet Simpson with one of her big books.

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OUR GENEROUS DONORS

NURTURING A HEALTHY COMMUNITY

FUND Patrice Yamada and Peri Venkatesh Fund TYPE Community Building SUPPORTS Winnipeg’s changing needs and emerging opportunities

PATRICE YAMADA AND PERI VENKATESH’S GIFT HELPS WINNIPEG BLOSSOM

“ WE MAY NOT BE REMEMBERED FOR WHO WE ARE AS HUMANS, BUT [OUR] FINANCIAL GIFT WILL PLANT A SEED AND THAT SEED WILL MAKE OUR COMMUNITY BETTER.” – Patrice Yamada, fund holder

Peri Venkatesh and Patrice Yamada.

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P

atrice Yamada and Peri Venkatesh have spent their lives caring for our community as nurses, teachers, and committed volunteers. To ensure this support will continue forever, they’ve established a Community Building Fund at The Foundation and included a legacy gift in their estate plans.

“Community is all about just living your life every day, trying to make a decent living, being hopeful about the future. Community is just so special to each one of us. And if you can make your community better, then isn’t that what we’re all here for?” Ms. Yamada asks.

“Just like people have said, it takes a village to nurture a child. It takes a good community to make good citizens,” Mr. Venkatesh says.

The couple met at St. Boniface Hospital when Peri worked a few nursing shifts in the unit where Patrice was Head Nurse. They started dating a few years later, and were married in 1984. While Patrice worked mainly in hospitals on both the frontlines and in administration, Peri spent many years teaching nursing at the University of Manitoba.

Both Peri and Patrice’s families fostered a culture of generosity and philanthropy.

The seventh of nine children, Mr. Venkatesh was born in India and moved to Canada in 1971. Growing up in India, he fondly remembers his mother’s generosity.

“Some of my friends… were less fortunate. I watched my mother pay for their school fees many times and of course have them over for food,” Mr. Venkatesh says. “Watching her I thought, ‘It is important to do that sort of thing.’

And I’m now I’m committed to doing what I can to help.”

Ms. Yamada was the youngest of three children born to Japanese parents who were relocated from British Columbia during the Second World War internment.

She grew up in Winnipeg’s St. Vital neighbourhood.

“We’re all die-hard Manitobans – my parents, they worked really hard because they came from something and ended up with nothing,” Ms. Yamada says.

“Whether it was vegetables or time or whatever we had, we wanted to share. My parents were very, very adamant about that.”

Patrice volunteers with Frontier College at Winnipeg Adult Education’s offsite location Kaakiyow li moond likol, and at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, amongst others. Peri sits on the Board of Misericordia Health Centre, in addition to having volunteered with Winnipeg Harvest, the University of Manitoba Alumni Board, and many others. He has also devoted many years to promoting men’s health in the community.

Not only is volunteering a way to be a role model, it also allows you to learn about your community and better yourself.

“If you don’t have any interaction or a relationship with people, how can you develop any understanding of their life or their culture?” Patrice asks. “You have to go outside your regular friendship group or your work group to feel that pain, sorrow, joy. That was a challenge for me because I lived a very protected life – a very middle class, kind of a white life, but I’m not that person inside. I really made it my challenge in my retirement to… feel more fulfilled and [be] a citizen of the world. Winnipeg is a fascinating city, we’re good, bad and indifferent. I chose to make an effort to change that indifference into something positive.”

By including a gift to The Foundation in their estate plans, Patrice Yamada and Peri Venkatesh have joined our Legacy Circle. There are many ways to create your legacy through The Winnipeg Foundation. Contact us to learn more.

The couple was redoing their Will and considering their legacy when a lawyer told them about The Winnipeg Foundation. After researching The Foundation and its support for our community, the couple found it aligned with their beliefs.

“A donation made is a gift to the future of our planet, our world, our community. It was important for us to designate a foundation… that would really carry forward our ideas about how we live and the hope for the future,” Patrice says.

The couple decided to establish a fund at The Foundation. The Patrice Yamada and Peri Venkatesh Fund is a Community Building Fund that supports our city’s changing needs and emerging opportunities.

They have also supported the Nourishing Potential Fund, which helps children and youth access healthy food and nutrition education, and included a gift in their estate plans, making them members of The Foundation’s Legacy Circle.

“The whole idea of legacy was to sort of pay it forward and prepare so that our gifts of caring and compassion would carry on after we’re gone. We may not be remembered for who we are as humans, but that financial gift will plant a seed and that seed will make our community better,” Patrice says.

COMMUNITY BUILDING FUNDS

This type of fund provides the flexibility to respond to new opportunities and address the changing needs in our community.

29

John Burelle and his mother Marguerite.

OUR GENEROUS DONORS

TRANSFORMING AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH

RHYSE MARYNIUK’S ACADEMIC SUCCESS DRIVES HOME THE IMPORTANCE OF SCHOLARSHIPS

R

hyse Maryniuk works in mechatronics, studying the intersection between mechanical and electrical engineering. A Masters student in the University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Engineering, he’s currently helping design a three-wheeled electric vehicle that may transform automotive research. But without the support he received through scholarships, he may not be where he is today.

“I started my university career with no scholarships and at that time I had to work about 20 to 30 hours a week,” the University of Manitoba graduate says. “That cut away from my study time. I still did well, but as soon as I started receiving scholarships it allowed me to take fewer hours at my part-time job, which gave me more time to work on my extracurriculars and academics, which improved my grades… It was sort of a feedback loop.”

Mr. Maryniuk’s thesis involves the design, development, fabrication and testing of a three-wheeled electric vehicle.

“It’s sort of unconventional in the way it works. It doesn’t exactly have the standard steering or drive system. It doesn’t have an engine. It does a lot of stuff electrically by wire, so the braking system, the steering system, the wheels; they all work over electrical signals,” he says.

This design will allow vehicle researchers to have “a great deal of control and precision” with testing and research, and will also offer a more affordable option compared to standard testing options.

Rhyse doesn’t currently have a specific company or industry in mind for when he graduates, but does know he wants to be involved with projects he can physically build and that don’t keep him in front of a computer 100 per cent of the time.

While obtaining his BSc. in Engineering at the U of M, Mr. Maryniuk was a four-time recipient of the Marguerite and John Burelle Memorial Aboriginal Scholarship, held at The Winnipeg Foundation. This scholarship supports Indigenous students who have completed one year of university and are excelling in their chosen field. Read more about John Burelle and the scholarship in the sidebar.

