Community Catalyst
This issue’s Localer: a dedicated volunteer’s tireless efforts build a stronger, more vibrant community for all.
By Bob Nelson
WHEN PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE resident Brenda Miller-Adams decides something needs to be done, you can be sure that it will be. And she certainly won’t do it alone — she knows how to rally the right people and put them to work, whether it’s fundraising from local governments and businesses or baking cookies for construction workers.
Most recently, she spearheaded a project in her community of Peony Farm to revitalize a local park, helping to raise more than $200,000 for its construction. What was once a dangerously dilapidated space is now a modern facility with a play unit, picnic shelter, pickleball court and a basketball hoop. In winter, the court converts into an ice rink. The park is set to become a hub for the community, with space for gatherings, recreation and play. It’s the social aspect that’s most important, Miller-Adams says: “Connected neighbourhoods are safer neighbourhoods, in my opinion.”
Miller-Adams’ volunteer work spans all kinds of other good deeds, including the local cat shelter. She’s active in her Rotary chapter, helping to organize an annual vegetable sale that raises $10,000 each year. In 2025, she received the Lieutenant Governor’s Community Leadership Award. One night, when she was working at her kitchen table, the phone rang, and it was Manitoba’s Lieutenant Governor calling. “That knocked my socks off,” she says. It’s never about the award when you’re a volunteer, she says, but the recognition is nice.
Volunteerism is her passion because the work has profound impacts on her community. It’s truly meaningful work, but she’s not above making the occasional self-deprecating joke. “If you need a strong back and a weak mind, I’m your girl,” she says with a laugh.
Just give her a call.
When it comes to her community, Brenda Miller-Adams gets things done. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF RIVERBEND PHOTOS
“Volunteerism is her passion because the work has profound impacts on her community.”
The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Peony Farm Park grand opening. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF BRENDA MILLER-ADAMS
Do you know someone who goes above and beyond?
We’d love to hear about them. Submit your nominations, and they could be our featured Localer in an upcoming issue.
When it comes to her community, Brenda Miller-Adams gets things done. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF RIVERBEND PHOTOS
WHEN PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE resident Brenda Miller-Adams decides something needs to be done, you can be sure that it will be. And she certainly won’t do it alone — she knows how to rally the right people and put them to work, whether it’s fundraising from local governments and businesses or baking cookies for construction workers.
Most recently, she spearheaded a project in her community of Peony Farm to revitalize a local park, helping to raise more than $200,000 for its construction. What was once a dangerously dilapidated space is now a modern facility with a play unit, picnic shelter, pickleball court and a basketball hoop. In winter, the court converts into an ice rink. The park is set to become a hub for the community, with space for gatherings, recreation and play. It’s the social aspect that’s most important, Miller-Adams says: “Connected neighbourhoods are safer neighbourhoods, in my opinion.”
Miller-Adams’ volunteer work spans all kinds of other good deeds, including the local cat shelter. She’s active in her Rotary chapter, helping to organize an annual vegetable sale that raises $10,000 each year. This year, she received the Lieutenant Governor’s Community Leadership Award. One night, when she was working at her kitchen table, the phone rang, and it was Manitoba’s Lieutenant Governor calling. “That knocked my socks off,” she says. It’s never about the award when you’re a volunteer, she says, but the recognition is nice.
Volunteerism is her passion because the work has profound impacts on her community. It’s truly meaningful work, but she’s not above making the occasional self-deprecating joke. “If you need a strong back and a weak mind, I’m your girl,” she says with a laugh.
Just give her a call.