Jets and Niverville Heritage Centre on building a legacy

Over $50,000 has been raised for upgrades and repairs at the Niverville Heritage Centre campus after the annual Gala.

This year it featured True North Sports & Entertainment chairman Mark Chipman and True North president and COO John Olfert. Dinner guests ate up their stories of how perseverance brought the Winnipeg Jets back to Manitoba and created a franchise that has persisted in the smallest NHL market.

The connection was not lost on the guests to Niverville’s small town gumption in creating a $75-million campus that includes the 80-person Heritage Life Personal Care Home, NCU Manor assisted and supportive living for nearly 50 people, retirement living for 75 seniors, Service to Seniors, Adult Day Program, community gardens, and more.

“The work of True North and Niverville Heritage Centre are very similar… While True North serves the community by operating venues and teams, this helps your community by offering this beautiful gathering place, health care facilities, dental centre, childcare, assisted living, and also restaurant,” said Olfert in his closing remarks.

Olfer and Chipman also took time to take questions from the audience, which led to a discussion on the state of the Jets, a team Chipman pointed out that has more wins than any other Canadian team since arriving in 2011. With dwindling attendance numbers despite a winning record, the two business leaders are looking to garner the similar support that Niverville gets for the Heritage Centre from community members and businesses, just on an NHL city scale.

Niverville Heritage acting board chair Rheal Vigier gave some perspective on what everyone was there to do that evening.

“Tonight, I want to talk about mortality. In the end, people love talking about accolades, the trophies they won, and what they did… They want to be surrounded in the comfort of family and express themselves,” said Vigier.

“They want to be remembered and know their life had meaning.”

He went on to speak of hope, fear and comfort around financial security for their family, the medical care near the end of their lives, and being with a community and the ones they love. Vigier closed by encouraging everyone to do what they can in the present, and to remember their parents and what they did for them.

Since 2014, over $615,000 has been raised by the annual Niverville Gala fundraiser.

The Heritage Centre hopes to raise $181,750 to repair the Manor roof, get a virtual interactive game machine, lighting enhancements and a new shower for the personal care home, expanding the freezer and fridge, blanket warmers, and plate warmers.