Pictured from left to right: Yewande Peters (SERC Program Coordinator), Brianna Wentz (SERC Communications Coordinator), Gillian Roy (SERC Co-Executive Director), Lisa Naylor (MLA for Wolseley), Leigh Anne Caron (SERC Co-Executive Director), and Simret Daniel (SERC Program Coordinator).
On Tuesday, March 25, 2025, SERC’s 90th anniversary was officially recognized by the Manitoba Legislative Assembly.
MLA for Wolseley and Minister for Transportation and Infrastructure, Lisa Naylor, gave a member’s statement honoring SERC’s 90 years of service to Manitobans. A transcript of her statement is below, and a video is posted on her official Instagram page:
Click to watch Minister Naylor’s Member’s Statement
“I am so pleased to rise today to celebrate the 90-year anniversary of the Sexuality Education Resource Centre, or SERC.
SERC began as the Winnipeg Birth Control Society, established in 1934 to help women access birth control- 35 years before birth control was legal in Canada. In 1976, the organization became Manitoba Planned Parenthood and opened a Brandon office. Responding to changing needs, they transformed into the Sexuality Education Resource Centre in 1997. SERC’s mission is to promote sexual health through education, and their vision is one of a diverse society that celebrates sexuality throughout the lifespan.
SERC provides youth workshops on health dating, sexual decision making, STIs and HIV, gender identity and sexual orientation, mental health, and more. SERC does outreach in newcomer communities to support healthy relationships and parents communicating with their children about sex. SERC has delivered education through a phone-in helpline, a text helpline, online resources, and service provider training. They have also partnered with Ka Ni Kanichihk to deliver culturally based sexual and reproductive health education to Indigenous families.
Misinformation about sexual health has contributed to increased STI rates as well as increased hate targeting of 2SLGBTQ+ Manitobans. This makes SERC’s work as important today as it ever was, and I am thrilled to recognize 90 years of service to Manitobans.
In 2021, SERC adopted a unique Co-Executive Director model to decentralize power and emphasize collaboration. I am pleased to welcome co-directors Gillian Roy and Leigh Anne Caron, along with other SERC staff. I invite all my colleagues to join me in celebrating this milestone and the consequential work of the Sexuality Education Resource Centre.”
– Lisa Naylor, MLA for Wolseley and Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure