Place of Pride campus gets $750K programming boost from Canada Life
Posted December 9, 2024 6:20 pm.
A gift of $750,000 has been donated to support safe housing and programming for senior members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community and their families and advocates say the donation is much more than a sizable amount of money.
The cash, donated by Canada Life and Power Corporation to the Rainbow Resource Centre’s Place of Pride funding efforts, is both a gift but also an “acknowledgement of the importance of the 2SLGBTQ+ community to the organization,” which leaders say is critical.
“Canada Life can be proud of their commitment to help create this first of its kind campus, in the heart of downtown Winnipeg,” said Matthew Cutler, Chair, Rainbow Resource Centre in a news release.
“Working together with Canada Life, and other donors and supporters, we are creating a campus that will be life-changing, and in many cases life-saving, for countless Manitobans. It will be a place for everyone to not only survive – but to thrive.”
Estimated to cost $20-million, the Place of Pride has already seen the construction of a new 12,000 sq.ft campus in Winnipeg that includes 21 units of affordable housing, with the cash going toward strengthening the space.
This will include a community hub, housing, spaces for connection, as well as expanded programming and peer support, allowing members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community a safe and inclusive place to belong.
“As a Winnipegger, I’m grateful for everything Rainbow Resource Centre does to make our city a welcoming and inclusive place,” said Paul Mahon, President and CEO with Canada Life.
“There’s a pressing need for housing and safe spaces for 2SLGBTQ+ people, and that’s why Canada Life is stepping up to support this exciting project.”
The first phase of the project, which saw the creation of the campus housing units and a collaboration with the Westminster Housing Society, is already complete, and now the organization is moving on to phase two which is set to start in 2025.
It will include the construction of purpose built-counselling rooms and programming spaces, connections spaces, a kitchen to support community meals and an assortment of other amenities for community members.
