By: Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/12/2014 (2455 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The Crossways-in-Common building is the hub of West Broadway.
It’s conveniently located at the corner of Furby Street and Broadway and is home to no less than a dozen different community groups.
Crossways only exists as a community hub because of the vision of the Young United Church congregation. When their church was destroyed by fire in 1987, they made the decision to rebuild with the needs of the broader community in mind. Today, a wide range of secular and religious organizations call Crossways home.
With so many groups operating out of Crossways, I was very pleased to learn that the provincial Community Places Program will include funding to help Crossways with roof repairs. It also occurred to me that readers like you might be interested in some of the services available under that same roof.
One example is the West Broadway Community Ministry, which organizes a community drop-in four days a week. The drop-in features a free hot lunch or lighter meal for those in need. Whether you want to volunteer or just get to meet your neighbours over a hot cup of coffee, it’s a great way to connect with the community.
West Broadway Youth Outreach (WBYO) also offers drop-in services, with free recreational and life skills programming for kids aged four to 12. Have time to help a child with their studying? The WBYO Homework Club is worth checking out. Also on the education front, Horizons Learning Centre offers accredited high school education for mature students in a supportive environment and is tuition-free, and Gordon Bell High School operates its off-campus classroom here too.
Another historical aspect of Crossways is the Day Nursery Centre, which was founded in 1909 and is the oldest child care centre in Manitoba. It provides professional care for up to 44 children.
Crossways is also literally home to tenants in the Artemis Housing Co-op. Preference for the 11 units in the co-op is given to people who are HIV-positive or living with AIDS. Artemis residents are in an ideal location because health agencies like Nine Circles are just around the corner. This allows residents to access the health supports they need when they need them.
Lastly, I should mention that my own constituency office is on the second floor of Crossways. Hundreds of people access our services every year, and even though I have opened a second constituency office in the West End Commons, the Crossways location will still remain open full-time.
You may have heard the saying, "People should give according to their abilities and receive according to their needs." We only have to look at a typical day in the life of the Crossways-in-Common building to see people making a positive contribution on both sides of that phrase. You would be most welcome to come down and join the fun anytime.
If you would like to learn more about services offered in West Broadway, feel free to contact my office at 204-775-8575, or at Rob.Altemeyer@Your Manitoba.ca
Rob Altemeyer
Wolseley constituency report
Rob Altemeyer was the NDP MLA for Wolseley until 2019.