For 60 years, YMCA Wanakita has been shaping the next generation of leaders through its Student Counsellor (SC) Program—a transformative experience that fosters confidence, resilience, and community leadership. Today, with our leadership spaces in disrepair we must rebuild and modernize our facilities to better serve young people and meet the evolving needs of leadership development.
The Wayne Perkins Leadership Centre at YMCA Wanakita will be a sustainable facility designed to provide an immersive learning environment where young leaders develop essential skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, and social responsibility. This centre will enhance the SC Program’s impact and solidify YMCA Wanakita as a national leader in youth leadership training.
To bring this vision to life, we seek to raise $2.53 million to fun the construction and development of the new Leadership Centre.
Ways to Give
Planned Giving & Gift Securities
Planned Giving allows you to support a charity’s long‑term future while creating a lasting personal legacy. Donating securities “in‑kind” is especially tax‑effective, offering greater benefits than selling the securities and giving the cash proceeds.
One-Time Gifts & Pledges
Your support can make a lasting impact. Contributions can be directed toward specific areas within the Leadership Centre or given broadly to support the project as a whole.
Naming Opportunity
Naming opportunities are available and offer a chance for donors or sponsors to leave a lasting legacy by having key areas - such as room and areas - named in their honor.
New Leadership Centre will include:
Updated facilities to enhance experiential learning.
A dedicated space for Truth & Reconciliation initiatives, including an Indigenous History Library.
Expanded programming to support leadership development aligned with today’s societal needs
Year-round hub to enhance programming and increase capacity for post-secondary leadership groups and act as an instructional space for winter activities
Who is Wayne Perkins?
In the summer of 1954, a ten-year-old Wayne Perkins arrived at YMCA Camp Wakonda in Saskatchewan.
This experience would mark the beginning of a lifelong journey within the YMCA, eventually leading Wayne to become a prominent leader whose influence reached far beyond Canadian borders. His journey, grounded in the values of inclusivity, respect, responsibility, honesty, and caring, has left an indelible mark on YMCA communities across Canada and beyond.
The Numbers Tell the Story
youth participate in the SC programs annually.
of Wanakita’s summer camp staff graduate from this program.
of SC program alumni report that the experience significantly influenced their personal and professional development.
Want to learn more?
Contact Ashley to learn more about how you can support this transformational initiative.
Ashley Laing
Alumni Relations Development Officer,
Phone: 905-317-4945
Email: ashley.laing@ymcahbb.ca
