With temperatures dropping, many Ottawa families can’t always afford a winter coat. That’s where the Snowsuit Fund comes in, helping thousands of children stay warm all winter long. For Salia Sanogo, a simple snowsuit means his four-year-old daughter can enjoy winter safely. “Receiving a snowsuit today for free. It means a lot to me,” said Sanogo. On Tuesday, the Snowsuit Fund officially kicked off its 2025-26 season, marking the start of another year of fundraising to help Ottawa children stay warm. “She’s warm, happy and protected. So, because of that, we also, her mother and I, we are very happy and emotionally warm,” he said. Dorcas Abili and her son moved from Uganda to Canada in the summer of 2023. “We had a tough decision, either buy the food or buy the winter jacket. And no parent should ever have to ever make the decision,” Abili said. When the cold weather arrived, she didn’t know where to turn until she too found the Snowsuit Fund. “There were lots of snowsuits, and my son got a very bright orange teddy bear snowsuit, and he was so happy. Now we could get out of the house. Now he could be a child. Now he could live. He could play out in the cold,” she said. The need is greater than ever, with roughly 300 snowsuits being handed out each day so far this year. “This season, the need is very great. We’ve already distributed over 7,000 snowsuits. Last year, we had a record year with over 19,000 snowsuits distributed. And we expect it to be almost the same this year,” said Joanne Andrews, Snowsuit Fund general manager. Behind the scenes, volunteers and staff work nonstop to make it happen. “There’s a team that works at the other table checking to make sure there’s no mismatches. And of course, putting labels on them showing sizes. And then from there it goes on to the rack, ready for the sales staff to take,” said warehouse clerk Mike Sylvain. The Snowsuit Fund relies entirely on community support, with no government funding. “It really shows what our city is all about. The community spirit of helping those who need it most and helping them not only get through winter, but enjoy winter,” said Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe. For Sanogo and his daughter, they are now ready for whatever winter throws at them. “It makes a lot of difference. It makes a difference. Yeah,” he said.
