It took Cindy Beedie seven and a half years to open her $50-million namesake housing project that many insisted, repeatedly, would not work. But despite being hit with financial, bureaucratic and municipal obstacles, she didn’t give up. “I don’t like being told no,” she says.
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When she first began pitching a community housing project that would combine affordable homes for single mothers fleeing violence with on-site childcare, she assumed it would be simple to rally support. “I naively thought it was going to be easy, because I thought it was such a great idea,” she says.
Instead, it became a lesson in persistence. The YWCA hadn’t built a new daycare in 30 years, and Beedie was turned down by multiple municipalities. “It’s a lot to get in these rooms and share an idea you’re really excited about, and then hear, ‘That’s a great idea. Why don’t you build it in one of your husband’s buildings?’” she says.
With years of philanthropy and volunteering in the region (she and her husband, Ryan Beedie, regularly top Vancouver magazine’s Power 50 list for their $195+ million in community donations), Beedie felt inspired to uplift vulnerable families (“Some of these women don’t even have ID”) and create a safe space for mothers leaving unhealthy relationships. “I thought of the kind of generational change that that was going to make in their lives,” she says.
Now, that vision is reality. YWCA Cindy Beedie Place, a four-storey building with 56 affordable (and pet-friendly) homes, 37 childcare spaces and wraparound supports, opened in December 2025, on land leased from the City of Burnaby. The daycare opens its doors in June.
Beedie’s understanding of resilience is deeply personal. She points to her Ukrainian refugee grandmother, who rebuilt her life in Canada after profound loss (“She didn’t have much, but she just kept going”), and her mother, who raised three children largely on her own while her husband travelled extensively for work. Those examples continue to shape Beedie’s focus on supporting single mothers—and her willingness to step forward and be the public face of a project of this scale.
The development required a complex collaboration between BC Housing, the City of Burnaby and YWCA Metro Vancouver, along with years of fundraising and planning. Now open and fully occupied, it represents a long-term investment in stability and opportunity for the families who need it most. “This will be my legacy,” says Beedie.
What was your first job?
At a Bootlegger retail store.
What is a small daily joy of yours?
Cooking with vegetables from her own garden.
What keeps you grounded?
“My friends. I’ve had the same friend group for 25 years.”
