It’s hard to believe that we’re coming to the end of another hot and sunny Manitoba summer. I hope you were able to spend some time with family and friends, doing things that helped you to relax and recuperate from what has been such a difficult year and a half for so many of us.
If you haven’t yet done so, I’d like to encourage you to get your Covid-19 vaccine. While there are still some unknowns when it comes to the pandemic, what we do know is that the vaccine is the best way to keep yourself and those you love safe. Many locations across the province are offering walk-in vaccinations – no appointment necessary! To find one closest to you, please click here.
While we here at Réseau Compassion Network have enjoyed our downtime over the summer, we’re looking forward to exciting and interesting work ahead this fall. A few of the highlights that I’d like to share with you:
- We have received Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation funding approval for our affordable housing project at 156 Marion. This fall, we’ll be firming up pricing, plans and everything else we need to get construction started. This project will include affordable housing units for those who receive services at St.Amant, Sara Riel, and Abri Marguerite, plus a host of market-rate options to serve St. Boniface as a whole.
- Our network Youth Hub project is also moving ahead. The partnership between Youville Clinic, Centre de santé de St. Boniface, Aulneau Renewal Centre, Marymound, Sara Riel and Teen Stop Jeunesse has secured a location. We are working towards completing the renovations required to create a welcoming and safe space for Indigenous, francophone, and immigrant youth in St. Boniface and St. Vital. This hub will serve as a one-stop-shop for all the health and social services these important populations might need.
- Our Elders Advisory Group was able to meet over the summer and has committed to support our reconciliation journey. We are so thrilled to have the support of: Elder Louise Lavallée, Lisa Raven and Rose Roulette. We are humbled by the commitment of these women who are sure to teach us so much. With their guidance, we will begin to work with leadership across the network to bring more form to our journey reconciliation and how we can best support each other in this important work.
I sincerely hope that our Covid rates continue to stay low and our society continues to reopen steadily and safely. We have all missed the connection and sense of belonging to our workplaces as well as our larger communities. I’m wishing you all patience, grace, and compassion for yourselves and each other as we navigate a post-pandemic life at work, at home and across the world. I look forward to seeing our network members in person sometime very soon!
Daniel Lussier
