Sun Youth opens new 40,000-sq-ft community hub in Villeray

Sun Youth has consolidated decades of work into a single building. After operating out of five separate locations, the organization unveiled a new 40,000-square-foot facility in Villeray that brings food assistance, a community kitchen, a garden, and a gymnasium into one space.

The nonprofit helps roughly 5,000 Montreal households—about 17,000 individuals—annually through food assistance, emergency support, back-to-school programs, and summer camps. "It's important to be in one location and have a cohesive organization where people can use all the services if need be under one roof," said executive director Marina Boulos-Winton.

The $36-million building was funded through private donations and federal grants. Boulos-Winton stressed that despite now owning a permanent home after 70 years, Sun Youth remains largely donor-dependent: 93 percent of its annual budget comes from private contributions.

The food bank alone sees an average of 27,500 visits yearly. Most visitors need temporary help—people facing housing instability, recent job loss, or immigration challenges—and roughly 60 percent use the service for only their first year, Boulos-Winton said. Montreal Alouettes player Régis Cibasu, who came through Sun Youth's football program as a child, called the new facilities a game-changer for the next generation of kids in the community.