New name, same goals for longtime youth, family support non-profit

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This article was published 12/01/2022 (1382 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg non-profit organization that supports youth and families in crisis has changed its name to support Indigenous reconciliation.

Macdonald Youth Services will now be known as the Link: Youth and Family Supports — and has a new logo meant to represent connection, unity and compassion.

The organization, which has operated in the city since 1929, runs a 24-hour youth shelter, as well as group homes, and provides counselling and crisis intervention, among other services.

It was first named for Sir Hugh John Macdonald (1850-1929), a Winnipeg MP, MLA, lawyer and son of Canada’s first prime minister. Sir John A. Macdonald was one of the architects of the residential school system.

“I am so proud to be a part of this impactful change, and even though we have a new look, the valuable work being done will carry on as we persevere and strive to create a safe, positive, environment for everyone,” board director Shane Storie said in a statement Wednesday.

In June 2021, amid the national reckoning over the Canadian residential school system, brought on by the discovery of hundreds of potential unmarked gravesites, the organization’s board of directors decided unanimously to change its name.

It consulted with Indigenous knowledge keepers, community organizations, youth, families, funders and staffers to develop the new moniker.

The organization also has locations in Thompson, The Pas and St. Pierre-Jolys, with a staff of more than 350, including its foster parents and full- and part-time and casual positions.

It supports nearly 10,000 children, youth and families every year.