Sunrise Corner is an Incredible Place to Invest:
Here in Sunrise Corner, you’re surrounded by possibilities. It’s a place where you can make a difference – curate a business or event that takes care of your community the way it takes care of you. The community is growing, and Sunrise Corner residents are prepared to meet the new needs that present themselves. New housing developments are being built in Woodridge, Sandilands and Vita, with renovations to existing housing happening throughout the region. New people who want to live and work in the community and former residents who want to move back home are happy to find a small-town lifestyle in Sunrise Corner at a far more affordable price point than they can get in larger centres.
Jared Vogt from Vogt Construction in Steinbach is in charge of the development in Vita. “From the very beginning we could see that there was a need and excitement for some development to happen here in the community,” Jared says. “To have new rental options so people can come back from other communities, come back to towns that they grew up in, that they’ve lived in their whole lives.”
By expanding housing developments in our communities, Jared says, we can attract and retain professionals who are “looking for options to be able to stay here inside the community, work here inside the community, and not have a drive or commute that brings them to work.”
But housing is only a start. Investing in the community also comes in the form of fundraising for great causes. It may seem surprising, but one significant investor in Sunrise Corner is an event. the St. Labre 200 is a unique annual event where teams go head-to-head building a go-kart within 24 hours and racing it the next day. Proceeds go back to the community. Over the past 10 years, the St. Labre 200 organization has given back $100,000 to over 20 local organizations. The event brings over 1600 visitors into Sunrise Corner annually for race day – and entry is free. Talk about community investment.
Not only does the community see dollars, but St. Labre 200 volunteers promote trades and mentor students in local schools. It’s no wonder organizer Joël Grenier was presented the Make a Difference Community Award at the 2019 Lieutenant Governor’s Volunteer Awards, and the Innovation Award at the 2019 Manitoba Tourism Awards.
Another difference-maker in Sunrise Corner is the Never Alone Cancer Foundation. Shirlee Preteau is a Vassar resident, dedicated volunteer and coordinator with Never Alone. She’s dedicated to bringing help to cancer patients within Sunrise Corner. “We put on events and the funds raised go to help people in this community,” Shirlee says. “We have a program where if local cancer patients are coming to Winnipeg for treatment from out of town, we’ll help them find accommodation and help them pay for that accommodation. If they need gas money to get there, we do that. When you go through chemo and radiation a lot of people lose their teeth, so we do that. It’s really amazing because it goes from little small things up to bigger items but all of the people are so grateful.”
Never Alone partners with local organizations to host events and raise money. Many volunteers like Shirlee invest their time and creativity into the community so that cancer patients can continue to enjoy living here in Sunrise Corner.
It’s volunteers like Shirlee who push for change and provide help when the community needs it. But funding from grants through all levels of government are also big catalysts for positive change. In Vassar, as one example, the swimming pool, maintenance of the community hall and playground are all funded by grants.
“We’re very fortunate because we have a lot of sponsors such as the RM of Piney, the Manitoba Métis Foundation, and Canada Summer Jobs and New Horizons grants that help us do things,” Shirlee says. “It’s amazing how much help there is out there and how grateful we are for that support.”
Watch the video: Investing in Sunrise Corner