Each time a guest checks out of the Downtown Hostel inside The University of Winnipeg’s McFeetors Hall, there’s laundry to do. And as everyone knows, laundry can pile up fast.
That’s why UWinnipeg uses a commercial laundry service to keep the hostel’s linens and towels fresh, folded, and ready on time.
Since the summer of 2024, that service provider has been Siloam Laundry Service (SLS), a social enterprise established in 2019 to take care of Siloam Mission’s in-house laundry needs and those of its clients, which include local businesses and community organizations.
This has been a really smooth, easy partnership.
Chloé Williamson
“It’s super organized, very professional, and they can handle large amounts of laundry,” said Chloé Williamson, Residence Admissions Coordinator with UWinnipeg’s Campus Living team, which manages McFeetors Hall, including the hostel.
During the summer months, when hostel bookings peak, SLS provides two pick-ups and two drop-offs per week.
“Each time, they are picking up multiple large carts full of laundry from us,” Williamson said. “They wash it all, fold it up, and deliver it a couple days later.”
McFeetors Hall is an award-winning six-storey student residence that opened in 2009. The hostel was created in 2012 to generate revenue for the University while providing a valued amenity for its clientele, which includes conferencegoers, visiting scholars, tourists, and road-trippers.
“We also get a lot of groups that come through, like school groups doing trips in May and June to see the Canadian Museum for Human Rights or do other things downtown,” Williamson said. “Someone just checked in this afternoon who’s going to the Grey Cup.”
The hostel is one of the few ways to stay downtown for under $100 per night. Rooms can be booked for stays up to 30 nights.
“I think the price is kind of unmatched,” Williamson said.
Guests use an access card to come and go, just like at a hotel. Rooms are fully furnished in three configurations: three VIP suites are available during the academic year, from September to April. Then, from May to August, two floors’ worth of single rooms and double rooms are made available. All rooms have their own private bathroom. Group bookings can also opt for catering by UWinnipeg’s campus meal provider, Diversity Food Services.
With frequent transit service and proximity to major attractions like the RBC Convention Centre, Canada Life Centre, and WAG-Qaumajuq, the hostel is a popular choice: this summer alone it was booked by a dozen large groups and over 125 individuals.
All those bookings make timely laundry service all the more crucial. Last month, Williamson got to tour SLS, which recently marked six years of operations.
“This has been a really smooth, easy partnership,” Williamson said. “The service is just way above what we were getting from a big corporation before. SLS is always here on time, and they’re also cheaper and do something good downtown for the community. It’s like a win-win-win.”
As a certified social enterprise, SLS combines the commercial goals of a for-profit company with the social impact of a nonprofit organization.
“We work alongside individuals who have experienced homelessness and who face barriers to finding and securing work, supporting their efforts to grow in their capacity for independence,” said Gunnar Ricard, Social Enterprise Coordinator at Siloam Mission. “Thanks to partnerships with organizations like The University of Winnipeg, we’re able to create these opportunities and help break down those barriers.”
Revenues pay the wages of SLS staff, who are individuals experiencing homelessness or transitioning into housing. Further revenue funds other Siloam programs and services, such as workplace skill-building or arts and cultural activities.
UWinnipeg was the laundry service’s first large client, and that has led to more business for SLS.
Downtown Hostel bookings can be made through its website or by visiting third-party websites like Booking.com and Expedia.ca.
