Your Support Creates a Path to Healing Through New Therapeutic Garden

Thanks to your extraordinary generosity, the new ACCESS Fort Garry Therapeutic Garden cultivates a safe, inclusive, and welcoming outdoor sanctuary for our community – especially youth.

For many young people navigating challenges related to mental health or trauma, traditional clinical settings can feel overwhelming. In the past, counsellors often found it necessary to meet youth in the parking lot to slowly build trust and comfort.

Natalie Imbrogno, Director of Health Services – South Winnipeg, notes, “Creating spaces that feel welcoming and restorative is an essential part of care. This garden is more than landscaping; it is an extension of the healing process.”

The ACCESS Fort Garry Therapeutic Garden provides a setting where youth can engage in meaningful activities outdoors. A basketball half court helps counsellors teach emotional management skills including the benefits of movement to help release endorphins, lower cortisol, and manage cyclical worries.

Stories of Impact

Your generosity is already changing lives. The ACCESS Fort Garry team have been able to support youth in powerful ways.

• Finding Grounding: A 17-year-old struggling with drug use and ambivalence toward change worked through her goals while feeling grounded and secure, simply by sitting on the grass and connecting with nature.
  
• Experiencing Vulnerability: A 13-year-old who felt the need to appear “tough and unapproachable” due to experiences with homelessness safely explored his emotions by interacting with the natural elements in the garden.
  
• Regaining Capacity: Youth who start sessions inside and become overwhelmed can now take a break outside, helping them settle and regain the capacity needed for their next steps.

Cultivating Holistic Wellness for All

Thanks to you, the ACCESS Fort Garry Therapeutic Garden helps advance equity and inclusivity within healthcare, honouring diverse lived experiences while incorporating the significance of land and community found in Indigenous teachings.

“By integrating nature, creativity, and movement into care, you are helping support a holistic approach that treats the whole person rather than simply treating a diagnosis. Whether participating in gardening, outdoor art therapy, or moments of quiet reflection; youth are gaining access to patient-centered care that nurtures their resilience,” said Natalie.

The garden also supports staff who use the walking paths and shade to regulate their own emotions.

“I have found myself walking the paths, paying attention to the plants, sitting in the shade of the tree, or facing the sun as a way to self-soothe, regulate my own emotions, digest what I’ve just heard or experienced, and process difficult conversations,” said Rehabilitation Counsellor Cynthia Kroeker.

Thanks to your unwavering commitment, patients and families from across our community will have access to this healing environment for years to come.

Your generosity is directly shaping a brighter future for the youth in our community, which in turn creates a positive impact on Victoria Hospital. Together, we are improving access to compassionate care.