Past Recipients

From its earliest beginnings, Our Lady of the Prairies Foundation has supported a broad cross section of organizations.

Grants have been directed to organizations large and small, urban and rural, start-up and established. The Foundation has been open to new initiatives as well as supporting established projects.

We are pleased to feature a sample of Social, Spiritual, Healing, Educational, and Environmental endeavours that we have supported.

Saskatoon Friendship Inn
Saskatoon Friendship Inn was established in 1969 with the help of the Catholic Diocese and the Inner City Council of Churches as a drop in centre for transient and homeless men. Our Lady of the Prairies Foundation provided the grant to the Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon that enabled the purchase of the original building and land. Friendship Inn serves an average of 500 meals to men, women, and children, every day of the year. Annually, the Inn serves just over 180,000 meals, 40% to children.

Saskatoon Friendship Inn works closely with other agencies to address poverty in the city and has become known to the inner city core as a place that offers compassion, a safe environment and friendship.

In 2010 the Friendship Inn initiated a major expansion and Our Lady of the Prairies Foundation has provided a $100,000 grant to the Inn in support of this project.

Saskatoon Interval House – Adelle House
In 1973, Our Lady of the Prairies Foundation provided a grant to Interval House to assist them to purchase their first house in Saskatoon. Saskatoon Interval House is an emergency, temporary shelter for women and their children who require safe accommodation. Residents of Interval House have been forced to leave violent relationships for their own safety and for the safety of their children.

The Foundation has also supported Adelle House, a twelve unit apartment building established for women from abusive relationships who wish to work together to develop a safe, enriched community for themselves and their children.

Adelle House was named in recognition of Adelle Leier, wife of James P Leier, founder of The Our Lady of the Prairies Foundation.

Qu’Appelle House of Prayer
Our Lady of the Prairies Foundation was an early supporter of the establishment of a House of Prayer in Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan.

The dream for a House of Prayer, initiated by members of the Saskatchewan Oblates and others, began in 1993. The vision was to offer a place for silence, solitude and simplicity, which was first and foremost a way of life for a small community who in turn could offer hospitality to guests seeking the same. It offered the gift of presence and space, both sacred and safe to any and to all. In part, the concept for the Qu’Appelle House of Prayer came about to respond to people’s needs and longings for solitude and prayer and was also inspired by other Houses of Prayer.

From its earliest beginnings, the House of Prayer sought to make real, in a very modest way, the vision and dream of Isaiah 56:7: “These I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer … for my house shall be called a House of Prayer for all peoples.”

Coast Mental Health Foundation – Vancouver, BC
Coast Mental Health Foundation promotes recovery of persons with mental illness and serves over 1,000 people in the British Columbia Lower Mainland every day.

Coast improves the lives of people with a mental illness by providing practical and pragmatic help such as housing, jobs, community, rehabilitative social and recreational opportunities, food, clothing and basic life skills training.

Our Lady of the Prairies Foundation was an early supporter of Coast’s campaign to build a Resources Centre in downtown Vancouver as well as supporting Coast’s volunteer programs.

Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools Foundation
The Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools Foundation has been the recipient of Our Lady of the Prairies Foundation grants to the benefit of its students and programs. Since 2003, twenty-four graduates have been awarded the Our Lady of the Prairies Foundation Scholarship to further their chosen area of post secondary study.

Other contributions from Our Lady of the Prairies Foundation have supported inner city school programs, the summer program at Bishop Roborecki School, and the Special Needs programs at Holy Cross High School and at St. Matthew School.

Our Lady of the Prairies Foundation has a long history of providing grants to educational institutions with the first scholarships being awarded in 1957 to students attending St. Paul’s Catholic High School in Saskatoon.

Meewasin Valley Authority
The name “Meewasin” is the Cree word for beautiful.

The Meewasin Valley Authority is a conservation organization dedicated to conserving the natural and cultural heritage resources of the South Saskatchewan River Valley in Saskatoon and area. The Meewasin Valley Authority is recognized as a model of what can be done by a community wishing to conserve a river valley for the purpose of public health and enjoyment.

Our Lady of the Prairies Foundation has supported various Meewasin Valley Authority projects with three grants during the past decade.

Wanuskewin Heritage Park
The name Wanuskewin is derived from the Cree word meaning ‘seeking peace of mind’

Wanuskewin Heritage Park hugs the west bank of the South Saskatchewan River, just three kilometres north of Saskatoon. Its mission is to operate, on a sustainable basis, a world recognized Heritage Park under the leadership and guidance of First Nations people that contributes to increasing public awareness, understanding and appreciation of the cultural legacy of the Northern Plains First Nations people.

Our Lady of the Prairies Foundation has been privileged to be a supporter of the 1990 campaign that established Wanuskewin Heritage Park.