Through the generosity of the Winnipeg Foundation, the Thomas Sill Foundation, and Acsion Industries, Chris Saunders, Carol Findlay and Jane Sargent recently attended the 12th National Conference of Community Foundations of Canada in Winnipeg. The conference theme was “Inspiring Smart and Caring Communities”. The conference was attended by 600 delegates from the 192 community foundations in Canada, plus delegates from 14 other countries.
The conference had a number of highlights, including:
- A conversation with the Governor General. Dr. David Johnston about his efforts to make sure every community in Canada is presented by a community foundation by 2017, Canada’s 150th birthday.
- A presentation by Gail Asper, a driving force behind the establishment of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. A reception was also held at the new museum.
- Alexandre Trudeau, son of the late Right Honourable Pierre Elliott Trudeau, is a documentary filmmaker and freelance journalist based in Montreal. He presented his views on the impact of war on human rights and local families.
A presentation by Jowi Taylor is a multiple award winning writer and broadcaster best known for his long- running CBC Radio program “Global-Village”. His independent “Six String Nation” multi-media project – centered around a guitar built literally from pieces of Canadian heritage – combined Jowi’s various fascinations, including music, media, community-building and the intersection of Canada’s history and multicultural identity. It was truly inspiring (take a look at www.sixstringnation.com)
The conference continued for three days, with presentations about all aspects of community foundations. “I learned a lot at the daily workshops and met many people from across Canada doing great work for their communities” said Chris Saunders, Chairman of the Pinawa Foundation. “I am particularly interested in how we can help other groups in Pinawa and surrounding communities to start endowment funds. We also learned about the benefits of family foundations and about a wonderful program called the “Book of Life” (take a look www.jewishfoundation.org).