New name for community services centre

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/09/2022 (1193 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg drop-in centre will no longer bear the name of a British colonel who led the expeditionary force to quell the Red River Resistance.

Wolseley Family Place has been renamed Acorn Family Place.

“We are committed to our community, and do everything we can to be accessible and welcoming,” executive director Emma Fineblit said Monday in a statement.

“We’re not only committed to providing services, we’re committed to social change. Renaming our organization was something within our power to do, to be role models, and take a step towards reconciliation. We’re thrilled to welcome our community to Acorn Family Place.”

The drop-in centre, which helps families with young children, was originally on Wolseley Avenue when it was founded in 1998.

The organization moved to Crossways in Common, at 222 Furby St., after the owners of the Misericordia Education and Resource Centre decided to redevelop the site in 2019.

As part of the name change, the organization conducted a survey and interviews with participants and stakeholders. It found found, when told the history of the Wolseley name, 63 per cent said they supported a change, 32 per cent weren’t sure, and five per cent were opposed.

About half of the families who use the centre’s service are Indigenous.

“The more we engaged in conversation with our participants and partners, the more it became clear that the time was right for a name change and we’re confident the community will embrace our new moniker, Acorn Family Place,” said board chair Bhavesh Mistry.

“Community is the heart of this organization and we’re here to serve them and work with them.”