“It kind of leaves me speechless,” he says of winning the award.

Since winning the scholarship, Rhyse has met with John Burelle’s sister, Lucille Kostyk.

“We talked about her life and John’s life and it sort of allowed me to understand why the scholarship was created and the way [in which] it was framed.”

30

This type of fund will help generations of students pursue their dreams.

Winnipeg Foundation staff work with you to develop selection criteria. Recipients are decided by school administration.

SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS

SUPPORTING INDIGENOUS STUDENTS The legacy of John Burelle John Burelle committed his life to improving opportunities for Indigenous students. Thanks to a Scholarship Fund established through a gift in his Will, this legacy of support will continue forever.

Friends and family remember Mr. Burelle’s dry, wry, slightly satirical humour. They remember his shiny, red Jeep and his German Shepherd dog named Neechi. They remember his commitment to learning and education. They remember his attention to detail, and his love for the finer things in life – art, culture, literature and good food. But most of all they remember his support for Indigenous students.

After completing his post-secondary schooling, Mr. Burelle worked in the education system – as a teacher at the university and college levels, as well as in research, education policy, and program and curriculum development – always with a focus on Indigenous students.

Despite these accomplishments, he was an incredibly humble man, says his sister Lucille Kostyk.

“If you would ask him about his work, he would answer you. But I learned more about him after he was gone,” says Ms. Kostyk.

Following Mr. Burelle’s passing in 2004, an estate gift created a Scholarship Fund supporting Indigenous students at the University of Manitoba, where Burelle completed both his Bachelor and Master of Education degrees, and worked from 1981 to 1994.

Since that time, the Scholarship Fund has supported 54 recipients with $151,500 in support.

Through the Scholarship Fund created in his and his mother’s names, Mr. Burelle will continue his lifelong work of encouraging Indigenous students and supporting their potential in the education system.

“It makes me feel very good, [to know] that he’s helping. And [I treasure] the thank you notes that I get. The first year was very emotional to receive these, but now it’s getting to be a little [better],” Ms. Kostyk says.

FUND Marguerite and John Burelle Memorial Aboriginal Scholarship TYPE Scholarship SUPPORTS Indigenous students who have completed one year of university and are excelling in their chosen field

“ AS SOON AS I STARTED RECEIVING SCHOLARSHIPS IT ALLOWED ME TO TAKE FEWER HOURS AT MY PART-TIME JOB, WHICH GAVE ME MORE TIME TO WORK ON MY EXTRACURRICULARS AND ACADEMICS, WHICH IMPROVED MY GRADES.” – Rhyse Maryniuk, scholarship recipient 31

FUND HIGHLIGHT

A

Memorial Scholarship is a fitting way to remember a loved one and to ensure their legacy will change lives forever.

Scholarships and bursaries reward hard work, recognize need, and facilitate dreams. They are vital to supporting the success of young students.

When you establish a scholarship or bursary, you define the award criteria according to values and priorities set by you or your loved ones. The Foundation can connect you with schools and educational programs in our community, advise you of existing awards, and identify where funding is needed.

We handle administration of the award, including liaising with schools, ensuring students are selected according to your criteria, and arranging payment.

MEMORIALIZING A LOVED ONE WITH A SCHOLARSHIP

JACK JOHNSON Jack lived in, loved and served the City of Winnipeg. In his career with the Winnipeg Police Department, Jack continued to learn and develop, never standing still with the knowledge he had.

Football was one of Jack’s other loves. His dream to begin a Scholarship Fund was a perfect fit that combined football and education. The Jack Johnson Memorial Football Scholarship Fund recognizes an individual’s self-development, sportsmanship and leadership qualities.

Jack’s legacy will make a difference in lives of students for years to come.

32

We can help you with fund wording for the obituary, provided customized gift forms for a service, and create an online page where people can give to the fund through our website. We’ll notify you of all gifts received, thank each donor individually, and provide a tax receipt for each gift.

Contact us to learn more.

Jennifer Aarhus Student Awards Specialist 204-944-9474 ext. 259 jaarhus@wpgfdn.org

MARGIE KVERN

COLE HAMBLIN

Margie teemed with love and compassion for all who knew her.

An embodiment of dedication through service, she wanted to be a meaningful contributor to the communities she loved and to inspire others to join her in making a difference.

As a defenceman, Cole played with St. Adolphe, Spokane Chiefs and Regina Pats in the WHL. He also spent time with the Selkirk Steelers, Winnipeg Blues, Portage Terriers and Virden Oil Capitals in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.

As a lasting tribute, the Margie Kvern Memorial Fund has been established to honour Margie’s passion for music and community, and her resilient faith. As these interests allowed her to live with such strength, poise and grace through her diagnosis, this fund may include a scholarship award, and/or support for the purchase of music equipment and/or the music ministry community of a church.

Cole was recruited to play for Guelph University in Ontario, where he wanted to study business. He lost a short battle with a rare cancer in November 2014.

The Cole Hamblin Memorial Fund supports a player with the Eastman Minor Hockey Association who demonstrates sportsmanship, leadership, respect and enthusiasm both on and off the ice.

Learn about the Marguerite and John Burelle Memorial Aboriginal Scholarship and a life it’s changed on the previous page.

FUND HIGHLIGHT

In 2016/2017, the University of Manitoba issued more than $13 million to students in the form The University of Winnipeg of awards, scholarships provided more than $4 million and bursaries. in scholarships and bursaries in 2015/2016.

SCHOLARSHIPS AT THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION

The first Foundation scholarship funds were established in the early 1950s. The number of scholarship funds at The Foundation has more than doubled in the past 10 years, from

191 in 2006, TO 391 in 2016.

2016 GRANTS FROM SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS HAVE RISEN FROM $678,000 IN 2006, TO $1.79 MILLION IN 2016 2006

SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS REPRESENT ROUGHLY 5% OF TOTAL FOUNDATION ASSETS, AND 12% OF (3,138) FUNDS

12

%

*as of June 2016

New scholarship funds at The Winnipeg Foundation can be established with a minimum contribution of $10,000. This minimum contribution can be built-up over a period of five years.

