The Sobey Foundation announces funding of more than $8.3 million over five years for Pictou County, Nova Scotia initiatives

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STELLARTON – The Sobey Foundation today announced more than $8.3 million in funding over the next five years for five initiatives aimed at building capacity in primary healthcare delivery and investing in community development in Pictou County, Nova Scotia. 

This marks a new era of commitments for The Foundation which, in 2021, embarked on an intensive strategic review aimed at sharpening its focus. This extensive process has allowed The Foundation to align around the objective of fostering transformative change in Pictou County, its home region. 

This inaugural five-year plan is built around five strategic partnerships The Sobey Foundation has formed with organizations dedicated to building capacity for primary healthcare delivery and investing in community development and sustainability. Working with the substantial assets that already exist in the region, such as the Pictou waterfront, these partnerships together offer a holistic approach.

The five strategic partners are:

• Citizens for a Healthy Pictou County
• VON Pictou County
• The deCoste Entertainment Centre Society
• Pictou County Partnership
• The Ship Hector Society

“Pictou County is our home, it’s where it all started,” said Frank Sobey, chair of The Sobey Foundation. “Our roots here go back generations. I still see the people I grew up with – they are my neighbours, my friends. It’s important that we look after each other, and I am grateful to be able to offer The Foundation’s support.”

The in-depth review also saw the Foundation’s Trustees sharpen the funding focus in order to ensure The Foundation’s work will have a long-lasting impact. After careful consideration, The Foundation has identified the following five initiatives as funding priorities for this first five-year phase: 

Citizens for a Healthy Pictou County

Initiative: Funding support will help Citizens for a Healthy Pictou County build capacity to enhance its work attracting and retaining physicians, other healthcare workers, and medical students. 

VON Pictou County

Initiative: The partnership will help VON Pictou County meet increased demands by focusing on healthcare transformation through the use of improved technology. 

The deCoste Entertainment Centre Society

Initiative: The funding partnership will enable critical enhancements to the new deCoste, now under construction, and allow programming expansion.

Pictou County Partnership

Initiative: Funding has been earmarked for the Pictou County Partnership to enable the organization to increase its capacity to support the community impact sector.

Ship Hector Society

Initiative: Funding is to support the revitalization of the Ship Hector, the replica of the historic ship that brought the Scottish settlers to Nova Scotia in 1773.

“The Foundation is undertaking this first phase of the five-year plan in our own backyard with the vision of creating best practices that will be applied in the next phase to our work across the country,” said Frank Sobey. “We are committed to providing support to the organizations and people dedicated to serving others.” 

The Sobey Foundation was established in 1982 by Frank H. Sobey, his wife Irene, their sons Bill, David and Donald and daughter, Dianne. Since then, The Foundation has provided funding to a wide scope of initiatives across a broad geographic range, supporting countless communities and organizations.