A handful of area communities are benefitting from the Northern Neighbours Community Foundation, which is celebrating 25 years of service this year.
The Northern Neighbours Community Foundation (NNCF) presented about $129,000 to 26 programs and projects in Cranberry Portage, Creighton, Denare Beach, Snow Lake and Flin Flon.
An initiative to improve the heating and air quality in the Rotary Court buildings saw the most benefit from the NNCF funding, receiving $18,000. One of the five buildings – which were built in the 1950s – has already been upgraded.
Shylo Peters accepted the money on behalf of the Rotary Club. The grant money is enough to upgrade two more facilities.
There will be new stage lights inside the Flin Flon Community Hall. Northern Neighbours handed more than $11,000 to the Flin Flon Arts Council, which was accepted by Crystal Kolt on behalf of the council.
“[The LED lights] will require less power to operate, contain outdoor radio components, run on conventional power and will be more versatile because they operate from a standard desktop computer,” Kolt said. “We believe that the arts can be an economic driver for our community. We really appreciate this and will light up the stage for you.”
The City of Flin Flon will upgrade Steventon Park with $11,354 to install pickleball and bocce ball courts in the park. The Steventon Park project was awarded through the Joe Brain fund, which was transferred to the Winnipeg Foundation in 2013.
The final project to break the five-digit mark was the Joel Jackson community weight room in Snow Lake, which received $10,000 to upgrade their equipment. The gym is located inside the Joseph H. Kerr School and is the only community gym in Snow Lake. School representative Rowena Herana said most of the equipment inside the room was at least 14 years old.
Four different schools were awarded money for projects. The Ruth Betts Community School received money for a new play structure, the Creighton Community School student council was approved for physical activity floor decals and École McIsaac School got more than $5,000 for their new breakfast program.
Sylvie Dufour accepted on behalf of École McIsaac, explaining the school’s existing breakfast program requires expansion to service the entire school. The planned room for the breakfast program is renovated and the school has secured funding for the food. The Northern Neighbours grant will finance the costs of obtaining necessary equipment for the project.
“I’m telling you; it was a January and I had to find a kitchen,” Dufour said. “We have a stove provided waiting to see how we can pay for it.”
Just over $90,000 worth of the grants was awarded through the Moffat family, who gave funds to the Winnipeg Foundation in 2003 to pass on to organizations in the north. Since 2003, the Moffat fund has donated $718,000 to Northern Neighbours funding initiatives.
Northern Neighbours raises money to award through the Winnipeg Foundation. Any donations to the local group are put into an investment fund managed by the Winnipeg Foundation. The profits are invested back into the community. This allows money to go further than a pure donation.
“Unlike most organizations that focus on the now, the Northern Neighbors Community Foundation is constantly thinking about our community’s future and builds funds to support whatever needs our community will have for the next five, 10 or 15 years,” foundation executive director Betty Kendall said. “In many ways, we are like insurance against a changing future.”
The Northern Neighbours Foundation plans to celebrate their 25th anniversary with a community BBQ on Sept. 14.