$1,200 AVERAGE

$900 MEDIAN

$1,000

Since its inception in 2011, The Winnipeg Foundation’s You Can Do It Awards program has recognized 1,184 students* in Winnipeg’s Inner City with $1,000 learning accounts. Similar to scholarships, YCDI Awards invest in a student’s future.

CURRENTLY, THE AVERAGE SCHOLARSHIP IS $1,200, WHILE THE MEDIAN IS $900.

Three-year average

33

MEET OUR TEAM

DONOR SERVICES Kirsten Davidson Donor Services Coordinator kdavidson@wpgfdn.org

Carly Demchuk Donor Services Specialist (on maternity leave) cdemchuk@wpgfdn.org

MEET OUR DONOR SERVICES TEAM If you have any questions about how you can work with The Foundation to realize your philanthropic goals, please contact us. We are happy to help!

Call our office at 204-944-9474 and ask to speak with a member of our Donor Services Team, or email us at donorservices@wpgfdn.org.

DIRECTORS Cathy Auld Director of Strategic Philanthropy cauld@wpgfdn.org

Alana Squire Donor Services Coordinator asquire@wpgfdn.org

LEGACY SERVICES Kathryne Cardwell Gift Planning Associate kcardwell@wpgfdn.org

Jaime Kyle Legacy Services Coordinator jkyle@wpgfdn.org

Pat Lilley Legacy Circle Convenor plilley@wpgfdn.org

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES Darlene Ott Director of Donor Services dott@wpgfdn.org

Pauline Emerson-Froebe Donor Services Administrative Coordinator pfroebe@wpgfdn.org Tiffany Gray Donor Services Administrative Coordinator (on maternity leave) tgray@wpgfdn.org

Katie Gupta Donor Services Administrative Assistant kgupta@wpgfdn.org

Dianne Maendel Donor Services Fund Administrative Coordinator dmaendel@wpgfdn.org 34

FUND HIGHLIGHT

NEW FUNDS AT THE FOUNDATION Donors from all walks of life establish funds at The Foundation. While each fund expresses a donor’s unique philanthropic goals and wishes for our community, all share The Foundation’s vision of making ‘a Winnipeg where community life flourishes for all.’

Thank you to all our generous donors!

The CAGP Foundation seeks to Here is a list of the endowment funds created between Jan. 1, 2017 and Apr. 30, 2017. During the same period, one local charitable organization started a new Agency Fund at The Foundation.

Individual and Family Funds

financially support the develop-

Anonymous Fund Drs. Bill Pope and Elizabeth Tippett Pope Fund Karen Kochan Scholarship Fund Larry and Lorraine Moore Fund

ment and promotion of strategic charitable gift planning in Canada.

It was established as the philanthropic arm of the Canadian Asso-

Memorial and Tribute Funds Alan R. Maxwell Memorial Fund Marian Nelson Memorial Fund Oliver Puchniak Memorial Fund William C. and Margaret C. Marshall Fund

ciation of Gift Planners (CAGP) in 2016 to support CAGP’s high quality educational programs and services. The fund was established to provide a legacy and ongoing support for CAGP’s activities.

Bequests Alfred Smither Memorial Fund David Glover Memorial Scholarship Fund Herbert Jackson Memorial Fund

Group Legacy Funds CAGP Foundation Fund

WANT TO START YOUR OWN FUND? THE FOUNDATION OFFERS MANY TYPES OF FUNDS DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU WANT TO SUPPORT, HOW MUCH YOU CAN GIVE AND HOW INVOLVED YOU WANT TO BE. CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE.

35

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

Kids at Camp Manitou. Photos by Marcus Hoch, courtesy of Camp Manitou.

A NEW STRUCTURE FOR CAMP MANITOU THE FOUNDATION STRENGTHENS LONG-STRANDING RELATIONSHIP WITH POPULAR FACILITY

C

amp Manitou, located just five minutes outside Winnipeg, is a summer camp and yearround recreation facility. Programming is targeted to kids from hardworking families struggling to get ahead.

The Foundation has long been involved with Camp Manitou, and a new agreement is strengthening that relationship.

Camp Manitou was established in 1930 on land purchased and donated by The Winnipeg Foundation. It was run for many years by the Rotary, Kinsmen, Cosmopolitan, Kiwanis, Optimist and Lions service clubs of Winnipeg, and by the YMCA. The Foundation made small grants in support of Camp Manitoba throughout its existence. Camp Manitou also has an Agency Fund with The Foundation that generates around $16,000 a year.

A new ownership structure for the camp is ensuring it will continue to be enjoyed for years to come: The Winnipeg Foundation assuring continued community ownership of the land, while management and programming is provided by True North Youth Foundation.

“The service clubs and volunteers that ran Camp Manitou for many, many years have done a wonderful job. Thanks to their dedication, the camp has been synonymous with summer for thousands of young people over the years,” says Rick Frost, CEO of The Winnipeg Foundation.

JOHN BOCK: A BACKBONE OF CAMP Camp Manitou is about fun, friends and connecting with nature. And for many, it’s about building self-confidence.

According to long-time supporter and Board member John Bock, “What the kids simply need is someone to believe in them.”

Not only has Mr. Bock believed in the kids that attend Camp Manitou, he’s also believed in the camp itself and played a major role in its success over the years.

Mr. Bock has lived next to camp since 1957 and has many stories about the importance it plays in kids’ lives, including one about a little girl who was too scared to go up the climbing wall.

“We had a good young person [on staff] and he realized what was happening, so he went over and he said, ‘You’re scared, aren’t you? Me too. But you know if you would help me… maybe I could go up a little ways.’”

In a week, she was at the top of the climbing wall.

That’s the magic of Camp Manitou, Mr. Bock says.

“It’s a place where youngsters from the city can begin to be themselves,” Bock says. “They can say, ‘I can actually do something. I can climb, I can row a canoe… I can do anything!’”

DID YOU KNOW? The Foundation’s Camperships program is a special grant-making stream which directs about $400,000 each summer to camp programs. Learn more on the facing page.

