On Monday, November 4, attendees of the annual Heritage Centre (HC) gala were wined, dined, and inspired to join the collective challenge of providing ongoing support for this unique aging-in-place campus.
HC executive director Ron Parent opened the elegant affair with a reminder to everyone that supporting this community-owned social enterprise is like supporting their favourite hockey teams, such as the Winnipeg Jets and the Niverville Nighthawks.
“We chant, we cheer, we celebrate goals, and each hurdle we overcome,” Parent said to those gathered. “It’s not just about the game. It’s about belonging. Each victory feels like shared triumph and every setback a collective challenge.”
John Olfert and Mark Chipman were added to the HC’s long lineup of prestigious keynote speakers this year.
Olfert is the chief operating officer of True North Sports and Entertainment (TNSE). He bears the legacy of being one of the key people responsible for the acquisition of the Winnipeg Jets franchise in 2011.
Joining Olfert later for a question-and-answer period was Mark Chipman, executive chairman of the board of TNSE and the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club.
For the sake of those gathered, Olfert delved into history, regaling the audience with stories of the daunting challenges TNSE faced in the deconstruction of an old arena and the building of a new state-of-the-art 15,000-seat arena in downtown Winnipeg.
“Over the next seven years, our team [at TNSE] learned how to operate an arena and an NHL team,” Olfert said. “Trips to other NHL cities occurred. We learned the requirements and mechanics associated with operating an NHL team.”
Along with high levels of dedication on the organization’s part, Olfert says it’s thanks to fan support that the Jets franchise has been as successful as it has.
“Our True North Youth Foundation matured from raising about a quarter million dollars per year to give away to other charities, to now becoming a two-and-a-half-million-dollar a year annual operation, running three programs.”
The Winnipeg Jets Hockey Academy employs university students who run a weekly hockey program for younger students.
Camp Manitou is a facility offering children a place to build confidence and strong relationships through a variety of outdoor programming.
Finally, Project 11 is a cross-cultural program offering lessons and activities designed to support students and teachers on mental health awareness and positive coping skills.
“Much of True North’s journey has been guided by long-standing relationships with friends and partners who share our vision, mission, values, and culture,” Olfert said. “The work of True North and the Niverville Heritage Centre are very similar. While True North serves the community by offering venues and teams, you are serving your community by offering this beautiful gathering place.”
Like True North’s journey, the Heritage Centre has indeed been one of incredible vision, passion, dedication, and triumph over challenge. It remains to this day a crown jewel of the province and a shining example of the dreams that are possible when a community like Niverville rallies together for the greater good.
The challenges faced by the HC in 2024 are those of maintenance, repairs, and upgrades to the various seniors facilities that make up the campus. This year’s gala fundraising dollars have been designated for a completion of the roof on the Niverville Credit Union Manor.
If funding permits, residents of the Heritage Life Personal Care Home (HLPCH) will also benefit through the addition of a virtual interactive projection device which allows mobility-restricted residents to play virtual games without the need for a remote.
Improvements to lighting, resident showers, and the campus’ industrial fridge and freezer are also high on the list.
A lofty goal was set this year for $181,000 in new funding.
Unfortunately, ticket sales for this year’s gala were significantly down from previous years. Parent says that a number of factors contributed to that, including the burden of an increased cost of living and the gala’s move to a Monday night.
The choice of a Monday night, he adds, allowed the HC team to accommodate Olfert and Chipman’s busy schedules.
But there’s one more reason Parent believes numbers were down this year: “[There’s a] perception that the HC receives grants and funding from the town and government, so why keep donating?”
The reality, though, is that operating and capital costs to run this community-owned enterprise will always rely on the generous support of donors who value the amenities the HC brings to the community. This includes but is not limited to housing so our seniors can remain in the community they call home. Additionally, the daycare facility improves life for many Niverville families every day.
At the time of this writing, $50,000 in donations have been realized. Parent says that donations are still trickling in and his team will put to good use any amount, however large or small.
Tax deductible receipts are available upon request.
