2021

Tracy Neurenburg and Elaine Vincent of HEROES Alliance and the Lunch on Us program.

Tracy Neurenburg and Elaine Vincent of HEROES Alliance and the Lunch on Us program.

The Lac du Bonnet & District Charitable Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2021 Fall Funding session.

$5,300 was awarded to the Sunrise Education Foundation on behalf of Lac du Bonnet Senior School for the purchase of laptop computers to assist students that do not have access to this technology for remote educating.

$2,000 was awarded to the Town of Lac du Bonnet on behalf of HEROS Alliance towards the purchase of kitchen equipment for the Lunch is on Us program.

$5,000 was granted to the Lac du Bonnet Wildlife Association towards excavation and rip rap work at the Lac du Bonnet Trout Ponds which will improve angler accessibility and opportunity.

This year to date, a total of $26,744 has been awarded by the LDB Foundation to worthy recipients in our community.  $11,444 was distributed during the Spring Granting, $12,300 in the Fall, and $3,000 was awarded in Scholarships and Bursaries.

Please see the Grant Recipient page on this website at https://lacdubonnetfoundation.ca/grants/grant-recipients/ for a list of all grants and scholarships awarded by the LDB Foundation since 2010.

The Lac du Bonnet Health Centre recently received a $3,387 joint donation from the Lac du Bonnet and Pinawa Foundations for the purchase of new equipment to perform ankle brachial measurements (ABI) and toe pressures.

“This unique opportunity presented itself when (chronic disease nurse) Jamie McLean from the IERHA wrote our Foundation looking for support to purchase an ABI machine,” said Gary Rollins, President of the Lac du Bonnet Foundation. “This is something that has the ability to support both residents of Lac du Bonnet and Pinawa, so we approached the Pinawa Foundation about partnering and sharing the cost evenly.”

“We use the ABIs and toe pressures to assist with decisions regarding compression therapy and it is a useful tool in assessing the healing potential of lower leg wounds. Performing toe pressures is a more accurate and reliable test for those with diabetes or kidney disease,” said McLean.

McLean described the ABI as a non-invasive procedure to measure the arterial blood flow in the lower legs. It is more commonly known as a circulation test.

“It is used as a screening tool for diagnosing peripheral arterial disease as well as assessing severity of arterial compromise,” explained McLean.

“The Pinawa Foundation is always looking for opportunities to help with local health care needs. This opportunity was brought to us by the Lac du Bonnet Foundation and we were very please to help,” said Chris Saunders, president of the Pinawa Foundation.

McLean said having this equipment in Lac du Bonnet will provide area residents with the means, improved access, and better care closer to home.

Davis, Arlene.

Foundations team up for LdB Health Centre donation.

The Clipper, 7 October 2021, p.10.

President of the LDB Wildlife Assoc, Dallas Gaffray, and Gus Wruck representing the Winnipeg River Bursary

The Lac du Bonnet Foundation is pleased to announce that $3000 in scholarships and bursaries was recently awarded to three very deserving students from our area.

Congratulations to Dallas Gaffray who received both the Winnipeg River Bursary and the Wildlife Fund Bursary worth $1000 each. Dallas is a past LDBSS grad who recently completed a two-year Natural Resource Compliance Diploma at Lethbridge College. She is now pursuing the Conservation Enforcement Bachelor of Applied Science Degree at Lethbridge College.

Congratulations also to Laci Gaffray and Jaxon Macy-Nolan, both of whom are 2021 Lac du Bonnet Senior School grads and recipients of this year’s Chuck Reynolds Memorial Scholarship.  Laci received a $750 scholarship and will be pursuing a career in law enforcement through the Public Safety program at Assiniboine Community College. Jaxon received $250 and is pursuing a career in finance and accounting at the Asper School of Business.

For more information on Scholarships and Bursaries managed by the LDB Foundation please visit the Scholarship and Bursaries page on this website.

The Lac du Bonnet & District Charitable Foundation is pleased to announce the results of their 2021 Spring Funding Session.  A total of $11,194.00 was recently awarded to the following local organizations or those that serve the needs of our community.

