Western Community Foundation to host National Walk for Safe Places in Dawson Creek

DAWSON CREEK, B.C. — The Western Communities Foundation will be bringing the National Walk for Safe Places to Dawson Creek for the foundation’s 25th year.

Starting at 12 p.m. on Thursday, May 14th, 2026, the Western Community Foundation, the non-profit arm of Western Financial Group, is hosting a “National Walk for Safe Places” in Dawson Creek.

Jennifer Combres, Branch Manager at Western Financial Group in Dawson Creek, explained what the National Walk for Safe Places is.

“The national walk is one of our big events every year,” she said. “Everybody in, I think, 180 plus communities with the company does a walk. When our staff register under the foundation we have, the Western Communities Foundation, Western Financial Group makes a donation to the foundation for all of the staff.” 

Combres said each office can select which charity they want the donation to go to. This year, the Dawson Creek branch chose the South Peace District Crime Prevention Association (SPDCPA), she said. 

According to Combres, the branch’s original goal was to donate around $2,000 to the SPDCPA, but since surpassing that goal, they hope to donate around $4,000. 

Combres said the goal of the walk is to bring people across the country together.

“We’ve had the foundation for 25 years, and we’ve been supporting local initiatives about safety, stronger communities, community well-being,” she said. “It’s obviously changed a bit over the years, but it’s really become a focus on safe spaces.” 

According to Combres, the Western Community Foundation is also hosting a fundraiser BBQ.

“The walk will be a little bit different for us this year, because our focus is to do the barbecue, so that’s where most of us will be helping,” she said. “I think we’re charging $5 for a burger or a hot dog with a bag of chips and a pop. We’d love to have lots of people out for lunch.”

The barbecue will be hosted in the Safeway parking lot on 11216 8th Street in Dawson Creek.

“We’re hoping to have some people from the South Peace District Crime Prevention Association at the event to join us,” she said. 

Combres also said they have borrowed “fatal vision goggles from ICBC,” which imitate being drunk, in order to show people how drinking and drive effects things. 

Combres encourages residents to attend the event.

“The South Peace District Crime Prevention Group does a lot of great stuff; it’s for a good cause,” she said. “It’s a nice, inexpensive lunch in a time when costs are going up a lot.”

Members of the public can donate to the Western Community Foundation online.