From Post Office to People’s Hub: WIAF Becomes Owner of PROJECT CASA’s New Home in
Roxboro-Pierrefonds
A living, human-centered space to meet the growing needs of today and
tomorrow.
Montreal, December 4th, 2025 — The West Island Assistance Fund (WIAF) is proud to
announce that as of today, it is the official owner of the former post office located at 6 Rue
du Centre-Commercial in Roxboro-Pierrefonds.
This milestone comes at a time when requests for food aid have increased by 23% in a single
year and more than 24,000 people across the West Island now live below the poverty line.
One in three food bank beneficiaries is a child, and 40% of community organizations report
having to turn people away because they simply cannot keep up with demand. Faced with
these increasingly urgent needs at its food bank and in its community support services, WIAF
affirms that Project CASA is both necessary and unavoidable.
“Project CASA is not about bricks and walls, it’s about people,” says Gregory Orleski,
President of WIAF Board of Directors. “It’s about creating a place where dignity lives and
where everyone, no matter their situation, feels they belong. Given the sharp rise in requests
for food assistance and support across the West Island, we simply cannot stay with the
status quo — Project CASA is our collective response to a social emergency that can no
longer be ignored. With CASA fully deployed, we’ll move from just ‘holding the line’ to
meeting real demand — giving us the capacity to help many more families, serve many more
meals, and provide far more psychosocial support to people who might otherwise fall
through the cracks.”
Project CASA: A living, inclusive space built for people
Project CASA — Carrefour Alimentaire Solidaire et Autonome — is not simply a renovation
project; it is a human project. It will bring new life to an emblematic neighbourhood site and
become a permanent hub of dignity, inclusion, and belonging for the West Island community.
Designed as a place for meeting, sharing, and learning, Project CASA will welcome everyone,
offering practical help, collective action, and human connection under one roof.
Current plans for CASA include, among others:
– A strengthened, integrated food bank, at the heart of a broader community food hub
that will bring together emergency food assistance, a social bistro, and a collective
kitchen where people can cook, learn, and share.
– A renewed community thrift store, offering affordable clothing and household items
for low-income families and for anyone who wants to choose a more sustainable way
of living.
– Urban agriculture and garden spaces, including a renewed version of the Jardins de
l’Espoir (Gardens of Hope), linked directly to CASA’s community food hub.
– Shared workspaces and collaboration areas for community organizations that WIAF
partners with today — and those it will welcome in the future.
These are preliminary plans that will continue to be refined and expanded in collaboration
with partners, residents, and the wider community, to ensure that CASA remains flexible and
responsive to evolving needs. “We want Project CASA to become a natural part of everyday
life in the neighbourhood,” adds Michael Labelle, executive director. “A place where you can
come for a grocery basket, a warm winter coat or some guidance — but also for a smile, a
conversation, and the reassuring feeling that you’re not alone.”
Essential work begins immediately
For nearly six decades, WIAF has supported residents facing exclusion, poverty, and social
isolation. With Project CASA, the organization is opening a new chapter in its history — and
in the social fabric of the West Island. Project CASA will not only respond to today’s urgent
needs but will also create a lasting, sustainable anchor for the next 60 years, empowering
future generations through solidarity, belonging, and innovation.
To make this transition possible, WIAF has sold the land that formerly housed the Jardins de
l’Espoir (Gardens of Hope) and is reinvesting those resources directly into the new building,
including priority work such as roof repairs that will begin before winter.
Located just steps from the future REM station, the site will help rebalance urban
development by creating a lively, people-first destination that strengthens social ties and
local resilience in Pierrefonds–Roxboro and beyond.
Backed by solidarity finance partners and a community campaign to come
Today’s acquisition and the first phase of work are made possible thanks in part to the
support of solidarity finance partners Desjardins and the Fiducie du Chantier de l’économie
sociale, whom WIAF warmly thanks for their confidence and commitment.
With the property now secured, WIAF and its partners are preparing the philanthropic phase
of the project. A major fundraising campaign will be launched in the coming weeks, inviting
residents, businesses, and foundations to contribute.
“Project CASA belongs to the community,” concludes Orleski. “Every contribution, big or
small, will help turn this vision into a lasting reality. Together, we can make it happen.”
About the West Island Assistance Fund (WIAF)
For nearly 60 years, the West Island Assistance Fund (WIAF) has been supporting vulnerable
individuals and families across the West Island through food assistance, a community thrift
store, and a range of services that promote social inclusion and dignity. Rooted in solidarity
and proximity, WIAF works every day to ensure that no one is left behind.
For information:
Philippe Leclerc, Press Attaché
(514) 432-3277 // philippe.leclerc@coopinterface.ca