$750.00 was granted by the LDB Foundation towards the creation and publication of a “Memories of Pointe du Bois” history book.  Manitoba hydro contributed a matching $750 to the Foundation for a total award of $1,500.00 towards this $15,000 project.

A $3000.00 grant was provided to the Lac du Bonnet Arena towards the purchase and installation of a replacement ice plant condenser.

The STARS Air Ambulance Foundation was awarded $5,000 as part of a $45,501 project to purchase and install a locking mechanism that secures an incubator onto a stretcher to ensure safe transport of newborns and other infants in the Winnipeg based air ambulance.

The LDB Foundation in collaboration with the Pinawa Foundation each awarded $1694.00 for a total of $3387.00 towards the purchase of an Ankle Brachial Index (ABI) Doppler by the Lac du Bonnet Health Centre.  This valuable piece of medical equipment will be used to test blood circulation.

Formal grant presentations have not yet taken place due to current Covid-19 restrictions but will occur as soon as they can be arranged.

The LDB Foundation continues to accept grant applications for the 2021 Fall Funding Session.  The deadline for applications is September 30. For more information on grants and how to apply, please visit the Lac du Bonnet & District Charitable Foundation’s website at www.lacdubonnetfoundation.ca

On Friday, May 14, the Lac du Bonnet & District Charitable Foundation hosted a follow-up event to the RBC Future Launch Community Challenge Vital Conversation that took place via Zoom on March 12, 2021.

The purpose of this second conversation was to continue the dialogue between youth and community leaders regarding the needs of our community, the role that youth can play in meeting these needs, and how community leaders can help foster youth leadership in the growth and development of our community.

Twenty-eight participants took part in the Vital Conversation including 20 representatives from fifteen different community organizations and eight student leaders from Lac du Bonnet Senior School. The session was professionally facilitated by LDB Foundation Board Member, Laverne Wojciechowski.

In the first half of the meeting, the students presented their ideas while participants reflected on what this might mean to their organizations and how they could support the students’ initiatives. The second half was devoted to a whole group discussion where plans to move forward were fleshed out.

A key take-away of the meeting was the importance of developing effective lines of communication among organizations and youth.  Having students directly involved with community organizations was one solution.  For example, there is a youth seat available on town council, but it has not been filled for years. Gord Peters, Mayor of Lac du Bonnet, suggested that now would be a good time to do so.

Leslie Joyce, representing the Lac du Bonnet Lions, supported the students’ suggestion that the Talent Show be revived for Canada Day with more youth involvement.  Ms. Joyce went on to say that the Lions have been looking for opportunities to involve youth in some of their projects and inviting youth to help in the organization of the Talent Show would be a wonderful starting point.

The Fire and Water Festival was very open to the students’ suggestions of expanding the festival to include other art forms, greater marketing directed at young artists, and inviting student volunteers into the group.

The Food Bank, which has a history of student volunteers, would like to see those opportunities continue and expand, and the LDB Foundation is looking forward to the fall when their student organization, the LDBSS Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) committee, will start up again after a one-year hiatus due to Covid-19.

In terms of recreation, the students were quite interested in seeing greater infrastructure developed in our town.  They felt that current recreational programming for students between the ages of 12-18 was sufficient, but improvements to the Skate Park, the development of water front activities, and a splash pad would benefit children and youth in our community.

Opportunities for mentorship, career development, and youth employment was another theme presented by the students.  Ryan Karklin, representing Winnipeg River Community Futures will be looking into the possibility of a Job Fair for next year. RBC Representative, Linda Davidow, will be following up with resources and opportunities for youth that can be tapped into through the RBC Future Launch program.

The idea of an Instagram page to promote community initiatives and volunteer opportunities was widely supported by the students. Other ideas for promoting volunteer opportunities included the use of the Town’s electronic bulletin boards, postings in the school and a list of Service Organization being available to all.  As well, a Volunteer Registry is currently being looked at by the Community Development Committee.

