Winnipegger Wayne was struggling to adjust after his beloved companion of more than five decades, Judy, passed away in 2018. As a self-proclaimed extrovert (Judy was an extrovert, too), Wayne loves to talk—but things were so much quieter without sweet Judy around.
“I needed something in my life after my wife passed away,” Wayne recalled. “If you’re single again after 55 years, it’s hard to find somebody to talk to that you could understand and relate to.”
In the following months, Wayne spotted an ad in a newsletter for Good Neighbours Active Living Centre, which happened to be up the street from his home in Winnipeg’s northeast. With just one visit, Wayne said he knew the vibrant community hub was the right place for him to reconnect with people—and to heal.
“I came up here, and I took a look around, and I signed up right away,” he said. “When I first started coming here, I would go and get a cup of coffee and turn around, and there were a couple of guys at the table. I’d say, ‘Guys, can I join you?’ and we started talking right away.
“This has been a real godsend.”
Good Neighbours has been a good neighbour to adults 55+ since it opened its doors in 1993—creating a space for Winnipeg’s seniors to feel less isolated, stay physically and mentally active, and make friends.
“If you spend a whole day here, you’ll hear lots of laughter. There’s always somebody having a good time.”
The organization moved to its permanent home at 720 Henderson Highway in 2009. It’s open five days a week and includes a gymnasium, HobNobs Café, a creative arts studio, a computer lab, and more. The centre offers more than 60 fitness, educational, and recreational programs, outings, and volunteer opportunities to its 1,000 loyal members—many of who spend several days a week in the space. Last year, Good Neighbours logged more than 9,200 visits.
With 1 in 4 Manitobans over 65 feeling isolated from others “often” (a higher proportion than any other province in Canada) and 50% over 55 walking less than 30 minutes a day, places like Good Neighbours are critical to older adults’ well-being.
“People need people,” says executive director Samantha Loxton. “And so, by our name, Good Neighbors means that we connect and develop friendships, and connect with the community.
“This is a hub for people to connect with each other.”
United Way Winnipeg donors have generously supported Good Neighbours since 2004.
Loxton said the funding allows the centre to provide a thriving outreach program that visits one-on-one with more than 2,000 older adults who may not be able to come to the bricks and mortar centre.
“Without the United Way, we would not be able to have outreach services,” said Loxton. “Our outreach coordinators provide support on a one-to-one basis to … older adults in the community to overcome their food insecurity issues, health and well-being challenges, their loneliness and isolation, transportation, as well as housing challenges.”
Back at Good Neighbours, if you’re looking for Wayne, you’ll usually find him in the bookstore—an ongoing fundraiser for the centre—where he regularly volunteers his time. Hundreds of books and puzzles line the walls of the sunny little shop, where the most expensive book sells for $3.50.
It’s also a great spot to chat with visitors. And with extrovert Wayne’s gift of the gab, conversation around the bookshop table can go off in all directions over the course of an afternoon, from political discussion to lighter fare—all of it meaningful and essential to the friends’ well-being.
“If you spend a whole day here, you’ll hear lots of laughter. There’s always somebody having a good time,” said Wayne. “Being here has added more to my life that I really enjoy.
“After I leave here, I feel good for the day.”
