CNIB is very saddened to hear of the loss of Walter Gretzky. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Gretzky family. Walter was an incredible CNIB supporter and avid advocate for youth with sight loss. In 1996, the Walter & Wayne Gretzky Scholarship for Blind Youth in Canada was established. Those scholarships were funded through a series of golf tournaments across Canada. For years, Walter would travel to numerous cities to connect with our supporters. He would always regale them with stories of the Great One. Still, in the end, it was always about raising as much money as possible to support youth with sight loss. He was always interested in hearing how the scholarship awards helped them achieve their educational goals. Walter was a remarkable icon and an amazing friend of CNIB who will be greatly missed by many.
It’s not uncommon for vision loss to occur as we age, but for some, its onset can be sudden and unexpected. That was the experience for one woman from Victoria, Madison Sutcliffe, who suddenly lost about 90% of her vision during pregnancy. Looking for support and community, she reached out to CNIB and joined the Come to Work program
To strengthen our voices and support the professional development of our Ontario advocates, ambassadors and CNIB staff, we’ve launched Educate to Advocate – an advocacy program designed to drive achievement and equality through education.
Right now, communities across British Columbia are facing a challenging and rapidly evolving wildfire situation. A provincewide state of emergency has been declared, and thousands of residents have been ordered to evacuate as wildfires continue to threaten communities across B.C. If you or someone you know is looking for information about local services and support, please contact CNIB at 1-800-563-2642. Our team can help connect you with relevant community resources and emergency information.
CNIB recently unveiled the brand-new Barrie Community Hub and Nanji Family Foundation CNIB SmartLife Centre, thanks to a generous donations made by the Nanji Family Foundation and the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The new Hub, which is now open to members of the public, is an inclusive community space designed to empower people impacted by blindness to live the lives they choose.