36

FUND HIGHLIGHT

2009

2017

OT Y

N LY

PROGRAM I THE

8 YEAR TOTALS

P IL

YEARS GHT

PERATION FOR EI NO

E A R W A S I N VIT

E-O

TOTAL APPLICATIONS RECEIVED:

505

2017 REQUESTS

90

4,267,693

$

TOTAL AMOUNT REQUESTED

20

TOTAL AMOUNT GRANTED:

TOTAL GRANTS APPROVED:

$

17

TOTAL GRANTS APPROVED:

78

448

720,020

TOTAL AMOUNT GRANTED:

420,000

$

OF THE $420,000 GRANTED IN 2017…

24%

29%

47%

102,265

$

123,000

$

$

WENT TO DAY CAMPS

WENT TO SLEEP AWAY CAMPS

194,635 WENT TO PROGRAMMING

37

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP YOUNG LEADERS IMPLEMENT DIVERSE PROJECTS FOR A BETTER FUTURE

LEADING THE WAY

T

he Winnipeg Foundation’s Emerging Leaders’ Fellowship (or ELF) is a chance for young Winnipeggers ages 18-35 to apply for a grant of up to $10,000 toward a project they create and implement, together with a local charitable organization. Through the program, participants gain project management skills and handson experience working in the charitable sector.

“It’s a really great opportunity for any young person who’s looking to take that professional development from where they currently are to the next stage of their lives,” says Tolu Ilelaboye, Youth Engagement Coordinator at The Winnipeg Foundation.

During the past four years, 19 projects have been developed through the program, including the following projects initiated this year:

BUILDING UNDERSTANDING Naomi Gichungu’s own experience as a newcomer was part of what motivated her to launch her ELF project with the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba (IRCOM).

“When I initially came to Winnipeg, I was part of an exchange program. We were at a camp and had Indigenous peoples come and do a dance,” says Ms. Gichungu. “I remember asking my counterpart at the time what the dance was about. She brushed it off and said, ‘You know, [it’s not] important, you’re probably not going to enjoy it.’”

Ms. Gichungu, who came to Winnipeg three years ago and now works with newcomers, is developing a curriculum that integrates Indigenous educational and cultural activities into English as an Additional Language programming. She is working with an Elder to create workshops that will address residential schools, treaties, negative stereotypes, and reconciliation, culminating in a gathering at Meet Me at the Bell Tower.

“When we go into the community, we’ll have a lot of conversations about how partnerships can be formed between newcomers and Indigenous peoples,” says Ms. Gichungu.

Fellow: Naomi Gichungu Collaborator: Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba (IRCOM) Project: Indigenous-Newcomer Relations program

For more information, visit ircom.ca

HEAD TO RC360.ORG TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION’S EMERGING LEADERS’ FELLOWSHIP 38

Fellow: Shaden Abusaleh Collaborator: Gas Station Arts Centre Project: Sawa Theatre project

EXPRESS YOURSELF Adapting to life in a new country can be difficult, but programs like Sawa Theatre are helping newcomer youth build their confidence and express themselves. “[Sawa Theatre] is a platform to show a different story, to give our participants a voice, but also to demonstrate that there is more to that [newcomer] label,” says Ms. Shaden Abusaleh, who is collaborating with the Gas Station Arts Centre on a second year of the project. “We get to show complicated and intricate individualities. It’s incredible and very beautiful.”

Sawa Theatre, a spring/summer theatre program that’s bilingual in English and Arabic, gives newcomer youth opportunities to take part in every step of the process of creating and performing an original play, which they perform in September. The enthusiasm expressed by participants has translated into new skills and confidence.

“Some of [the participants] were making genuine eye contact when talking to each other,” says Ms. Abusaleh. “That’s so simple, but you rarely notice it until you experience it for the first time.”

BREAKING DOWN STEREOTYPES

For more information, visit sawatheatre.wordpress.com

Winnipeg’s Indigenous and newcomer populations are growing, but despite many similarities, there is social distance between them. Aliraza Alidina, a graduate student at the University of Winnipeg, decided to work with the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg for his ELF project, which expands on previous research about educational and cultural initiatives that seek to bring the two communities together.

“When [newcomers] come to Canada, they have no idea about the colonial history of Canada and its contemporary legacies,” says Mr. Alidina. “Their first priority is integration. So when they see things on the street, for example, or they hear stereotypical things from relatives or friends, that’s the information they have.”

Fellow: Aliraza Alidina Collaborator: Social Planning Council of Winnipeg (SPCW) Project: Indigenous-Newcomer Services research project

The first component of the project is an inventory of initiatives taking place in Winnipeg’s settlement sector, while the second component involves compiling an orientation toolkit geared toward newcomers.

“One of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, #93 specifically, points out this [Indigenous] educational aspect for newcomers,” says Mr. Alidina. “From the talks I’ve had with Indigenous leaders, it’s a great opportunity because something like this has not been done in other cities in Canada. [Winnipeg] could be the pioneer.”

For more information, visit spcw.mb.ca

Fellow: Janis Maudlin Collaborator: The Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub (The WRENCH) Project: Mellow Vélo - Women and Trans Open Shop

BUILDING SAFE SPACES Learning to build and fix bikes helps people gain skills and confidence. That’s why Janis Maudlin, a volunteer at The WRENCH since 2012, set out to encourage more women and trans* people to take part. “[There’s a misconception] that women are not suited for mechanical work, and it perpetuates itself because, then, men in these shops don’t see women as capable, which results in women feeling disrespected or marginalized,” says Ms. Maudlin.

Ms. Maudlin’s ELF project, Mellow Vélo, is an open shop for women, trans* and femme-identifying people, which looks to create a more welcoming setting in a place that is male-dominated and can sometimes feel unwelcoming.

The program takes place Sunday afternoons and includes bike repair workshops, panel discussions about being a woman or a trans* person in male-dominated fields, as well as training opportunities to encourage more women and trans* people to take part in other programs at The WRENCH, such as Build Days, where participants can earn money building bikes.

For more information, visit thewrench.ca or facebook.com/mellowvelowpg

39

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

A COMMUNITY COMPETITION WHERE EVERYONE WINS FAST PITCH RETURNS TO BUILD CAPACITY AND STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY

A

new crop of leaders from 15 local charities learned how to make a difference in just three minutes during this year’s Fast Pitch coaching program.

