Bruce and Anne Oake Memorial Foundation calls on community to help finish funding women’s facility

The Winnipeg charity that owns and operates a treatment centre in the city is turning to the community for help with its project in progress.

The Bruce and Anne Oake Memorial Foundation is looking for funding for the Anne Oake Family Recovery Centre.

The construction of the building in Fort Garry is well underway, and there are hopes it will open in December 2027.

It’s a space designed to change the lives of women, children and families across Manitoba.

“Well we want women to reach out for help first of all,” said co-founder and retired broadcaster Scott Oake. “A lot of them are reluctant to do it because they’re afraid they’re gonna lose their kids to the system, and who wants to be chasing your kids in the system for the rest of your life.

“The Anne Oake Family Recovery Centre will answer that concern and we hope people will see it as a healing place, as is the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre.”

On Thursday, the foundation called on the community for funding help. They’ve already raised $23 million and need an extra $12 million to reach their $35 million goal.

“This centre recognizes women can receive treatment while maintaining important connections with their children and their families and their community,” said Manitoba Minister of Families Nahanni Fontaine.

The facility serves as a memorial to the late Anne Oake, Scott Oake’s wife.

Scott and Anne co-founded the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre in 2021 in honour of their son Bruce, who battled addiction for a number of years before he passed away in 2011.

The facility has seen hundreds succeed, sending them back to their families, jobs and society.

“It’s changed the lives of 600 men, but many hundreds beyond that if you consider the effect addiction has on families,” said Scott Oake. “And Anne Oake will have a similar success rate, we know.”

Another popular name in Canadian sports broadcasting, Ron MacLean, shared stories of the Oakes while hosting Thursday’s press event.

“Scott and Anne would go out and ask for donations,” said MacLean, the host of Saturday Night Hockey. “They would never receive one rejection, not one in the creation of Bruce Oake. But what’s more impressive is Anne personally wrote back to everyone who made a donation. Whether it be a loonie or $2 million.”

Oake retired from broadcasting and the end of the last NHL season. Now he’s spending as much time as he can with his two grandchildren, who where both in attendance Thursday.

“Looking at August is always the best way to remember Anne and Bruce, and Harlan of course is beautiful. They’re four and two. And Anne, of all the things her early death cheated her on, being with her grandchildren certainly is one. They’re special.”