Scout groups in need of new storage space

East Kildonan

Southdale

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/02/2023 (982 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With Scout Week happening across North America this week, local Scout troops will be celebrating their accomplishments. However, the 1st John de Graff Scouts troop finds itself in a bit of a jam.

Since 2004, the John de Graff group has stored its equipment at Valley Gardens Community Centre (218 Antrim Rd.) for free, in the back of an outbuilding known as The Lodge. It also used the space for various events and meetings, as needed. However, the building was damaged in the fall of 2022, owing to shifting soil. The City of Winnipeg, which owns the building, has since condemned The Lodge, leaving the scouts scrambling to find a place to store their equipment by March 1.

“It has been a great spot for years,” said Daryl Adair, a John de Graff Scouts leader whose three children are involved in various levels of Scouts. “But we’ve been thrown a curveball. We need a nice, secure space that we can access year round. Any funds we have we want to put back into activities for our youth.”

“There’s just nothing we can do about it,” said Karen Kummen-Diak, president of Valley Gardens Community Centre. “(The Lodge) was well-used. We’re going to look at how we can replace it, but that will take time.”

Recently, the 1st Southdale Scouts troop, which counts over 60 youth as members, found itself in a similar situation, when Southdale Community Club ran out of room to store the troop’s gear.

“There had been space for trailer — we had a cargo trailer and a canoe trailer — as well as our camping and other equipment that we kept there,” explained Doug Kiz, a volunteer with 1st Southdale. “We had to put it somewhere, so we’ve had to rent space. Whereas we’d been able to afford the parking spot, adding in the cost of the enclosed storage was quite a bit more.”

As with 1st John de Graff, 1st Southdale’s fundraising efforts have been curtailed over the past few years, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Where we had been in a good financial situation to keep providing scouting activities to youth, we’re going to be in a much more squeezed situation,” Kiz said. “It’s costing us quite a bit. We’re considering what else we can do to help ourselves.”

As the 1st John de Graff Scouts plan to meet for their annual dinner at the Elmwood Legion on Feb. 22, Adair said he’s hopeful the community will step up to help the troop in its hour of need. If a business were able to provide sponsorship of a storage space at a reduced or no cost, Adair said a tax receipt could be provided.

“As we come out of the pandemic, we’re humbled we’ve been able to endure,” he said. “We continue to be out doing things in the community. But we need help.”

Anyone interested in sponsorship or providing a storage for either program can contact Adair at 204-223-0459 or contact 1st Southdale Scouts at rwinston@mymts.net