After 10 weeks of preparation and practice, each participating charity received a $1,000 grant for their efforts. Four local charities were crowned Fast Pitch champions: • Grand Prize ($10,000 grant): Sunshine House • People’s Choice ($5,000 grant): CanU Canada • Coaches’ Choice ($2,500 grant): Project Neecheewam • Presenters’ Choice ($2,500 grant): SSCOPE (Self-Starting Creative Opportunities for People in Employment)

Volunteers from the legal, financial, marketing and business sectors teamed up with charitable community leaders to develop the Fast Pitches. The Grand Prize was decided by a team of judges and the others were determined through text-tovote. A total of $45,000 was distributed to the charities throughout the entire process. The is the second year The Winnipeg Foundation has presented Fast Pitch.

“All of this year’s Fast Pitches were incredibly strong,” says Jennifer Partridge, Strategic Projects Associate with The Winnipeg Foundation. “One of the goals of

40

@SE_Lambert Stephanie Lambert Thx @winnipegfdn for putting on #fastpitchwpg - I learned about some amazing organizations & causes in our community

@IISD_ELA IISD Experimental Lakes Area Congratulations, @sunshine_wpg, and to all the winners of #FastPitchWpg tonight. Great job all round!

Fast Pitch is to help charities learn to tell their stories clearly and succinctly, and that’s exactly what happened. Although this was a competition, more importantly it was about building connections, showcasing the impressive work going on in our city, and celebrating Winnipeggers’ generosity.”

“The Foundation’s vision is ‘a Winnipeg where community life flourishes for all.’ Fast Pitch is one of the ways we’re working to fulfil this vision, and build our philanthropic community,” says Foundation CEO Richard Frost.

For more info, including a list of at 15 charitable sector leaders and 30 coaches who participated this year, go to wpgfdn.org/fastpitch.

@BDGZ Brad Zander It's been an amazing night at #fastpitchwpg finals. Congrats to all the presenters! to @ winnipegfdn for putting on a great event again!

Photos from the Bridging Divides, Shaping Futures Vital Conversation. Top: Winnipeg Foundation CEO Rick Frost, event emcee Eva Kovacs, and Community Foundations of Canada Board Chair Victoria Grant. Bottom: Event participants.

SHAPING OUR COMMUNITY’S FUTURE VITAL SIGNS® ENGAGES WINNIPEGGERS THROUGH EVENTS, SURVEY AND WILL INFLUENCE THE FOUNDATION’S PRIORITIES

V

ital Signs® is a check up on the vitality of our community that identifies significant needs and trends. Through a public survey, research and a series of Vital Conversations, The Winnipeg Foundation will determine what’s important to Winnipeggers. The results will influence The Foundation’s next strategic plan.

A public survey was held throughout the month of May. The three Vital Conversations focused on key community issues. The first was about Mental Health, Addictions and Healing. The second focused on reconciliation and was called Bridging Divides, Shaping Futures. The third aimed to discover what Winnipeggers are proud of.

Bridging Divides, Shaping Futures held April 12 at Canad Inns Fort Garry, saw more than 250 community members attend the soldout event. It was held in partnership with Circles For Reconciliation.

“This is our way back to the society that we would like to be able to leave behind for our children,” says keynote speaker Dr. Kevin Lamoureux, Associate Vice-President Indigenous Affairs at the University of Winnipeg.

@YAAdirector YAA Director Karen Ferris It’s been a reflective morning filled with stories, looking forward to the afternoon!

“We will be a country that heals,” Mr. Lamoureux says. “We will accomplish what we need to do, and it’s going to begin by conversations that you are a part of.”

Following the keynote address, participants split into discussion circles led by a facilitator. Each circle touched on a different theme surrounding truth and reconciliation, including residential schools, the justice system, and meaning of land for Indigenous peoples. Each participant took part in two discussion circles.

For Jeff Frank, a non-Indigenous participant, the day served as an opportunity to learn more about the experience and history of Winnipeg’s Indigenous communities.

“It provided more richness, perspective and depth of the conversation that we often don’t see,” says Mr. Frank. “More people need an opportunity to have those kinds of experiences.”

Vital Signs is a national program coordinated by Community Foundations of Canada and led by individual community foundations. More than 65 communities in Canada and around the world are using the Vital Signs initiative to mobilize the power of community knowledge for greater local impact.

Winnipeg’s Vital Signs report will be released in October 2017.

@StorySourceCa Cate Friesen Thx to @winnipegfdn for hosting this gathering on Truth and Reconciliation. & to @KevinLamoureux for being heart-centred & challenging.

@dianeroussin007 Diane Roussin Large crowd gathered today to talk #Reconciliation Bridging Divides, Shaping Futures @winnipegfdn

41

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

SHARING STORIES TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER TO CONTINUE PLACE FIGHT AGAINST CANCER The Foundation’s Community News Commons – cncwpg. org – is more than a platform for citizen journalists to share stories that matter to them; it’s also creating a more informed and engaged community and stronger, healthier neighbourhoods.

To read the full versions of these stories, go to communitynewscommons. org/working-together-springsummer-2017/

by Leanne Fournier

The third annual Concert for Carter, in support of CancerCare Manitoba, was held Thursday, Mar. 16 at the iconic Park Theatre.

The energy in the room was different than the first such event, held in 2015 just a year after Carter Holdsworth died on his 19th birthday from Ewing sarcoma, a rare form of cancer most common in young people between the ages of 10 and 20.

It is unbelievable Winnipeg native Charlie Gardiner was not included on the Top 100 Players list announced at the 2017 All Star Game in Los Angeles.

Gardiner’s accomplishments are superior to those of the 15 goalies on that list.

Goalies rarely play every game. It hasn’t been done since Eddie Johnston played all 70 games for the 1963-64 Boston Bruins.

by Fred Morris

HOCKEY’S GREATEST GOALIE NOT ON THE TOP 100 LIST 42

Gardiner missed only 41 minutes in the last six-and-a-half years of his career. This durability has only been exceeded by Glenn Hall and Georges Vezina.

Gardiner recorded a regular season shutout once every 7.5 games – a ratio that’s better than that of any of the 15 goalies on the

“The first year everyone showed up to honour Carter and support the cause,” says event organizer Niki Taylor.

“They had a great time and came the second year. The third year has been a little tougher but new people are showing up, which is great,” she explains.

“That support for one another is so vital. It’s not just about Carter anymore and I think he’d be happy about that,” Taylor says. “He always said, ‘I’m going to get through this, I’m going to fight it, I’m going to win and I’m going to get out there and support people and talk about my experience’.”

Concert for Carter was Taylor’s idea as a way to keep Holdsworth’s dream alive.

“So Carter can’t be here, but he’s still doing what he wanted to do in his life and that’s the best part about tonight,” Taylor says.

Originally published Mar. 28, 2017.

Top 100 list, which ranges from 8.6 for Ken Dryden to 34.7 for Grant Fuhr.

Gardiner’s regular season goals against average (GAA) of 2.02 is also better than any of the 15 Top 100 goalies. Their GAA range from 2.20 for Dominik Hasek to 3.38 for Grant Fuhr.

In his 1958 book, written shortly after the end of Sawchuk’s glory years, W. A. Hewitt rated Gardiner ahead of Sawchuk. In 2017, I agree with Mr. Hewitt.

Winnipeg has named a street and an arena after Sawchuk. The time has come to recognize Charlie Gardiner.

Originally published Feb. 15, 2017.

DEFINING PEACE

by Preston Lindsay

The word peace has suffered from some serious overuse. As a result, this overuse has given us consistent ambiguity and miscommunication.

As a further result of this widespread misunderstanding, each individual now has only a vague awareness of what it may be, but no real insight into what it is.

Society’s confused understanding of peace is directly connected to this ambiguity.

Now, you may be asking yourself, ‘Isn’t peace just no war, or no violence?’

Given humanity’s long and trophied history, it’s understandable we would have a bit of trouble here. Thousands of writers, politicians, businesspeople, tyrants, advocates, religious leaders and devotees have used the word peace to mean what they want it to mean, sometimes violently.

And just so we’re clear, here: war is bad, and peace is good.

The problem with this widespread appropriation is that it comes with endless projections and littered histories mixed further with false assumptions and often empty and oversimplified hopes and advert campaigns.

I read in the news about the recent murdered women and even attended the vigil for one of them. I’ve also been reading about the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

There is so much publicity about the women and the lives they lived; so many of them lived tragic lives. Yet, in all this, there is no mention of the personal struggle to find the money to help bury their loved ones.

Sandy Banman, a grassroots organizer in the Indigenous community, who has attended many vigils, has often advocated for the families of Missing and Murdered Women.

Well no, not quite.

There are those that promote direct violence through war on the basis of it being, what they would call, a necessary evil; a.k.a. just war theory. But in real-world application, in war there are often no clear winners or losers, and both sides see themselves as the ‘true’ righteous cause; ultimately alienating and dehumanizing the evil ‘other.’

Originally published Feb. 7, 2017.

The funeral director at the Eternal Grace Funeral Home says a decent funeral could run anywhere from $7,000 to $20,000; that would cover everything associated with a funeral.

Arranging a funeral is a difficult task under normal circumstances. Trying to arrange a burial service when a loved one has died to violence is stressful. Then having to scramble to find the funds to give the person a respectful burial is morally wrong.

DISRESPECTED IN LIFE, AND IN DEATH

by Vivian Ketchum

Originally published Mar. 23, 2017.

“The families often have to scramble to find the money from various sources for the funeral,” says Banman.

“Women deserve the extras. Women are worth the nice flowers and decent clothing for burial,” she says.

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COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

LISTEN AND BE INSPIRED BY WHAT’S NEW IN WINNIPEG’S CHARITABLE SECTOR The Foundation’s radio show River City 360 presents ‘views and news from around Winnipeg’ with a focus on the charitable sector and philanthropy. Each week, hosts Nolan Bicknell and Robert Zirk bring you interesting interviews and engaging discussion, plus great nostalgic tunes.

HERE ARE HIGHLIGHTS FROM RECENT SHOWS:

CJNU 93.7 FM Tune in Thursday from 12-1 pm or Saturdays from 8-9 am rivercity360.org Listen to the podcast 24-hours a day

At the Heart of Human Rights is Human Dignity conference, photo courtesy of Islamic Social Services Association Canada. Middle: One of the Archives of Manitoba’s documents about Vimy Ridge, photo courtesy of Archives of Manitoba. Right: Paul K. Chappell.

CONVENING TO COMBAT HATRED

COMMEMORATING THE BATTLE OF VIMY RIDGE

On March 21 and 22, the Islamic Social Services Association Canada held the At the Heart of Human Rights is Human Dignity conference.

The event brought together members of the public to discuss and reflect on various human rights issues. Topics included racism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia.

The Battle of Vimy Ridge, where Canadian soldiers stormed a high point held by German soldiers during the First World War, took place from April 9 to 12, 1917. To commemorate the centenary, the Archives of Manitoba held a special one-day openhouse exhibit on April 9.

“We’re hoping that when people leave, they will have an understanding of what marginalized communities face and some of our negative and positive history in the area of human rights,” says Shahina Siddiqui, ISSA’s Executive Director.

“It was a victory for Canada, but it also became more than that; It became a symbol for Canada, and for our growing nationhood as a young country, distinguishing ourselves from the British,” says Cathleen Epp, Archives of Manitoba’s Senior Archivist.

Subsequent episodes of River City 360 featured interviews with several speakers from the event, including Andy McLean, Bernie Farber, Haroon Siddiqui and Ihsaan Gardee.

The letters of several soldiers, written throughout the war, were on display for the public to read, and Ms. Epp read one of the emotional letters on-air, written by the sister of one of the soldiers killed at Vimy Ridge.

Visit issacanada.com for details.

Originally broadcast on the March 19, 2017 (Season 3, Episode 11) episode.

PROMOTING PEACE LITERACY Paul K. Chappell, Peace Leadership Director of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, visited Winnipeg in April to share his perspectives on peace literacy and leadership.

“Humans have to become literate in peace just like they’re literate in reading and writing,” says Mr. Chappell, an author, speaker and Iraq War veteran.

Mr. Chappell advised teaching skills like conflict resolution and empathetic listening can go a long way toward preventing violent acts and extremist ideologies.

“If you really want to be serious about reducing violence, we have to deal with the root causes, the viruses of violence, rather than the symptoms of violence.”

Visit peacefulrevolution.com for details.

Originally broadcast on the April 22, 2017 (Season 3, Episode 16) episode.

Originally broadcast on the April 8, 2017 (Season 3, Episode 14) episode.

HEAD TO RC360.ORG TO HEAR PAST EPISODES 44

The Foundation supported the conference with a $5,000 grant drawn from Community Building Funds.

