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Inside this Issue… President’s Message Mr. Dennis Gill .............................................................................................. 3 Executive Director Message by Hope Colbourne ........................................................................5 Treasurer’s Update by Dolores Flynn ............................................................................................ 7 Human Resources Chair Update by Marg Pike.............................................................................8 Supportive Living and Housing Update by Una Tucker .............................................................9 Community Liaison Coordinator Update by Renee Rau ......................................................... 10 Labour Market Facilitator Update by Donna Norcott ............................................................... 11 Navigator Update by Shelly England........................................................................................... 11 In My Home In My Community - Labrador .................................................................................13 Introducing our Strategic Plan 2022 – 2025 ..............................................................................14 Green Bay Association for Community Living Update by Adam Hull ...................................15
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President’s Message Mr. Dennis Gill Well! We are closing in on the last portion of “Official Winter”, the hours of daylight are increasing and Spring 2022 is just around the corner. Thank the Lord. Since last Fall, a lot has been happening at Inclusion Canada Newfoundland and Labrador. Yes, we changed our name from the Newfoundland and Labrador Association for Community Living! The motion was made by Mrs. Joan Stamp, age 96, of Labrador City, who was with Mrs.Vera Perlin way back in 1956 when the “Association for the Mentally Retarded” was formed. Wow! Cristen Tizzard, age 23, of Springdale, seconded the motion, and it was unanimously carried by those present at a Board Meeting in St. John’s on 18 September 2021. What a wonderful way to begin the next 65 years assisting, and advocating for, persons with intellectual disabilities, and their families, in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Two days prior, at the Capital Hotel on Kenmount Road, Strategic Plan 2022-2025 was developed, and what a spectacular plan it is. Kudos to Facilitator Eleanor Dawson, Executive Director Hope Colbourne, and all who participated from across our province; execution of the Plan will begin on April 01. On September 17 at 8:00 am, the Board attended a breakfast, sponsored by Ready Willing & Able [a national initiative committed to helping Canadian employers find ideal candidates who are readily equipped to enter the workplace] at the Bally Haly Country Club. There were Remarks by Hon. John Abbott [Minister of Children, Seniors, and Social Development], FrankFagan [National Program Manager, Operations], Taylor Cassell [Labour Market Facilitator], ED Hope, and Yours Truly. The Minister and I appeared on NTV Evening News that day! Next, at 11:00 am, we met with Her Honour The Honourable Judy M. Foote, Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, Patron of Inclusion Canada Newfoundland and Labrador, and had a guided tour of Government House. During the afternoon, we reviewed the progress and development of our new Social Enterprise with Project Coordinator Tony Janes. October 06 was “World Cerebral Palsy Day”, and in Pilley’s Island, Roxann, Danny, and I donned our green T-shirts, had a sing-along, and lunch, and posted the attached photo on Facebook to help publicize the international event.
