Time Travel coming soon to Ross Bay Villa, thanks to generous support from Benjamin Moore

By Lisa Preston

Ross Bay Villa is one of only a few 1860s homes left in Victoria. Built in 1865, the gothic revival style residence is remarkably intact, retaining almost all of its original detailing, both inside and out. With the incredible leadership and professional guidance of a dedicated group of volunteers, The Land Conservancy of British Columbia (TLC) has been working to bring the site back to its former glory.

Saved from demolition, it has become a gem of a historic house museum and home to the offices of two local heritage societies. The exterior work has been largely completed and we are now focusing on the interior. The restoration of the grounds is near complete and is being designed to show the appearance of the garden during the late 1860s. A group of volunteers is also working on a fascinating project to transcribe the diary kept by the Roscoes, the first family to occupy the house from 1865-1878.

For a history of the project please check out the TLC blog.

This project has been entirely volunteer driven, with leadership by heritage professionals and support from the TLC. The work has been progressing steadily over the last 12 years with hundreds of volunteers lending their expertise, time and tools to the project and fundraising efforts. Our current core group of volunteers, the “Ross Bay Villains,” includes students, public servants, historians, conservators, archaeologists, gardeners, carpenters, and many others, including a former resident of the home, passionate about keeping the past alive.

Each year we open up the house and gardens to the community for a Canada Day Lawn Party. This year the weather was beautiful and we extended the hours of the event to allow for even more people to enjoy guided tours of the house with the last stop being a stroll across the newly installed Oilcloth in the front hall. This year’s event was part of the Victoria 150 celebrations and was documented on video.

The house is also open for guided tours once a month. A new friend of TLC has made several visits to document the grounds and the interior and his photos and blog posts have been collected and posted here http://blog.conservancy.bc.ca/2012/06/toad-hollow-photography-visits-ross-bay-villa/

Work continues to finish the restoration of the front hall, including wood graining 12′ lengths of wallpaper by hand, and planning is underway for our grand opening celebrations next year.

Thank you to the Victoria Foundation and the Community Foundations of Canada for access to apply for the 2012 Benjamin Moore Community Restoration Program grant. We are all extremely grateful for the financial support Benjamin Moore is providing and this grant will help speed the completion of the final projects and painting to allow us to meet our target completion date of August 2013.

Lisa Preston is a member of the TLC Ross Bay Villa Restoration Committee in Victoria, BC.

Victoria’s Vital Youth – called to build a better world

Victoria Foundation’s Vital Youth program provides students with hands-on experience in philanthropy and community development. Formally launched in three schools in November 2003, the program – previously named Youth in Philanthropy – has since grown to include seven high schools.

Representatives of the Victoria Foundation’s Vital Youth program presented a total of $17,684 in grants to 18 local charities May 2.

The following is an edited excerpt of the speech by grade 12 students Bree Neale and Emma Thompson of Oak Bay High School, who represented the program:

When we joined the Oak Bay [High School Vital Youth] club for the first time, we were touched by the stories we heard from various charities. Some of the stories related to our own personal lives in some ways, whether it be a life challenge somebody faced with homelessness or having a brain injury and needing somewhere to stay.

In Grade 11 we stepped up and became [club] leaders, but we were still a little unsure of the best way to lead the group. When we were invited to the Community Foundations of Canada Conference in Vancouver last year we were really excited and happy to be chosen. And it was amazing.

The best part of the youth day was the scavenger hunt. There is no way to describe the feeling you get from being out in the community experiencing first-hand how small acts of kindness leave positive impacts on  people. During the scavenger hunt, we were fortunate enough to be a part of these impacts on people as we gave out free coffee to someone who we felt needed it, made a sign to make people smile (that said “smile if you like the Canucks”) and singing and dancing with complete strangers on the street. All of these activities were incredible experiences to be a part of and it was so special to meet so many youth from across Canada and around the world. We made a lot of new friends!

