The Morris Area Foundation is once again participating in the Endow Manitoba 24-Hour Giving Challenge, an annual, province-wide campaign that encourages Manitobans to contribute to their local community foundation during the month of November.
Help your community flourish forever! Give to the Morris Area Foundation on Saturday, November 18th and your $5 gift becomes $7.
Report from Morris General Hospital – Palliative Care
The granted funds from the Morris Area Foundation were used to help cover expenses related to a renovation this past summer, of the Palliative Care Suite at the Morris General Hospital. The project included new furniture, a new air conditioning unit and a fresh coat of paint and other miscellaneous work. We thank you for your interest and support of this project.
With funds from the grant from the Morris Area Foundation and money from other sources, The Morris & District Centennial Museum Inc. chose to educate the public as to the roles Alexander Morris and his son, Edmund Morris played in the development of our town and our country. The Town of Morris was named after Alexander Morris. His role in negotiating Treaties 3,4,5 and 6 as well as redoing Treaties 1 and 2 with the Indigenous people of the area has greatly influenced our development as a province and a country. His work as a cabinet member in Sir John A Macdonald’s cabinet and then serving as Lieutenant Governor of the area has not been given the recognition it should have received. It is somewhat shocking to find so many locals had very little or no knowledge of his work. The same can be said for the artistic skill of his son, Edmund Morris.
Edmund Morris was a portrait artist who was commissioned by the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta to paint portraits of Indian Chiefs as part of a permanent record. We are pleased to have an original portrait done by Edmund Morris on display at the museum.
Over 100 people attended a dessert and coffee gathering at the museum on July 1. We had photos of Alexander Morris, special charts prepared as well as copies of Treaties 1, 2, and 3 available for the visitors to scan. We also updated the museum brochure which will become part of tourism promotions.
The Oh Happy Day Splash Park officially opened to the public on Friday August 18, 2017. The grand opening event was held at 1:00 pm on Friday, August 25, 2017 and the community was invited to come for cookies and freezies to try out the new splash park. This event was well attended including business sponsors, town officials, employees and of course lots of families with children. We are very thankful to all businesses, organizations and community members that have contributed to this project.
For our fundraising we received a Government of Canada Community Paces Grant and had an amazing response from the businesses throughout Morris and surrounding area. We also received a $5,000 grant from the “Canada 150” Community Foundations of Canada /Morris Area Foundation. These funds were used for our opening event, the supplies for the landscaping, advertising as well as our new sign.
A very exciting part of this project is that we have seen many new faces attending the splash park since it opened on August 18, 2017. With new people and families coming out to use the splash park it is great to see the community forming and our outdoor recreation growing.
VAS Indigenous Gathering of Nations village
The Valley Agricultural Society Fair Committee has over the last few years been developing a more diverse exhibition. Our goal is to include cultural venues to the Manitoba Stampede. The Fair Committee members approached Ginew First Nations and Manitoba Metis to create cultural awareness and cultural teachings. Members of the Fair Committee met with several respected Indigenous cultural Teachers from Ginew First Nations, Josephine Hartin, Lucy Ducharme and Gail Lakatos. In the spring of 2017 the new vision for indigenous cultural gathering place was realized that this was a great fit for the Manitoba Stampede. Our combined vision was to create the “Gathering of Nations” an Indigenous village with several Tipi’s lodges, drum dances and indigenous teachings of several different tribes, Ojibway, Cree, Dakota Sioux and Metis to the Manitoba Stampede.
We recognize the funding announced in February 2017 from the Morris Area Foundation donation would be the initial dollars to achieve our vision. The Gather of Nations Village was started with several Tipi’s (Teepee’s) set up on the ground to serve as a village.
For July 2017 Manitoba Stampede and Exhibition; The VAS Fair Committee and Members of the First Nations community were able to meet with fair guests and share in traditional teachings such as beading, dancing, wildlife tanning, treaties just to name a few. On Saturday, July 22, 2017 an afternoon presentation in the Rempel Free Stage and an evening performance of the Indigenous Dances were performed by the Summer Bear Dancing Troupe; before over 3000 people in the Stampede Grand Stand arena. The Evening performance ended with great applause and was posted live on Facebook and has been viewed over 2000 times. The sharing of this rich culture and celebrate the history was a fantastic welcome addition to the Stampede and build healthy friendships with our local communities.
This year we rented several Tipi’s to populate the Gathering area. The Valley Agricultural Society is having two 16 foot Tipi’s being made and painted to reflect the Southern Manitoba area and will be on display for 2018. The Village area has also been expanded this fall to accommodate more room for more indigenous events such as large POW WOW’s and Indigenous art exhibits. These main tipi’s for future years and will be surround with other sizes and types of Tipi’s.
It is our intention to add to the village every year and work with our Indigenous First Nations communities making connections and building positive relationships in friendship for years to come.
