Shirley Richardson, Winnipeg philanthropist, has died at 98
Shirley Richardson, Winnipeg philanthropist, has died at 98
Shirley Richardson poses with a butterfly at Assiniboine Park in an undated image. Richardson died at the age of 98 on March 11, 2023. (source: Facebook - Assiniboine Park & Zoo)
One of Winnipeg’s best-known philanthropists is being remembered for her generosity to Assiniboine Park.
Shirley Richardson passed away on March 11, 2023, at the age of 98, according to an obituary posted on Dignity Memorial.
The Assiniboine Park Conservancy posted a remembrance online, calling her “an exceptional and dedicated community builder,” and noting the park was a meaningful place for her family.
“Shirley was an exceptional community supporter and builder, and right up until the end, she really, you know, lived her life with a full embrace of passion and love for nature,” said Bruce Keats, chief operating officer with Assiniboine Park Conservancy
Richardson had a special affinity for butterflies, with the conservancy opening a butterfly garden with her name in 2011.
“She would often just show up and watch both young and old, and their interactions with the butterflies and how she got such joy out of seeing folks up close and with nature and certainly with some of these exotic butterflies that she loved so dear,” Keats said.
The Shirley Richardson Butterfly Garden is now located inside The Leaf, and Keats said Richardson was able to see it in person in December.
Richardson was also known for helping launch the ParkShare Endowment Fund in 2016. The fund, administered by the Winnipeg Foundation, helps subsidize admission, programming and transportation costs for children, youth and senior groups at the park.
“She had a great love to make sure that everybody had the access to come to the park and be a part of what Assiniboine Park Conservancy offers,” Keats said.
Richardson received the Order of Manitoba in 2022, and was also the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.
Russian air defences stopped eight drones converging on Moscow, officials said Tuesday, in an attack that authorities blamed on Ukraine, while Russia continued a a relentless wave of daylight and nighttime bombardment of Kyiv that began Monday.
Public Services and Procurement Minister Helena Jaczek says the Liberal government expects to have a plan for the future of 24 Sussex Drive by the fall.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is pushing for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside' from his role examining the issue of foreign interference before he embarks on public hearings.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has failed to persuade the House of Commons to condemn the Liberal government's approach to fighting drug addiction.
Canadian political leaders and parliamentarians are denouncing a new law passed in Uganda that imposes harsh penalties, including the death penalty, for certain cases involving homosexuality.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
With the summer swimming season fast approaching, the Canada Safety Council is reminding people to be careful and take measures to prevent drowning, especially after three children died just days apart.
The first twister of 2023 in the country touched down near Regina over the weekend, according to an analysis from the Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP).
One person from Estevan, Sask. is dead and another is seriously injured following a collision between a pickup truck and a motorcycle on May 28 near Fortuna, North Dakota.
In a province where there are vast distances between cities and towns, one local group is hoping to get public support for an idea to bridge those gaps with a rail line.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
Over 170,000 elementary and high school students weighed in on the Alberta election and the NDP had to hope the real voters were listening, because they won the kids' vote.
One long-time electoral tradition came to an end on election day, when Postmedia announced there would be no printed newspaper announcing the winner in Calgary.
Carla White is the only remaining tenant in her building, which is slated to be demolished to make room for a 176-unit condo project. But in order to move forward, the developer must reach an agreement with White -- and she says she won't leave until she's provided with a home that offers the long-term stability she needs to ensure she won't end up back on the streets.
Montreal police (SPVM) are investigating yet another suspicious fire. Two cars parked in front of a commercial building in Montreal East were engulfed in flames in the middle of the night on Tuesday.
The union representing the majority of Quebec's daycare workers is criticizing the government's decision to launch a skimpy 90-hour training program for people who want to be daycare workers but have no prior experience.
It's the end of an era for one sporting goods store at Bank Street and Laurier Avenue. The owner says a lack of foot traffic downtown is behind the decision to close a store that's been operating for 41 years.
The Sandy Hill Child Care Centre has an extra two weeks to get its new home up to code months after a fire destroyed its original site on Wilbrod Street.
Approximately 200 homes or structures have been damaged by the wildfire that began burning Sunday in the Upper Tanatallon, N.S., area, according to preliminary estimates.
The rural Oxford County intersection where an OPP officer and a school bus driver were killed Monday was less than a month away from becoming a four-way stop when the deadly crash happened.
It was a night of indecision at Waterloo region's catholic school board as trustees went back and forth trying to find the best approach to fill a vacant seat.
On Monday, Fraser Health provided two senior leaders to address the latest letter outlining risks to patients, allegations of muzzling, and pleas for help from emergency physicians in the health authority's hospitals.
The president of the BC Trucking Association is issuing renewed calls for safety after a trailer truck smashed into an overhead pass Monday morning in Langley.
Capital Bike is encouraging Greater Victoria residents to choose cycling as a way to get around the region during "Go By Bike Week," which runs from May 29 to June 4.
Shirley Richardson poses with a butterfly at Assiniboine Park in an undated image. Richardson died at the age of 98 on March 11, 2023. (source: Facebook - Assiniboine Park & Zoo)