Attending the main part of the conference allowed us to see how philanthropy exists in the bigger picture. Listening to speeches by some of the world’s most influential leaders, including the Governor General of Canada, David Johnston, human rights activist Naomi Tutu, and former U.S. President Bill Clinton, provided us with new motivation, skills and information to bring back to our club. A quote that really spoke to us from this conference came from Tutu, the daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu from South Africa: “In times of trouble the wise reach out. They build bridges to connect with others.”

We would like to say a big thank-you to the donors on behalf of all the youth who get the opportunity to be involved in Vital Youth. There are endless benefits from the program. It is extremely rewarding to know that we are making a difference, and to see the enthusiasm recipients show, and the ability they have to further develop their charitable goals. It’s amazing to see how much of an impact the group makes on not only the charities who receive the grants, but also the students.

Sunshine Coast Vital Signs sparks significant social change

By Silas White

The launch of the Sunshine Coast’s Community Plan to Attract, Retain and Engage the Younger Generation happened just over a year ago. And with it came the inception of the associated group VOICE on the Coast, an advocacy network for Generation X and Y that has now developed into a non-profit society.

VOICE members at their strategic planning session in January. Photo credit: Raquel Fors

The credit for sparking this significant social change undeniably goes to the Sunshine Coast Community Foundation and its very first Vital Signs publication in 2009.

When Sunshine Coast Vital Signs indicated very serious challenges for residents aged 18 to 45, highlighted by the region having the second-oldest median age in B.C., the Community Foundation faithfully pursued a mission to “inspire” and “stimulate” by bringing stakeholders together in a collaborative community planning process. The stakeholders formed a task force, engaged members of the younger generation, and eventually presented its community plan to address the problem.

The new community focus on the need to attract, retain and engage young people immediately reframed many other issues in the community including economic development, recreation and post-secondary education.

In the 2011 municipal election, the issues of attracting, retaining and engaging young people took a far more prominent place in the campaign dialogue than it had in the past. And, largely buoyed by younger voters, turnout in both municipalities increased drastically.

The legacy of the community plan is the advocacy group VOICE on the Coast, led by a steering community of seven residents under the age of 40 from diverse backgrounds. The group has carried on many proposed initiatives, including political advocacy for employment, affordable housing and post-secondary expansion; enhanced online community engagement and promotion of entertainment activities; and a commitment to canvassing and providing more information on the state of younger adults for Vital Signs.

Most recently, the group has initiated a strategic planning process of its own that will hatch plans to build a regular two-way communications system between young people and local government.

The median age on the Sunshine Coast may continue to tick upwards, but thanks to the vision and initiative of the Sunshine Coast Community Foundation, the future of the region is looking much brighter.

Silas White is Director at VOICE on the Coast.

In Squamish, Vital Signs presents an opportunity to take stock of community issues

By Tara Ramsey

“It is easy to sit up and take notice, what is difficult is getting up and taking action” – Honore de Balzac

Vital Signs is an opportunity to take stock of key community issues. This snapshot allows us to pause and evaluate how we are doing. Communities receive information that helps determine successes and gaps in services. This focuses energy on what will hopefully result in action. Recently, I took action by joining a “food bank flash mob” which resulted in donations to those in need. I hope as Vital Signs is digested more action will transpire.

Tara Ramsey, Vital Signs committee member

Squamish’s Vital Signs reveals we are doing really well in Health and Wellness. Our obesity rate is 6.2%, which is 65.7% below the national average. Not surprising since we are known for being the “Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada.” On the downside, our Violent Crime Rates are shocking, as we were 66.2% above the national average.