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THE GATEWAY WINTER 2022 Inclusion Canada had scheduled face-to-face meetings, which Hope and I were to attend, in Ottawa, December 2-3-4. However, due to the “Covid State”, they were held via Zoom, meeting virtually with our NL MPs for “Day on The Hill”, with Provincial/Territorial Presidents and Executive Directors, and for the Annual General Meetings of IRIS, the Foundation, and Inclusion Canada. At the latter, I was elected to represent our province on the Board for 2022. Numerous ZOOM meetings have been held, and a fantastic amount of extremely productive work has been done during the past 6 months on various agenda items; others will report on them; thank-you. They include, but are not limited to, the following, in random order: Right To Decide, SET Mentoring, Ready-Willing-Able, Finances, Community Inclusion, Human Resources, Supportive Living and Housing, Growing The (Board’s) Future, History Project, 65th Anniversary Conference, Biannual Meetings with Minister Abbott, Future Planning for Persons with Intellectual Challenges, and regularLiaison Meetings with four Departments of Government. In closing, I have to say that I was honoured to be a contributing author to the book, “Land of Many Shores”, editedby Dr. Ainsley Hawthorn, and published 2021.09.30 by Breakwater Books, St. John’s. My selection, “We All Are Different”, a.k.a. “Danny’s Story”, centered around Danny from 1980 to the present. The anthology features 25 writers who share their essays about life in Newfoundland and Labrador from often-neglected viewpoints, e.g., Indigenous People, cultural minorities, LGBTQ+, people living with mental or physical disabilities. On 23 February 2022, I was truly surprised to learn of our Executive Director’s resignation, but sincerely respect her decision to move on. As I have said on a number of previous occasions, Hope has done exemplary work for Inclusion Canada Newfoundland and Labrador, and our progress has been remarkable, in so many directions, during the past three years. In closing, for now, thank you, Hope, for your many valuable contributions to our 66-year-old association. Best wishes in your new position. There undoubtedly will be connections between you and us as we move forward. Finally, a sincere thank you to our Board, Executive, ED Hope, Office Staff, and Supporters, for your many and diverse contributions. Dennis Pilley’s Island
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Executive Director Message by Hope Colbourne Well, here we are again, at the end of another season, and the time has to come to share with you the great work Inclusion Canada Newfoundland and Labrador has been up to since we last reported. Our work on the Right to Decide Initiative continues under the great leadership support of Dr. Michael Bach. We received support from Immigration, Population Growth and Skills to hire a consultant to help us develop a strategic plan. Mr. Pat Curran has been working with us and we are very pleased with the outcomes of the six sessions facilitated by him. We are also working with Michael and Dr. Barbara Barter on an evaluation process that is about to get underway. It seems as though the dots are connecting on a number of key areas that we have been diligently working on. We are so pleased for the opportunity afforded through our discussions with the Disability Policy Office (DPO) and Minister Abbott and Team. Through our discussions, a Liaison Committee was formed, led by Terri Jean Murray, Director for DPO, where representatives from a number of key Ministries and Departments are meeting with us to engage in discussion on priority areas. We have great expectations for this work. As Dennis mentioned, the Strategic Planning Process was well executed and we have a plan developed with five priority areas that will guide our work for the next three years. All of our project areas are developing work plans to help us in monitoring and tracking our deliverables. This process will also help us in our reporting to funders. The In My Home In My Community Phase 3 Project was a huge undertaking, and Covid caused us to have to pivot to a virtual delivery model. The results realized were instrumental in increasing the membership and information sharing opportunities with individuals and community groups and agencies. Thank you to Renee Rau, Community Liaison Coordinator, for keeping her finger on the pulse on this initiative. Special thanks to Fraser Piccott and Dolores Flynn who traveled to Labrador to ensure families in that area of our province had the opportunity to engage on these important matters. We saw a tremendous spike in the provincial incentive program as a result of the In My Home In My Community Project over the three years we have been delivering it. We are currently exploring opportunities for a Social Enterprise, and we are very fortunate to have Tony Janes working with us, guiding this piece of work. There will be more to share on this as it is developed over the coming months. Our Building Block project, supported through Inclusion Canada, is seeing an increase in referrals and the Navigator, Shelly England, is quickly becoming known for her professional approach in helping support individuals with employment related concerns. We appreciate what Shelly is bringing to the program and we are very excited to see the project take on a new life. The SET Mentoring Program, under the expert leadership of Nancy Andrews, is growing exponentially.
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Nancy has become a trusted partner within the school community and we are seeing tremendous results in this program. Taylor Cassell, without question, put the Ready, Willing & Able Program back on the map in Newfoundland and Labrador. We were saddened to see him leave us, but totally respect his career goals. Our new Labour Market Facilitator, Donna Norcott, joined us on February 14th, and we are looking forward to getting to know her. Our office days are bright and clean days when Bobby comes to work. He continues to provide office support for us two days a week. He is also keen to share the weather forecast with us and he is always right in his predictions. We appreciate and value Bobby’s contribution to the team. We also have a faithful volunteer and our Association is all the better for her insights and wisdom. Gail St. Croix gives of herself very selflessly, whether it is for a Zoom call, a face-to-face meeting, volunteering to help copy and collate, photography skills, we know we can call on Gail. I feel blessed to have her ground me in my work. Thank you, Gail! You are a true inspiration and a good friend.
