The Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre near Île-des-Chênes was the beneficiary of a $5,000 grant on October 18, courtesy of the Canada Post Community Foundation. The Foundation’s primary purpose is to support initiatives that improve the lives of Canadian children.
Zoe Nakata, executive director for Wildlife Haven, was on site at the IDC post office to receive the cheque along with two colleagues and the Centre’s owl mascot, Griffin.
“We’re very keen on making [Wildlife Haven] an interesting and welcoming site for everybody, but specifically for kids as they visit as a part of their school programs,” Nakata told those gathered.
The $5,000 grant will be used to outfit the centre with camera technology so that guests can view the animals live from their enclosures through monitors in the visitor centre.
“It’s really important to keep all of the animals wild and without interference from human contact, so [the camera and monitor system] is a win/win situation for our kids, for the public, and for the animals,” Nakata added.
Presenting the cheque on behalf of Canada Post was the company’s southeast Manitoba manager, Kris Hansen.
“The Foundation raises $900,000 to $1 million every year for all sorts of charitable children’s initiatives and projects all across the country,” said Hansen. “Over the last ten years, we’ve actually raised upwards of $13 million.”
Taking an opportunity to boast, Hansen told attendees that southeast Manitoba has led the pack for the past five years in terms of dollars fundraised. Last year, $28,000 was raised for local Manitoba initiatives.
The Canada Post Community Foundation is a registered charity that operates at arm’s length from Canada Post. This year, the $1.3 million raised will be distributed to 101 organizations across the nation.
Every year, Canada Post releases a special edition postage stamp, the proceeds of which go towards the Foundation’s charitable efforts.
The 2023 stamp edition is available at Canada Post offices now. Customers can purchase stamp booklets and help the Foundation continue to provide grant funding into the future.