Jim McGregor and his wife Alix were honoured to attend the reopening of Canada House in London by the Queen who was accompanied by her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.  Canada House was officially reopen on February 19 after a $225-million renovation.

Canada House was first opened by the Queen’s grandfather George V in 1925.

As the official party entered the building they heard clapping and cheering echoing from across nearby Trafalgar Square where hundreds of Canadian expats and tourists had gathered.

The Queen was particularly interested in an atrium named in her honour, as well as a gallery showcasing art of Canadian artists Emily Carr and Gordon Smith.

Jim and Alix McGregor are shown below proudly standing next to the piece of art they donated to Canada House.  They are also among the people on the stairs shown in Hello Magazine’s picture below, in the bottom right corner.

Sponsored Family

ABEX is proud that we were able to help a family in Nicaragua achieve their dream of having a safe and solid home. The house ABEX sponsored was a part of Bridges to Community Canada’s initiative to build houses for impoverished families in Nicaragua.

House Before

House After

Bridges to Community Canada is a nonprofit organization that has built 115 homes over the past five years in the rural farming community of El Sasle (population 1,175).  El Salse is located in the northern coffee-growing region of Jinotega. Nearly 60% of Jinotega’s residents live in extreme poverty and their homes are usually cobbled together with scrap materials. They are often overcrowded, and lack running water and appropriate sanitation facilities. For most people a safe and solid home is only a dream.

Bridges to Community’s Housing Program seeks to make this dream come true. What a difference a safe and solid house can make! Bridges builds sturdy cinderblock homes that are earthquake resistant and are designed to withstand years of heavy winds and rain. Bridges works to secure land titles for the owners so that families have a place to call their own for generations. The new homes become a place of pride where the owners can host their friends, families, and neighbors.

To build a house that is safe, dry, and secures costs just $4,000! ABEX is excited that it was able to sponsor a house for a family and make their everyday struggle a little easier.

Bridges plans to construct 20 new houses in El Sasle, helping to make a dream come true for close to 100 children and adults.

For more information or to learn how you can help, please visit:

http://www.bridgestocommunitycanada.ca

To see more pictures from Nicaragua, please click here.

Jim McGregor of ABEX and his wife Alix are proud supporters of the David Foster Foundation.  The couple attended the Foundation’s Miracle Concert in Toronto on December 5th that featured performances by classical singer Andrea Bocelli, iconic group Earth, Wind & Fire, stand-up comedian Sinbad, and Canadian singing ensemble The Tenors, among others. The event raised $4.2 million and helped raise awareness of importance of life-saving organ transplants.

The David Foster Foundation Miracle Concert has become a national tradition for music lovers as it draws many critically acclaimed musicians who have worked with Foster over his 40 year career as one of the world’s top music composers and producers.  A winner of 16 Grammy Awards, the Victoria native has been a producer for such successful musical artists as Bryan Adams, Michael Bublé, Mariah Carey, Céline Dion, Josh Groban, Beyoncé Knowles, Shania Twain, and many more.

The David Foster Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to providing financial support for non-medical expenses to Canadian families with children in need of life-saving organ transplants. In the past 26 years, the David Foster Foundation has assisted more than 800 families with children in need of major organ transplants, providing millions of dollars in direct family support, with its financial commitment to families ranging from $200 up to $100,000.  To learn more about the Foundation, click here to visit their website.