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Cameco is giving some community organizations an early Christmas present.
On Tuesday, the company announced that it will be providing $1.8 million in funding, which will be divided between 24 different mental health organizations ($700,000), 165 charitable foundations ($700,000), the YWCA Saskatoon ($250,000), and improvements to the Meewasin Valley trails ($150,000).
The money was mostly raised through Cameco’s employee giving campaign and its Step Up for Mental Health run and walk.
Tim Gitzel, Cameco’s president and CEO, said the company has operated in Saskatchewan for 35 years, and wanted to continue to show gratitude and give back to the community.
Cara Bahr, CEO of the YWCA Saskatoon, said the funding will help support the expansion of the organization’s women’s shelter.
“This money means so much to us and our organization,” Bahr explained.
“A significant percentage of the women and children that we serve would identify as Indigenous, and they have been deeply impacted by colonization and the legacy of residential schools. This money in particular will contribute to a healing space and counseling space for those women.”
Because of limitations at the current facility, Bahr said the YWCA has had to turn multiple people away, not knowing where they would end up next.
The CEO said expanding the shelter would ensure they don’t have to continue turning people away.
“We saw an uptick in demand after COVID, and it is just getting more and more every year. It’s really challenging and hard to turn away that many women and kids,” Bahr said.
“Right now, we house 54 women and children, and 34 of those women and children would turn over monthly, and then the other 20 units would be longer-term supported housing. The new build will increase our capacity by 127 per cent – we will be able to house 71 more women and kids.”
The Meewasin Valley Authority’s trail improvement campaign is also going to benefit from Cameco’s funding. Amy Wall, the authority’s manager of marketing and fund development, explained how the money will be used.
“The funding from Cameco today is really going towards some of our most important enhancements in downtown Saskatoon,” she said.
“Some of our busiest sections will see over 500,000 people at one point in the downtown area, so it’s really important to keep up with the growing capacity and safety.”
Wall said accessibility standards for outdoor spaces have changed significantly in recent years, and the donation will help keep the train system up to date by adding ramps, creating grades and improving accessibility for trail users.
According to Wall, the biggest focus right now is the part of the Broadway Bridge which links to the University Bridge, as that stretch includes some of the oldest parts of the trail system.
