This summer, the Winnipeg Foundation and Exchange District BIZ have partnered to present Walking Together: A Journey of Generosity through the Exchange.
One hundred years ago, William Forbes and Elizabeth Alloway established The Winnipeg Foundation. It was the first community foundation in Canada, and it forever changed philanthropy in our country! As part of its centennial celebrations, The Winnipeg Foundation is pleased to partner with the Exchange District BIZ to present a new walking tour through the historic Exchange District that examines our community’s philanthropic roots.
Did you know?
• Jean Forsyth, who was a trained opera singer and performed at the Bijou Theatre (which was once located where Bijou Park now stands, next to 492 Main Street), brought together like-minded individuals to form the Humane Society in Winnipeg, the first of its kind organized in Western Canada.
• Annie McDermot Bannatyne, a fierce Métis woman, was a driving force behind the establishment of what is today the Health Sciences Centre (HSC). She was also renowned for taking a horsewhip to a man after he published an offensive article about Métis women!
• William and Elizabeth Alloway established The Winnipeg Foundation in 1921 with a gift of $100,000. The Foundation did not receive its second gift until three years later: three gold coins valued at $5 each. This gift cemented the philosophy which guides The Foundation to this day — it is not the size of the gift but the act of giving that matters.
Learn about Forsyth, McDermot Bannatyne, the Alloways, and many more during this 45-minute tour. The tour also includes information about grassroots, community-led philanthropy in various communities, including Indigenous cultures, while acknowledging historical truths society now recognizes are problematic.
Winnipeggers are able to demonstrate their generosity by sharing a selfie for a chance to win one of 10, $1,000 grants for their favourite Manitoba charity. Participating is easy! To enter:
1. Take a selfie in Bijou Park next to the Journey of Generosity contest sign or with a walking tour flyer.
2. Post it to your public Instagram or Twitter timeline (no stories).
3. Tag @wpgfdn and use the hashtag #TWF100
4. Name your favourite local charity.
5. You can also email your entry to contest@wpgfdn.org and include your favourite local charity.
Complete contest rules are available on The Foundation’s website.
“The Foundation believes we are stronger when we work together, and this tour demonstrates why Manitobans are renowned for being the most generous in our country,” says Sky Bridges, CEO of The Winnipeg Foundation. “We are proud to celebrate our strong history of generosity, and to acknowledge hard truths in our journey forward, as we work to build ‘a Winnipeg where community life flourishes for all.’ We held a similar contest when we sponsored the Centennial River Trail earlier this year, and hundreds of Winnipeggers participated! We are excited the bring back the opportunity, which allows Winnipeggers to share their love of local charities and acknowledge the charities’ hard work and contributions.”
“The Exchange District is a National Historic Site with more than 120 heritage buildings within an explorable area,” says Jessie Schmidtke, Marketing and Communications Coordinator with Exchange District BIZ. “Our walking tours are a great way to highlight this and connect our community with the neighbourhood’s story-filled past — including the generous people who helped build our city.”
Tours are available Monday to Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. They can be booked in advance by calling 204-942-6716 or emailing tours@exchangedistrict.org or simply by walking up to the booth located in Bijou Park beside 492 Main Street. The cost is $10 per person, or $5 for students with a valid student ID. The tours are available until late August, so hurry!
The Winnipeg Foundation is For Good. Forever. They help people give back to our shared community by connecting generous donors with causes they care about For Good. They are an endowment-based public foundation, so gifts are pooled and invested, and the annual earnings are distributed back to the community Forever.
Additional Winnipeg Foundation centennial celebrations are planned throughout the year, dependent on gathering restrictions. Details and stories of The Foundation’s activities during the past 100 years are are available on a special website at wpgfdn.org/100