About Us
Who We Are
The Commons is a community-led, volunteer-based non-profit organization stewarding the transformation of 525 Beresford Avenue into a shared community hub.
Guided by values of sustainability, kindness, respect, and meaningful connection, SOC works with neighbours and partner organizations to create a welcoming place with licensed child care at its heart, alongside spaces for gathering, wellbeing, and community life.
Our Partners & Services
There are plenty of great plans underway at the South Osborne Commons. From child care to wellness services, community programming, and maker-space activities, we are dedicated to creating a vibrant and inclusive community hub for all ages.
Riverview Ashland Child Care Centre
Riverview Ashland Child Care Centre is a long-standing, community-based, non-profit child care provider rooted in South Osborne. Guided by a play-based, place-based philosophy, RACC supports children and families through nurturing relationships and strong neighbourhood connections. At South Osborne Commons, RACC will operate a second location, adding over 100 licensed child care spaces.
Churchill Park United Church
Churchill Park United Church is an affirming congregation with deep roots in South Osborne, serving the neighbourhood for over a century. Guided by values of inclusion, justice, and care, CPUC has long shared its building with community groups. The church played a key stewardship role in envisioning South Osborne Commons as a lasting community asset.
Oakwood Wellness Group
Oakwood Wellness Group is exploring the possibility of developing a second location within South Osborne Commons. Oakwood Wellness Group is a locally owned, neighbourhood-based therapy practice supporting the wellbeing of individuals, children, and families. With a team of experienced practitioners, the group provides compassionate, relationship-centred care.
South Osborne Child Care Coalition
The South Osborne Child Care Coalition is a volunteer-led community organization advocating for increased access to quality, affordable, and inclusive licensed child care in South Osborne. Grounded in lived experience and local leadership, SOCCC works collaboratively with families, service providers, and partners to advance practical, long-term child care solutions in the neighbourhood.
Our Commitment to South Osborne
At South Osborne Commons, our commitment to the community is unwavering. We strive to create a space that embodies sustainability, meaningful connections, kindness, and respect. Join us in building a lasting community asset that honors the past and supports a flourishing future for South Osborne.
SOC Board
Our Board of Directors brings together community members with deep local roots and a wide range of professional experience. Together, they provide volunteer leadership, governance, and stewardship for South Osborne Commons.
President
Anne Lindsey
Anne has lived in South Osborne for most of her life and values the strong sense of neighbourhood and community in the area. Her professional career has focused on environmental sustainability and community development, including leadership roles as Executive Director of the Manitoba Eco-Network and Local Investment Towards Employment, as well as consulting work with non-profit organizations.
Anne brings extensive governance and board experience, with past and current roles including Lord Roberts Community Centre, the North End Women’s Centre, Riverview Garden Society, and seven years on the board of Assiniboine Credit Union. She continues to be an active volunteer in the community.
In recognition of her contributions to community development and public service, Anne was awarded the Order of Manitoba in 2017. She currently serves as Board President of South Osborne Commons.
Vice-President
John McNairnay
John is a retired city planner who has lived in South Osborne for more than three decades. He and his wife, Mary, moved to Clare Avenue after returning to Winnipeg in 1989, drawn by the walkable neighbourhood, nearby schools, and strong sense of community. Their three children — Duncan, Emily, and Esther — were all able to walk to school, and John could walk to work downtown. The family has since renovated their home with the intention of growing old in the neighbourhood they value so deeply.
John has been a member of Churchill Park United Church for over 30 years. When the congregation began exploring future directions for the church and its building, he knew he wanted to be part of those conversations. He is deeply appreciative that this process led to a new relationship with the broader community through the creation of South Osborne Commons.
John believes there is no better future for 525 Beresford than becoming a place that provides over 100 child care spaces alongside ongoing community use. He is inspired by the way the neighbourhood has rallied around the project and is proud to be part of shaping its next chapter.
Treasurer
Beverly Suek
Beverly Suek brings decades of senior leadership, governance, and community development experience to South Osborne Commons and continues to be actively engaged in her professional work. For more than 30 years, she has been the owner and manager of TLS Enterprises, a firm specializing in workplace investigations and organizational assessments.
Beverly served for 13 years as a Commissioner with the Manitoba Civil Service Commission, where she was responsible for establishing human resources policies for the province and arbitrating disputes. She has also held major governance leadership roles, including Chair of the Manitoba Lotteries Corporation, overseeing an organization with more than 2,000 employees and multi-billion-dollar annual revenues.
She initiated and chaired the first Board of the Women’s Enterprise Centre, helping to develop its organizational structure, loan policies, and financial systems.
Her volunteer and community leadership spans health, housing, equity, and economic inclusion. Beverly was involved in initiating the idea of a Birth Centre, was a founder of Kal Shiva AIDS Services (now Sunshine House), chaired the Manitoba Advisory Council on the Status of Women, and helped organize Women in Trades, the Canadian Women’s Music and Cultural Festival, and SDB Housing Co-op. In Riverview, she served as President of the Riverview Community Centre, helped establish Age Friendly Riverview, and co-founded the Women’s Housing Initiative on Oakwood.
Beverly is a Chartered Arbitrator with the ADR Institute of Canada. Her contributions have been recognized with the Order of Manitoba, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, and the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
Secretary
Mel Marginet
Mel is a life-long environmentalist who lives in Lord Roberts and is deeply connected to the South Osborne neighbourhood. She is the publisher of Great Plains Press, a Manitoba-based independent press specializing in fiction, non-fiction, and books for middle-grade and teen readers. Through her publishing work, Mel supports Canadian writers and stories with a strong sense of place and social awareness.
In addition to her publishing work, Mel is part of the Sustainable Transportation team at the Green Action Centre, where she contributes to initiatives that promote active and low-carbon transportation choices. She is also the co-founder and artistic director of Theatre by the River, a professional independent theatre company rooted in community and creative expression.
Mel brings a blend of environmental commitment, cultural leadership, and community enthusiasm to South Osborne Commons. She is excited to be part of a project that brings together care, creativity, and connection and as she says, “is such a cool project” in the neighbourhood she calls home!
SOCCC Representative
Kate Hall
Kate Hall is a public service manager who has lived in South Osborne with her young family for nearly a decade. She is committed to strengthening the neighbourhood and to increasing access to licensed child care for families in South Osborne.
Kate brings a strong professional background in public service, policy, and organizational leadership. Her work spans complex regulatory and development environments, where she has contributed to policy development, systems improvement, and collaborative problem-solving. She is known for her organizational skills, follow-through, and ability to navigate detail while keeping broader goals in view.
Kate holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Studies. She serves on the South Osborne Commons Board as a representative of the South Osborne Child Care Coalition, contributing strong organizational skills, policy insight, and a clear focus on practical solutions that support families and strengthen the neighbourhood.
CPUC Representative
Glenn Merritt
Glenn was born and raised in Riverview and attended Ashland, Riverview, and Churchill High Schools. After completing university, he lived outside Winnipeg for several years before returning and eventually settling in Lord Roberts, where he continues to live today.
Glenn’s professional life included two distinct careers: first as a land-use planner, and later as a communications consultant for 26 years. He retired in 2014. His background brings a strong understanding of both how communities are shaped and how people connect, communicate, and work together.
As a child, Glenn attended Riverview United Church, which later became part of Churchill Park United Church. In recent years, he reconnected with the congregation and now serves as a trustee, a member of the Ministry and Personnel Committee, and part of the church’s leadership team. In his role as trustee, Glenn was asked to represent Churchill Park United Church on the South Osborne Commons Board, helping to guide the stewardship of the building and its future use.