Squamish is a community in transition. Although I believe “the only constant is change” (Heraclitus), Squamish has been adapting to significant changes. It has changed from being resource-based, where now nearly one-third of occupations are in sales and service. In nine years:

- 2003 Interfor sawmill curtailed operations / closed (2004) (*-185 jobs)

- 2004 BC Rail privatization / CN Rail purchase (*-300 jobs)

- 2006 Woodfibre pulp mill closed (*-323 jobs)

- Real estate market high and low

- 2008 beginning of economic downturn

- Highway improvement / 2010 Olympics – including Pre and Post – influx of people / temporary employment

*stats: http://www.thesquamishreporter.ca/index.php?id=149

Squamish Community Foundation indicated that with financial support they would write a follow-up report. In light of all of these changes, combined with 2011 census results, I believe this would be crucial to assess our improvements.

Tara Ramsey is a Vital Signs committee member with Squamish Community Foundation

CFC brings Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Trust into the community foundation fold

By Skana Gee

When the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust joined Community Foundations of Canada last month, it seemed a perfect fit.

“Like CFC, our goals focus on healthy communities and community vitality,” says Rebecca Hurwitz, Managing Director of the CBT.

The Trust was established in 2000 – after years of infamous resource management disputes – when residents of this B.C. area came together to look at ways to be more sustainable without abandoning the traditional economic activities of the region, including logging and fishing.

Home to the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the Trust conducts and supports research, education and programs that advance conservation, build our understanding of natural processes in the marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and promote the health of individuals and communities throughout the region.

Those efforts are made possible by a $12-million endowment, the Canada Fund, from the federal government.

Hurwitz, who joined the Trust in 2005 after working with members on a university-based research project, says representatives who attended CFC’s national conference in Saskatoon in 2006 were sold on the idea of joining the movement.

“I’ve always been so impressed by the level of work that we see CFC delivering,” she says, noting the CBT operates like much any other community foundation, with an annual call for proposals, a scholarship program, and five advisory committees.

“We are ready to take our investment in the region to the next level,” Hurwitz said in a recent news release.

“The eight communities of the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere are caring for one of our country’s most treasured places. We are proud to have them join our efforts to build smart and caring communities,” added Ian Bird, CFC’s President and CEO.

Hurwitz says the trust is looking forward to accessing the resources provided to Community Foundations of Canada’s 180 members, and collaborating with like-minded groups across the country. She’s also excited about participating in Vital Signs 2012, which ties in nicely with work the CBT began in 2007 around community vitality indicators.

“We haven’t done a public report at this point, so it’s great to be on this timeline,” she says.

The CBT has close links with local schools and recently developed a student curriculum on sustainability. Hurwitz – currently traveling with a high-school school group in China – hopes to eventually start a Youth in Philanthropy program with in the Trust.

Skana Gee is Communications Coordinator with Community Foundations of Canada.

Community engagement lends Vital Signs even more value in South Okanagan

By Aaron McRann

After witnessing the success of Vital Signs in other communities, the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan committed to its first Vital Signs report in 2011.

Based on the experience of others, we expected going in to this process that we would have the opportunity to highlight key areas of need in the community. We expected that we would offer a document that could provide an unbiased assessment of the health of our community. We expected that the document would be used by many different groups to inform their plans for the future.

And just months after the launch of our first Vital Signs report, we’re happy to have experienced all three of these wonderful benefits.

South Okanagan's leadership team

However, the side benefits that we have enjoyed by engaging in this process are also worth noting. By engaging an effective Community Leadership Team, made up of prominent leaders from every sector of our community, we have been able to forge much stronger alliances that will remain important for years to come.

The process of working together to craft this first Vital Signs report required commitment, ingenuity, compromise, and imagination from each of our Leadership Team members. This level of engagement not only sold them on Vital Signs as a key tool for driving change, but on the Community Foundation as a leader in steering and coordinating that change for the future.

Another very gratifying “surprise” was the level of community interest in the process. In all, the local newspapers provided eleven articles about Vital Signs including discussions of its roots, its development process, and its outcomes. More than 660 citizens completed our community survey, fully three times our expectations.

The end result is a valuable, unbiased report that truly is the voice of our citizens … awesome!