The idea of moving forward with a task force was suggested as a next step for the fall.  Linda Davidow, representing RBC Royal Bank summed it up well by saying, “There is a need to “Connect” youth, education, community groups and community leaders to ensure Lac du Bonnet is making the most of the energy and willingness of our residents to grow, prosper and create a safe, healthy, vibrant and creative future for all.”

The Lac du Bonnet Foundation in collaboration with the RBC Future Launch Community Challenge and Community Foundations of Canada would like to thank all who participated in these Vital Conversations.  The interest and support generated by our community leaders, local organizations, and the students from LDBSS has been appreciated, and we hope good things will come from these conversations in the near future.

 

Community Leaders and Students Leaders Come Together for a Vital Conversation

On Friday, March 12, the Lac du Bonnet & District Charitable Foundation in partnership with Community Foundations of Canada and the RBC Future Launch Community Challenge hosted a Vital Conversation via Zoom.

The purpose of this event was to bring youth and community leaders together to discuss vital needs in our community and how youth can help.

Students: Hailey Metcalf, Alex Wazny, Lily Hodgeson, and Teagen Crockett

Students: Hailey Metcalf, Alex Wazny, Lily Hodgeson, and Teagen Crockett

There were 16 community leaders representing 11 organizations involved in the conversation along with 10 student leaders from LDBSS.  Principal Chrissy Viznaugh and teacher Becky Reynolds also helped behind the scenes at the high school.

Community participants included Reeve Loren Schinkel from the RM of Lac du Bonnet, Town Councillor Keegan Sveinson and representatives from the LDB Foundation, RBC Future Launch program, Centennial School, HEROS Alliance, LDB Youth Centre, Two Rivers Senior Council, LDB Lions Club, Mrs. Lucci’s, and Winnipeg River Community Futures. There were other organizations that had expressed interest but were unable to attend the event.

Facilitated by LDB Foundation board member, Laverne Wojciechowski, the Vital Conversation followed a set format that had students and community leaders sharing ideas in both small group and whole group sessions.

The Vital Conversation was based on three key questions generated lots of discussion and many ideas.  The questions were:

  • What is working well in our community and what are some key challenges that we face?
  • Which challenges are youth uniquely positioned to help improve?
  • How can youth leadership be fostered and supported in meeting these challenges?

According to Linda Davidow, representative for the RBC Future Launch program, “The students were well prepared, had interesting perspectives, and the community leaders in attendance were able to listen and truly hear what youth are looking for from their community and community leaders.”

Some general themes and specific projects that emerged from the discussion included:

  • Community development to create greater cultural opportunities for youth, further development of the water front, and more diverse recreational activities for all.
  • Creating greater wheelchair accessibility along the waterfront, to businesses, and through the development of more walking paths in town.
  • Economic development to bring more people to the Lac du Bonnet area, increase job experiences and provide greater opportunity for youth employment.
  • Developing youth leadership skills through mentorship programs, volunteerism, training, work experience programs, and direct involvement with community organizations.
  • Providing a structure within the community for youth voice to be included.

When asked what went well with today’s discussion, Dave Ogren, Principal of Centennial School said, “The student voices! The student leaders in my break-out room were certainly the dominant voices and they had good ideas. In the whole group setting, I loved the varied perspectives we got from the youth leaders: athletics, arts, culture, volunteering, community.

I also liked that some of the adults involved jumped on acting immediately. It’s easy to have good ideas and hard, sometimes, to act on them.”

Although lots of ideas were brought forward in a short space of time, an important outcome of Friday’s Vital Conversation was a definite desire for community organizations and youth leaders to come together again at a future date to continue the conversation and create a more specific plan for youth voice and involvement in our community. Something do-able. Something tangible. The planning for this next step is already underway.

At the end of the day, LDBSS teacher, Becky Reynolds said it best. “It brings me joy to learn that our youth made an impact today. They make me proud. Each and every one. Each and every day. And, they represent only a small fraction of the voices, talents, ideas, and personalities filling the hallways, classrooms, fields, and courts of LDBSS. Thank you for the platform and opportunity.”