A residence for northern and rural Manitobans receiving medical care in Winnipeg is permanently closing its doors July 31.
A Port in the Storm, which began operations in 2012, is shutting down in two months because it is financially unsustainable, president Rob Elder said in a message posted on the organization’s website May 21.
More than 1,000 people have stayed at A Port in the Storm in various locations over the past eight years. Elder said part of the reason it is closing its doors is because it has been unable to find a permanent space close to Winnipeg hospitals. Occupancy has also declined due to increased access to some medical treatments in rural and Northern Manitoba, as well as more accommodation options becoming available in Winnipeg.
“Based on these converging factors, the board of directors has made the difficult decision to shut down operations rather than compromise our ability to maintain the quality of our services and meet fiscal obligations,” Elder wrote. “Please know, this was not a decision made lightly.”
Thompson played a big role in the early fundraising for A Port in the Storm, raising $500,000 in one year, beginning in 2009. That money, which accounted for about a quarter of the money raised for the organization up to October 2010, included donations of $132,000 from Vale Manitoba Operations to match money raised by its employees, as well as $110,000 from former calm Air owner Gail Morberg, $100,000 from the Thompson Elks just prior to that organization disbanding, and $15,000 from the Thompson Rotary Club.
