Donation-matching pledge a boost to FortWhyte Alive campaign

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This article was published 27/09/2022 (1342 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Jerry Brown couldn’t wait to be the first to donate to FortWhyte Alive’s expansion campaign.

The longtime volunteer was on hand at the nature and environmental centre Tuesday morning to hear that local philanthropist Bob Williams will match all donations — up to $1 million — to the $35-million project.

Money raised by the the campaign will help to revitalize FortWhyte’s wetlands and pathways, restore a major roadway, improve accessibility to the green space and — the largest component — a 18,000-square-foot visitors centre.

“When I’m teaching kids wilderness survival or something like that — just to see the excitement and what they’re getting out of it,” said Brown, who handed $20 to president and CEO Liz Wilson after the announcement.

“I’ve had children here, especially since COVID, who have never been in this kind of setting. You can see the amazement in their face. That’s worth it.”

The building, which will be named Buffalo Crossing, will be the first commercial building in Manitoba built to passive house and zero carbon building standards, which both offer certification for structures that are climate-resilient and sustainably built.

“After this redevelopment is complete, FortWhyte will be ready to welcome more visitors, more students, more day campers, and all in new and sustainable ways,” Wilson said. “This entire project is about preparing FortWhyte for the future and giving our community the access to enjoy nature and the knowledge to protect it.”

Williams, who is president of Swancoat Investments, a real estate company, and sits on philanthropic boards in the city, said he was inspired to get involved with the capital campaign because he loves FortWhyte.

“When I was coming here 50 years ago, if somebody said, ‘Bob, if you give me 20 bucks, I’ll give you 20 bucks toward it,’ I would’ve jumped all over that deal… this gave me the opportunity,” he said.

Buffalo Crossing will account for about $25 million of campaign funding. Construction is set to begin this fall and end in winter 2o23. Other projects part of the campaign — including the $875,000 construction of the Ben and Rose Puchniak Woodworking Studio and a $4.6-million retrofit of the Richardson Interpretive Centre — have been completed.

Others, such as the $1.5-million shoreline stabilization project, are expected to be completed in 2024.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca