Access Credit Union made a donation to the Stanley Community Pathway last week of $50,000. The project will connect Winkler and Morden through the RM of Stanley via a paved path.
Curt Letkeman, Board Chair of Access Credit Union, said the pathway will provide a safe and accessible route between the two growing communities.
“It's a great project. You see all the growth between Winkler and Morden, and the communities are really expanding. There's a lot of activity, and you see the people bicycling back and forth between the two communities, and this path is just going to make that way more accessible,” said Letkeman.
With Access Credit Union’s corporate office located along the corridor, Letkeman noted it “just made natural sense to be a part of sponsoring this.”
He added that supporting community initiatives is a priority for the organization as a whole. “We're more than just a financial institution. We're a community builder, and a project like this is really going to build the communities.”
Pathway project closing in on funding goal
James Friesen, Chair of the Stanley Community Pathway Committee, called the donation a major boost for the project.
“These are the kinds of contributions that a community project like this really appreciates, obviously. Because the pathway is connecting Winkler and Morden, Access Credit Union is right at the centre in the corridor here with their corporate office. So it's a no brainer from our perspective,” said Friesen.
The project carries an estimated $4.5 million price tag. Friesen said about half of that has been secured through grants, while the other half is being raised through community support and partnerships. “And so, these kinds of contributions help us close the gap to get us across the finish line.”
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Friesen added that matching donations are still available via the Winkler and Morden Community Foundations. “They will match every donation dollar for dollar from the community right now,” he said, noting that with this donation from Access Credit Union, the Foundations will be adding a collective total of $50,000.
Those wishing to contribute can donate through the civic offices in Winkler, Morden, or the RM of Stanley, or online.