James Buhler
VAS Fair Director
Home of the Manitoba Stampede
Photo credit; Barbara Shewchuk
A year has gone by quickly and we are again getting ready for our Annual General Meeting. On behalf of The Morris Area Foundation, we invite you to attend our 3rd Annual General Meeting on June 8th at 7:00 pm at the Riverview Golf and Country Club in Morris. With your generous donor support, we have made significant progress. With your ongoing support, we hope to continue growing. President Del Stevenson commented that “A lot has changed for the MAF since the start a mere 3 years ago. Starting with slightly more than $3,000 from a grant from the Morris Lions Club, our Endowment Fund now sits at over $135,000. Thanks to great support from organizations like the Thomas Sill Foundation, the Winnipeg Foundation, the Community Fund for Canada’s 150th and most of all the great support we have received from present and former residents and businesses of the Morris Foundation area, which includes the entire RM of Morris including the communities of Rosenort, Lowe Farm, Aubigny, Sperling and the Town of Morris”. Want to hear more? Join us Thursday June 8th, 7pm. for coffee, cake and conversation.
At the meeting we will present our financial picture, our activities throughout the previous year and our strategies and growth prospects. We will also be discussing future grants and have speakers from a few local charities.
Come and meet the board members, have coffee and share your ideas or concerns with us. We would love to see you at the meeting. We would like to continue updating you on our progress.
Could you please provide us with your email address for further correspondence.
The Morris Area Foundation Inc. in partnership with the Community Foundations of Canada are pleased to announce awards under the Community Funds for Canada’s 150th.
In celebration of Canada’s 150th. year – The Valley Agricultural Society in Morris, will receive $5,000 for the Development of an Aboriginal Community at this year’s Manitoba Stampede and Exhibition July 20 to 23, 2017 “to encourage cultural and communal growth.”
The Morris Area Recreation Commission in Morris, will be receiving $5,000 for the Morris Splash Park which will be constructed this summer for “an inclusive, community supported splash park that will increase outdoor recreation and community spirit.”
These initiatives are made possible by the Community Fund for Canada’s 150th, a collaboration between The Morris Area Foundation, the Government of Canada, and extraordinary leaders from coast to coast to coast.
A BIG Thank You to all you wonderful people who want to make a difference in our community and have contributed to the November 19th Endow Challenge for the Morris Area Foundation.
This year your donations of $13,975.00 were stretched to $15,975.00 by the Winnipeg Foundation. This now makes our total community endowment fund at just over the $100,000.00 mark. It’s a wonderful thing for the RM of Morris and the Town of Morris.
Your contribution will always stay with our Foundation. The more donations come in, the greater amount we have to grant to our community.
With your help, we are already making a difference. This year, thanks to a private donor, we have been able to grant $6,000.00 to valuable needs in our community.
December is the end of the tax year, a great time to consider a gift to the Morris Area Foundation and invest in the future of the RM of Morris and The Town of Morris.
The Morris Area Foundation is participating in Endow Manitoba, an annual, province-wide campaign that encourages Manitobans to contribute to their local community foundation during the month of November.
“Community foundations are a great way to support your hometown today, tomorrow and forever,” says Del Stevenson, Co-Chair of The Morris Area Foundation Inc. “We want to make sure everyone knows about our foundation and how it works. Endow Manitoba helps us get the word out and encourage people from all walks of life to support us however they are able.”
FOR ONE DAY ONLY, SATURDAY NOVEMBER 19TH, GIFTS MADE ONLINE THROUGH WWW.ENDOWMANITOBA.CA TO THE MORRIS AREA FOUNDATION WILL BE STRETCHED BY THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION ($1 FOR EVERY $5 DONATED) UP TO A MAXIMUM OF $2,000 PER FOUNDATION
The Morris Area Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of it’s 2016 grant program. Thanks to a donor who wishes not to be identified, the MAF has been able to double its contribution to five area projects, for a total of $6,000:
The Rosenort School Parent Advisory Council – a digital sign for the Rosenort School, Morris General Hospital – upgrade to Pallitive Care room, Valley Regional Library – entrance accessibility to the library, Morris & District Centennial Museum Inc. – a history project for Canada 150 on Alexander Morris, Busy Nest Day Care Inc. – upgrades to it’s Kids on the Corner facility.
The Morris Area Foundation is also supporting 2 project applications under the Community Foundations of Canada – CFC 150 Program. The Community Foundations of Canada to which the MAF belongs is matching local community foundation projects that celebrate Canada’s 150 to a maximum of $5,000 per member foundation.
The donor, a former resident of the MAF area, indicated their support for the MAF saying “Sometimes you have a good year. You start to think about where you grew up and the connection you still have there. I wanted to help make a difference now for the area. The MAF is relatively new and I wanted to help spread the word that they are here now and will be into the future.”
The Morris Area Foundation Inc . partners with donors to build permanent endowment funding from which projects of the entire Rural Municipality of Morris , including the communities of Rosenort, Lowe Farm, Aubigny, Sperling and the Town of Morris are supported.
Please don’t forget the Endow Manitoba day Saturday November 19, where your donation to the MAF will be stretched! You too can make a difference in your community for the future.
