The Community Foundation of Greater Kingston

The Ruth and Stu Barton Community & Environmental Funds

Ruth Barton called our first Executive Director, Katherine Manley, in the spring of 1996. She and her husband Stuart had read about us in The Kingston Whig-Standard and they wanted to learn more. Having no children, they planned to leave their estate to the community. The breadth of the Foundation appealed to them, as did the idea of a lasting legacy. Ruth talked about their love of drama and of their commitment to our community.

It was early days for the Foundation. We had no brochures or printed materials, so Katherine sent a letter with more information and kept in touch. Sadly, Stuart died within months and when Katherine phoned with her condolences, she invited Ruth to attend our AGM.

Later, Ruth joined our Grants Committee and for the next few years enjoyed her association with the Community Foundation, until her untimely death last year. It was then we learned of the generous donation of over $500,000 that she has left to Kingston through the Foundation.

Officially retired several years earlier from the Children's Aid Society, Ruth responded until the time of her illness to requests to work with troubled children. In February 2003, the First Annual "Healthy Families - Healthy Community" Kingston Base Commander's Luncheon and lecture was jointly and proudly sponsored by CFGK and the Military Family Resource Centre in honour of Ruth Barton.

Bill and Nancy Gray

The Grays contribute in a different way to the Community Foundation. Their annual tax-deductible donation pays the premium on a life insurance policy they took out especially for the Foundation. To Bill and Nancy, it means an affordable commitment every year, and to the Foundation it means a large gift when the policy pays out after their death. Bill, a professional advisor, thinks this way of giving is particularly useful for people who want to make a significant future gift out of their present cash flow.

The Stark Family Fund

The Stark Family included five sisters: Leata, Keitha, Sylvia, Ival and Ruth, who were lifelong residents of Bloomfield. Sylvia, Ival and Ruth were unmarried and resided together for their entire lives. Keitha was married to a local farmer, Jim Gough; and Leata was married to local hardware merchant and municipal politician Harold Cleave. The decision was made to establish the Fund from the accumulated estates of the five sisters and their spouses to support the needs to the local community.

From 1879 to 2001, their entire lives, the sisters and their spouses supported the residents of the village and were well known there, as well as throughout the County of Prince Edward. Through this magnificent gift the combined assets of the five Stark sisters and their spouses will be put to good work for the benefit of local citizens for many years to come. Their strong sense of civic responsibility will continue to sustain worthy projects and causes in their beloved community.

Income from the Fund will go toward supporting a broad spectrum of community activities and charitable causes in the fields of education, health, social services, animal welfare and culture in Prince Edward County, particularly in the Village of Bloomfield and the Township of Hallowell. The $1.3 million bequest is entrusted to the Community Foundation of Greater Kingston, where it will be held in perpetuity.

Alcan Endowment Fund

Alcan, a company with an almost seventy year history of giving in Kingston, launched The Community Foundation of Greater Kingston's first corporate endowment fund in the fall of 1997 with a $100,000 donation. The Alcan Endowment Fund supports organizations serving North Kingston primarily, emphasizing youth, recreation and civic activities. The company's offices and workers both here and at the Québec head office continue to be strong supporters to the Foundation today, having donated more than $325,000 and numerous gifts-in-kind.

Corus Entertainment Limited

An initial $6000 donation from GTO 960 & Country 96 (now Oldies 960 & 96.3 JOE FM), designated to support youth in the arts, started our Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) in 1998. Today, Corus Entertainment Kingston continues their commitment, providing this amount annually for YAC to grant as the YAC Corus Entertainment Youth in the Arts Fund. The company supports other initatives of the Foundation as well - they recently donated $10,000 to the Community Foundation to be directed to La Salle Secondary School's band in memory of late student Andrew Trudeau.