The Society’s Bruce Power Local is making its mark in the Bruce region by championing more than $2.5 million in donations to community organizations and projects since 2010.
On Sept. 4, the Bruce Power Local will be presenting a cheque for $100,000 to the Saugeen Shores Aquatic and Wellness Centre and one to Support Ontario Youth for $25,000. The two commitments push its total fund donations since 2010 to an astonishing $2,509,253. The local is donating to the centre to increase access to health and wellness activities for surrounding residents, in the spirit of health equity. A community meeting place on site will be branded with the Society of United Professionals logo for 20 years.
“Through its Community Foundations Fund, the Bruce Power Local is punching above its weight to build stronger communities where everyone can get the support they need,” said Society President Michelle Johnston.
From Indigenous housing access, doctor shortages, health and wellness, to food insecurity – the local is tackling a variety of issues head-on in collaboration with municipal and community partners.
The local donates every year to the Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation. Their recent donation of $10,000 went towards a new CAT scan machine for Southampton Hospital – the first of its kind there.
“We work at a fabulous organization, and we have good jobs. Through the fund we can give back to our community and show our appreciation for what we have,” said Bruce Power Local Vice President Dave Ceksters. “We have friends and family who use the hospital and the aquatic centre. This is our home and we thrive when the community thrives.”
Access to healthcare is a major concern for the region, which has experienced a severe shortage of family physicians. To help attract medical doctors, the Society purchased two condos in Southampton in 2010 and two houses in Kincardine in 2013. The homes are leased to their respective townships for $1 annually. The homes provide bridge housing to physicians moving to the community, while also housing physician interns and locum doctors. The Society pays the annual property tax for each property.
Ceksters said he is proud of the local’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity. With financial support from the Society, the organization is building housing in the Indigenous communities of Saugeen First Nation and Chippewas of Nawash First Nation.
This is one way the Society is working to address the historic and ongoing inequity between First Nations peoples and settlers. According to a report by the Auditor General of Canada, people in First Nations communities are four times more likely to live in crowded housing and six times more likely to live in housing in need of repairs. This is a result of chronic underfunding that stems from Canada’s colonial legacy.
In the wake of the pandemic, many Bruce residents experienced food insecurity due to unstable employment and rising inflation on food prices. The Bruce Local donated significant funds to the local food banks of Kincardine and Saugeen Shores.
To apply to the Community Foundations Fund, groups can submit an application to the local. A local committee reviews the applications and decides collectively who will receive funds. The fund’s radius spans from Wingham to Owen Sound.
