REC CENTRES, COMMUNITY HALLS, PARKS AND OTHER BELOVED PUBLIC SPACES HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON: THEY BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER.
CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO SEE SOME ANSWERS FOR OUR FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT SUBMISSIONS.
When Mennonite newcomers arrived in Manitoba’s Pembina Valley in 1875, they built farms from the ground up, but at great personal risk. Without formal institutions to lean on for financial protection, these farmers made a promise to each other — to pool their resources and support one another through unexpected setbacks. This promise between neighbours held strong and it remains the foundation of our work as a mutual insurance company.
And nearly 150 years later, it inspired our own community support initiative – Spruce Up Your Story.
Spruce isn’t about bringing a brand-new rec centre or library to life – rather, it will honour and protect the spaces that are well-worn and well-loved – the places where stories are already being made. Our past winners are proof of how important it is to support these spaces.
We’ll fund up to $25,000 in cash for select, well-loved community spaces across Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with $150,000 in total to award. Whether it’s a roof fix on a youth centre, a fresh coat of paint on a park fence, or new seating in an ice rink, Red River Mutual will restore select community spaces where people connect, laugh, learn, and share.
With no limit to the number of communities that can win, we’re committed to ensuring the winning spaces continue to serve their communities for years to come.
The stories in our communities are the ones that motivate great work within our walls. Our Spruce Up Your Story initiative is our effort to strengthen our connection to the communities we serve. We want you to know that we protect and care about you – that we’re like a neighbour looking out for you."
-BRENDA GIBSON, PRESIDENT & CEO
Submit your favourite community gathering space for consideration, via our submission form on Submittable, for a renovation or beautification project before May 31, 2025. Entries will be evaluated based on four pillars: community use, sustainability, opportunity for volunteerism, and a link to a brokerage that partners with Red River Mutual (a broker connection is not mandatory for eligible submission).