If you’ve ever run into a chipper man at Oakville’s Farmers' Market, checking in on vendors and greeting market-goers, chances are it was Douglas Guthrie.
Guthrie, the founder of the town’s longest-running outdoor farmers' market and a longtime member of the Civitan Club of Oakville, passed away in February 2024 at the age of 85.
Throughout his life, Guthrie was known for his dedication to serving the community, say his loved ones. Now, one year after his passing, his family and the Civitan Club of Oakville are honouring his legacy by establishing the Douglas Guthrie Legacy Fund. The initiative will provide $120,000 to support two community programs in Oakville and Halton Region.
"There are lives in the quiet," said Al McMullan, Director of Civitan of Oakville, during a ceremony in February 2025, at Community Living Oakville. "They aren't caught up in the noise and turmoil of 280-character Tweets... There are lives that give back, quietly, for years, without attention drawn to them, often giving almost to the bone, to ensure that the agencies we support are recognized. Doug Guthrie was one such individual."
The fund has also drawn recognition from local leaders, with Oakville Mayor Rob Burton and Minister of Parliament Anita Anand sending letters of recognition of and support to Guthrie's legacy during the February ceremony.
The Douglas Guthrie Legacy Fund will provide $60,000 each to two community initiatives: Community Living Oakville’s respite program, The Hangout, and Distress Centre Halton’s TeleCheck program.
For Community Living Oakville, the fund is crucial in launching The Hangout, a free program offering adults with developmental disabilities a space to connect with others. Running from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m, it aims to reduce isolation and foster friendships with people.
"People with developmental disabilities really live a life of isolation and loneliness," said Julie Bisbicos, day services manager at Community Living Oakville. "Families, and even themselves, are saying, 'I wish I had more friends.' That's really what I wanted to create, a community of friendships."
The Hangout will also provide relief for caregivers, giving them a few hours in the evening to run errands, attend social events, or take time for themselves, Bisbicos added.
Meanwhile, Distress Centre Halton will use its $60,000 share to expand the TeleCheck program to post-secondary students in the Halton Region, including Sheridan College in Oakville. The program offers scheduled, confidential phone calls between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m, as well as a 24/7 distress line for those in need of immediate support.
"It's not clinical, it's not cell therapy, it's not counselling," said Executive Director Dara Eisner Clancy. "It's a human-to-human connection on 'How was your day? How are you doing?'"
TeleCheck first launched at Distress Centre Halton in 2018, initially receiving about 1,200 calls annually. By 2022, that number had surged to 16,452 calls, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Clancy says.
The program also identified an increasing need for support among post-secondary students.
"Our students were not doing well. Gen Z had missed most of the rites of passage," Clancy said. "There were a number of factors—besides COVID—that didn't give them the best coping skills or critical thinking skills. So as they entered university, they were not doing well."
"Just because the problem may not be on the radar doesn’t mean it’s not a problem," McMullan added.
With the Douglas Guthrie Legacy Fund, Guthrie’s lifelong commitment to community service continues, offering vital support to those who need it most.