Aaron McRann is Executive Director of the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan

Vibrant community sport sector an important ingredient in community vitality

By Barbara McMillan

Community foundations understand the value that sport brings to communities, and why programs involving sports are worth supporting.

Whether the focus is on athletic performance or fostering healthy lifestyles, engaging volunteers or cultivating leadership, building confidence or building community, we know that a vibrant, accessible, and adequately funded community sport sector is an important ingredient of community vitality.

We also know that it can be a challenge for sport organizations to access the resources necessary to allow them to meet the demand for their programs, and increase their capacity, their impact or their reach.  And for funders, there may be procedural, capacity or awareness barriers that might limit their ability to support sport organizations in the way they would like.

That’s why more than 60 representatives from sport organizations and community and other foundations, including Ian Bird, Community Foundations of Canada’s President and CEO, recently gathered for a day-long symposium at the UBC John MS Leckie Boathouse in Richmond to explore opportunities to work together to enhance sports philanthropy.

We heard many stories of how community foundations are supporting sport through grants, agency endowments, legacy funds, and infrastructure projects. And we heard about the power of sport to change lives, improve health outcomes, and strengthen community. But we also learned about the regulatory, resource, and turf barriers that can limit capacity and impact.

Initial feedback about the meeting has been overwhelmingly positive. Sport groups and community foundations appreciated the opportunity to learn more about each other and to start a conversation about how we can more intentionally and strategically connect our sport and our philanthropy organizations and networks.

One of the immediate outcomes is that the sport organizations that participated now see community foundations as partners rather than funders.

We’re now pulling together the notes from the meeting, and will be considering how – with some of the many ideas generated and relationships initiated – we will foster a sport and community philanthropy strategy.

As one participant noted: “There is so much value in this discussion, and sharing information may result in movement toward collaboration – let’s keep the discussion going and expand it.”

Stay tuned …

Barbara McMillan is Community Foundations of Canada’s Director of Regional Strategies

TV partner helps Victoria Foundation spread the word about Vital Signs

By Stephanie Slater

On Sunday, Jan. 22, CHEK TV News aired a special feature story about the 1000 x 5 Children’s Book Recycling Project in Greater Victoria’s Saanich Peninsula.

The next morning, the phones started ringing at The Victoria Foundation, which had sponsored the story – the first in a weekly series called Vital People. 

1000 x 5 is a project supported by the foundation that aims to ensure every child in their region has a minimum of 1,000 books read to them by the time they are five years old. Callers wanted to donate books – and not just a few! Two callers each had collections of hundreds of books. Jim Munro, owner of Munro’s Books, asked for a meeting with the 1000 x 5 project leader. Other callers asked about replicating the program in their communities. One call came from an organization that works with people who have developmental disabilities. They arranged to bring some of their clients to the weekly sessions where the books are cleaned and sorted.

All this from one, three-minute television story! It was an immediate affirmation of the value of the project – a partnership between the foundation and CHEK TV. For a fraction of the regular cost of advertising, Vital People provides a weekly profile of people and organizations working on the vital issues outlined in Victoria’s Vital Signs® report.

“Vital People spreads the messages highlighted in the Vital Signs reports about needs and opportunities to make a difference in our communities,” said Sandra Richardson, CEO of The Victoria Foundation.

The series not only keeps Vital Signs alive throughout the year, it reinforces the community report card as a project of The Victoria Foundation, helping to boost awareness and understanding of the foundation’s breadth of work.

Vital People stories are posted on the foundation’s website and are also available to the organizations profiled for posting on their websites. These stories will also be featured as part of the soon-to-be-launched Community Knowledge Centre – the searchable database that will showcase registered charities that have received grants from the foundation. Stay tuned for more developments!

For another example of bringing the Vital Signs message forward, see the new Vital Signs checklist featured in the January edition of The Victoria Foundation’s Philanthropy page – a monthly newspaper feature sponsored in partnership with Black Press.