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

FOUNDATION WELCOMES GUESTS DURING OPEN HOUSE ON WEDNESDAY, APR. 5 AND SUNDAY, APR. 9, WE OPENED OUR DOORS TO DONORS AND OTHER INVITED GUESTS. THE OPEN HOUSE FEATURED PRESENTATIONS BY STAFF, TOURS OF OUR NEWLY-EXPANDED OFFICE AND THE CJNU 97.3 FM STUDIO, A CHANCE TO MEET AND MINGLE WITH LIKE-MINDED WINNIPEGGERS AND MORE. A GREAT TIME WAS HAD BY ALL!

“ THANK YOU FOR THE OPEN HOUSE. IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME THAT MY DAUGHTER AND GRANDDAUGHTER SAW WHERE THEIR GRANDPARENTS’/ GREAT GRANDPARENTS’ GIFT WENT… THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION PLAYS A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.” – Clare Whitaker, fund holder

Foundation staff and guests at the Open House. Second from the top: Donald Benham poses with a photo of his father Hugh, who was The Foundation’s second CEO. 45

OUR FOUNDATION

The Foundation’s Susan Hagemeister (centre, in purple dress) with family and Foundation staff, at the 2017 CPA Gala.

GAMES CELEBRATE DIVERSITY FOUNDATION FELLOW This summer, Winnipeg is hosting our country’s largest multi-sport event.

The Canada Summer Games features 16 sports, more than 250 events, and this year is celebrating its 50th anniversary and Canada’s 150th birthday.

The Games not only showcase sporting excellence; they also promote diversity, multiculturalism, health and wellness, the use of both official languages, and community spirit.

More than 4,000 athletes and coaches from all 13 provinces and territories will be competing. Share their experiences and celebrate the cultural diversity of our city from July 28 to Aug. 13, 2017.

PINS 4 POLAR BEARS During a spring shopping excursion, local artist and polar bear fanatic Kal Barteski was happy to stumble upon a polar bear pin created by local company, Corue. She was thrilled to discover the proceeds from sales would go to her fund.

Kal established the Polar Bear Fund with The Foundation to support innovative, non-invasive polar bear research and polar bear projects that honour polar bears and their place in the Arctic.

To learn more about Pins 4 Polar Bears, visit corue.ca/ pins4polarbears/ Photo courtesy of Kal Barteski

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On May 11, The Foundation’s Director of Finance Susan Hagemeister was officially awarded the title of Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accounts (FCPA).

This award formally recognizes members of Chartered Professional Accounts (CPA) who have made outstanding services to the profession, or whose achievements in their career or community have earned them distinction and brought honour to their profession.

Susan was recognized during the 2017 CPA Manitoba Member Recognition Gala at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

WORKING TOWARD TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION The Foundation welcomed Phil Fontaine, former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, as a guest speaker at its March staff meeting.

RECONNECT, RENEW, REFLECT In March, friends and supporters of The Winnipeg Foundation on the west coast gathered in Victoria to renew acquaintances and reflect on the changes in Winnipeg during the past few years.

Cathy Auld, Kathryne Cardwell, Jaime Kyle and Lindsay Auld represented The Foundation and welcomed more than 60 guests, along with colleagues from the Victoria Foundation.

Fontaine shared his experiences and his views on truth and reconciliation. For Fontaine, the keys to change are education and capacity; educating all Canadians that Canada’s origin story includes Indigenous people as well as the English and French, and building the capacity of Indigenous people.

The last Victoria reception was more than five years ago and many guests appreciated seeing old friends and meeting new ones at the return of this once annual event.

The Foundation is committed to work with everyone in our community toward a shared goal of reconciliation.

Interested in attending the next gathering? Please email Jaime Kyle at jkyle@wpgfdn.org.

Cathy Auld, our Director of Strategic Philanthropy with friend of The Foundation, Marvin Thorgeirson of Duncan, BC.

All were pleased to hear more about what is happening in Winnipeg, at The Foundation and in the charitable sector.

Phil Fontaine speaking to Foundation staff.

YiP members at the recent Habitat for Humanity Build

A BOOK TO HELP OTHERS In 1984, Wilma Derksen’s life was thrown into turmoil with the death of her daughter, Candace.

YIPPERS IN THE COMMUNITY FIRST VISITORS AT NEW High school students took time ALLOWAY HALL from their studies and their Youth in Philanthropy (YiP) Committee duties to give back to our community through interschool volunteer events.

YiP is The Foundation’s initiative providing high school students with a hands-on experience of making grants to help charitable organizations.

The volunteer events allowed members from the 30 committees to meet with other YiP members, learn new skills, and learn about volunteer opportunities in our city.

This year, YiP members volunteered at Oak Table to prepare and serve lunch for patrons, and with Habitat for Humanity for its build on Apr. 27.

The Manitoba Museum opened the doors to its newly expanded and remodeled Alloway Hall on Mar. 23.

The new hall now has 13-foot-high windows offering panoramic views of Steinkopf Gardens and the modernist architecture of Manitoba Centennial Centre. State-of-the-art lighting technology allows the hall to feature bigger and better exhibits.

The first exhibit to take advantage of the hall’s new space is the blockbuster World’s Giant Dinosaurs, on now to Sept. 4.

Foundation CEO Rick Frost (centre), with Manitoba Museum’s Chair of the Capital and Endowment Campaign, Jeoff Chipman, and CEO, Claudette Leclerc at the Alloway Hall re-opening.

FRIENDS OF OUR HISTORY

Since then Wilma has become an international speaker, a consultant on victimization and criminal justice, and helped establish numerous programs, including Child Find Manitoba, Family Survivors of Homicide, and Candace House.

Wilma and her husband Clifford also established the Candace Derksen Fund with The Foundation to help victims of crime access healing programs.

Wilma recently released her sixth book, The Way of Letting Go, connected to her experience of losing her daughter.

Wilma hopes it will help others with their journey through grief or loss.

TOGETHER UNDER ONE ROOF In April, six separate Macdonald Youth Services (MYS) locations moved into their new home, the Therapeutic Services Centre at 175 Mayfair Avenue.

The 33,000-square-foot three-story building includes therapy rooms, healing spaces, life skills and computer technology labs, art and music program spaces, and a teaching kitchen.