Stephanie Slater is Director of Communications with The Victoria Foundation

Central Okanagan residents support action on water issues, according to Vital Signs

By Cheryl Miller

In the Central Okanagan’s 2011 VitalSigns® report card issued by the Central Okanagan Foundation, our community gave itself a grade of B- in the issue area Environment.

The perception that the Okanagan is blessed with an abundance of fresh water has led many to think that we have an endless supply and we don’t have to worry about conserving, says Corinne Jackson, communications and research coordinator with the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OKBW).

But with population growth and climate change, altering behavior is a must.

Cheryl Miller, Grants Manager at Central Okanagan Foundation

“Our research has found that in the Okanagan basin, outdoor irrigation accounts for almost 25 per cent of our water use. And the only reason we have green lawns is because of how much water we use. It’s not natural to the area. The only desert in all of Canada is in our watershed,” Corinne explains.

About 18 months ago, the OKWB launched Okanagan WaterWise, an education and public outreach program to increase awareness among valley residents about water issues in the Okanagan and to bring residents of the Okanagan valley together with the understanding that our water source is connected — we all share the same resource.

According to the Vital Signs report, community members believe in the importance of conserving our water, as well as improving curbside recycling and implementing curbside compost pickup.

Peter Rotheisler, with the Regional District of Central Okanagan’s waste reduction office, says the residential recycling program has been operating in the Central Okanagan since July 2000 and each year the program has seen higher volumes of materials collected.

In 2011, 50 per cent of all curbside waste (including recycling and yard waste) collected in the Central Okanagan was diverted from the landfill. However, the most recent survey done by the Regional District of Central Okanagan found 37 per cent of the residential garbage currently sent to the landfill is recyclable.

So what’s next? The waste reduction office recently initiated a study looking at how Okanagan residents manage kitchen waste. Rotheisler says other municipalities, including Vancouver, have started pilot programs to deal with kitchen waste and, depending on the results of the study, it’s something that could be considered in two to three years.

Cheryl Miller is Grants Manager with Central Okanagan Foundation 

CFC’s Benjamin Moore program provides facelift, inspiration

By Michelle Stefan

The Summerland Asset Development Initiative (SADI) is an organization that provides opportunities, activities and resources for Summerland youth.

Volunteers paint up a storm at the SADI centre

We are housed in a building provided by the District of Summerland. This building provides us with the opportunity to run activities, leadership programs and an after-school program for youth. Each year we try to focus on a new building improvement project that improves our building, but also enhances community spirit through these positive changes.

Last year, SADI heard about CFC’s Benjamin Moore Community Restoration Program, which awards cash grants of up to $4,000 plus Benjamin Moore paint valued up to $750 to qualifying community organizations.

We thought it sounded like a great opportunity to spruce up the building and make it a source of pride in our community. We worked with our local Community Foundation of the South Okanagan to find out more about it and put together our proposal. Then we crossed our fingers.

Work in progress at the SADI centre in Summerland

Soon after, we received word that we would receive cash and paint to make our vision a reality. We set to work involving a local painter and SADI supporter, selected two colour schemes and asked the youth what they thought. They were unanimous in their decision and we set to work. We organized volunteers of all ages to help with the painting of a stucco building – no easy task!

It didn’t take long before our building was transformed before our very eyes. Shades of blue, green and orange were tastefully combined to create a fun, vibrant and aesthetically pleasing new space. Youth were so inspired they couldn’t stop painting, and continued to paint all the tables in our lounge area.

Feedback from the community was instantaneous and we heard positive comments for months. Some even suggested it should be the new design scheme for our town. We feel that this project helped us build spirit and pride, not only in our own building and in our youth, but in the community as a whole.

A big thank-you to Benjamin Moore, Community Foundations of Canada, The Community Foundation of the South Okanagan, Summerland Builders Mart, Feels Like Home by Jamie, and the many volunteers who made our vision a reality!

The process was easy and helped us accomplish something that might otherwise not have been possible.

Michelle Stefan is SADI Program Manager