In 2016, MYS provided services to almost 9,500 children, youth, adults and families.

The new centre will allow MYS to provide these services to their clients in one central location.

Megan Tate, our Director of Community Grants speaking at the Therapeutic Centre opening.

The Winnipeg Foundation is a legacy of dreams.

For decades, generous people made the gifts that generate today’s grants. They willingly gave to create a better future for people they would never know. We pay tribute to these past generations by supporting students who study the history of Winnipeg, Manitoba and Canada.

For more information about the Friends of Our History Fund, please email rfrost@wpgfdn.org.

47

BOARD SPOTLIGHT

sion: to better serve the needs of their communities.

TRENDS ACROSS COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS

In principle, the movement seemed to speak with one voice. Nonetheless, I found it interesting the same mantra was echoed at each event, “When you’ve seen one community foundation, you’ve seen one community foundation.”

Q: W hat trends are you seeing in community foundations across the country?

In April and May, I had the pleasure of attending two conferences that included discussions relative to the trends and priorities of community foundations. The first was sponsored by the Council on Foundations and was convened in Dallas, Texas. The second, sponsored by Community Foundations of Canada, was held in Ottawa.

Both provided opportunities to learn of strategies practiced by various foundations around the world. Topics included Vital Signs®, perspectives on reconciliation, food security, environmental factors, support for smaller foundations, growing investments, governance, impact investing, and many more.

Collectively these events hosted more than 1,500 delegates representing many levels of involvement with foundations.

Everyone was there with a single mis-

This speaks to the uniqueness of every foundation and its innate ability to adapt its strategies to the needs of its local community. This has been one of the underlying strengths of the movement for many years and perhaps one of its weaknesses.

Q: A re there any national trends you’d like to see become local priorities?

Is there something happening at our local level that you believe could serve a national audience?

We are living in very unusual times and conditions. Things are changing rapidly and those changes are having rippling effects globally. Ours is a shrinking world causing us to redefine our concept of community and how it is best served.

To address some possible shortcomings, a number of foundations – community and private, both in Canada and the U.S. – have turned their focus to a variety of social innovations including Vital Signs (community knowledge), developing “local-to-global” frameworks to address environmental and global concerns, developing strategic partnerships, and of most notably, impact investing.

Impact investing, which includes both program related investments and mission related investments (MRIs), has been purported to be the next frontier for social transformation. I draw on a quote from Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation: “While this field is still emerging, we are making this commitment because we believe MRIs are the next great tool for social transformation, in philanthropy and beyond… we have come to believe that if we expect to overcome the forces of injustice and inequality, we need to expand our imaginations and our arsenals. In short, we must begin to more deliberately leverage the power of our endowment.” (Equals Change Blog, Ford Foundation, Apr. 5, 2017) This in no way diminishes the traditional role of our community foundations.

We still seek to strengthen our local communities through granting and being a voice for the voiceless.

The Winnipeg Foundation knows the value of this well and has dedicated a great deal of its resources to help our rural communities in their efforts to establish community foundations. The Winnipeg Foundation remains a shining example to the 191 community foundations across the country of the benefits of mentorship and collaboration amongst our sector

BOARD SPOTLIGHT

SPENCER DUNCANSON

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APPOINTED TO THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION BOARD IN 2009. SERVED ON GRANTS COMMITTEE FROM 2009 TO 2014; CURRENTLY CHAIRS THE STRATEGIC INITIATIVES COMMITTEE AND SITS ON THE BOARD GOVERNANCE & PERSONNEL COMMITTEE. APPOINTED TO THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS OF CANADA BOARD IN 2012.

THE LAST WORD WITH CEO RICK FROST

WHY SUPPORTING THE FORKS’ SOUTH POINT PATHWAY IS STRATEGIC WE ALL WANT TO FEEL A SENSE OF PRIDE IN WINNIPEG – AFTER ALL, IT’S OUR HOME AND IT’S NATURAL TO CARE ABOUT THE QUALITY OF LIFE WE SHARE TOGETHER.

S

FINDING HAPPINESS IN A NEW HOME

How sport is helping newcomers like eight-year-old Syrian refugee Ahmed El Ahmar adapt to life in Canada. Read more starting on page 20.

o what makes a city great? Here’s why I think The Foundation’s recent grant of $500,000 to enhance the South Point entrance of The Forks makes good strategic sense.

First, great cities are widely recognized for doing some things very well. We all know The Forks is a public amenity space second to none. It has only been about 30 years since The Forks emerged from a rail yard and its world class status has been strengthened with every enhancement. The South Point pathway needs to keep pace with the rest of the site. It is also a critical component of the larger vision which creates a walkway loop on both sides of the rivers. The Forks is a jewel and we need to continually shine it.

Second, great cities pursue policies that promote social equity. This not only means harnessing the talents of everyone but also providing equal opportunity to enjoy the benefits offered by city life. Nothing is more equally available than parks and river walks. In this case, there is a reconciliation theme aimed at celebrating the Indigenous contributions to the culture of Winnipeg since the treaties were first signed. Social justice is an explicit part of this investment.

And third, great cities have town centres where citizens can gather to build relationships, share experiences and generate enthusiasm. The Forks defines itself as a gathering place reaching back for generations. As we think about the 2.2 km walking route that is being developed beside our rivers, it is easy to envision people having leisurely conversations – perhaps with friends, perhaps with strangers. This grant clearly enhances our town centre.

Last year, The Winnipeg Foundation made grants benefiting hundreds of local community projects. Like the South Point, every grant has an impact and we thank our generous donors for making this work possible.

Map images courtesy of Scattliff + Miller + Murray

53

WORKING TOGETHER

IMPARTING KNOWLEDGE INSPIRING CONNECTIONS INFLUENCING CHANGE SPECIAL FEATURE: HOW LOCAL CHARITIES, INCLUDING MANITO AHBEE FESTIVAL, ARE UPHOLDING THE TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION’S CALLS TO ACTION

A MAGAZINE OF THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION SPRING | SUMMER 2017

FOR HELPING MAKE ‘A WINNIPEG WHERE COMMUNITY LIFE FLOURISHES FOR ALL.’ Photo by Ginger Johnson, courtesy of Manito Ahbee

WORKING TOGETHER | A MAGAZINE OF THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION | SPRING | SUMMER 2017

THANK YOU