Gail St. Croix gives of herself very selflessly. We know we can call on Gail. Thank you, Gail! You are a true inspiration and a good friend. xoxo
This has been a very busy time with planning sessions, rebranding, reworking of all of our documents, onboarding new staff, starting new projects, retiring projects, the list goes on. I could not do any of it, or keep the many balls in the air, if not for the great team around me. So thank you to our Executive Board, Dennis, Lori, Dolores, Una, Marg, Ray and Gene, our staff team, our government partners, my sister Executive Directors from PEI and Nova Scotia, our local association members, Oz Gould, Kem Young, Cristen Tizzard, Betty Fitzgerald, the three sisters in Deer Lake - Louise, Myra and Irene, our Labrador friends - Cindy, Joey, Theresa, Daphne, Sharon, Mrs. Stamp and Joanne to name a few. We appreciate the expertise of Nigel Cose Accounting, in keeping the financial reporting on point. Likewise, Hancock Financial is a trusted advisor to the Board on financial matters as well. We have a very trustworthy, competent team around us. It is with mixed emotions that I share with you that I’ve tendered my resignation and will leave my role the end of March. It has been my pleasure working in my home province on such important work. I leave knowing that I’ve given 100% effort to the work of the Association. I extend sincere appreciation for the opportunity. Our accomplishments and successes are shared because of the faithful dedication and work of the team, so “Thank You”, once again for your support, guidance, and friendship. Hope Colbourne, M.Ed. CTDP Executive Director Inclusion Canada Newfoundland and Labrador
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Treasurer’s Update by Dolores Flynn Inclusion Canada Newfoundland and Labrador is now into the 4th quarter of our fiscal year. I am happy to report that as we near this year-end, April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, we are in a very positive and sound financial situation. We continue to work on a variety of projects aimed at improving the lives of persons with intellectual disabilities and their families throughout the province. Inclusion Canada Newfoundland and Labrador continues to be active with several different financial accounts that include our core funding as well as a variety of provincial and federally-funded projects. All projects have different mandates and outcomes and operate under different guidelines and time frames. Since the last Treasurer’s Report, we have also been active in other financial matters including a review of our Financial Policy Manual to make it current, transparent and relevant to our dayto-day operations, met with the Bank of Montreal and Hancock Financial to review our investment portfolios, and are currently reviewing payroll options to help mainstream and address ongoing costs. All projects are currently operating within their budgets and expenditure allocations and are on target for their respective timelines of completion. Any surplus funding that is now identified is allocated for further ongoing project and community development work. As Inclusion Canada Newfoundland and Labrador approaches the end of a very active year, we are optimistic that our work will continue to identify and help resolve major issues with, and on behalf of, individuals and families throughout the province. I wish to thank Hope Colbourne, Executive Director, Nigel Cose, Accountant, and members of the Finance Committee (Dennis and Ray) for their support and guidance on all financial matters.
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Human Resources Chair Update by Marg Pike Since the last report, we have had changes in employee positions. Taylor Cassell, the Labour Market Facilitator with the Ready, Willing & Able Program, resigned his position and we welcomed Donna Norcott to the role on February 14. Best wishes to Taylor and Welcome Donna! The three Community Engagement workers completed their contractual positions in midDecember. Thank you Julia, Maggie and Raven. We really appreciated your work. It has helped us inform and connect with community groups. The Social Enterprise Phase 1 contract concluded on December 31st. Thank you, Tony. We look forward to the continuation of this work with you in Phase 2, which began on February 7th and will conclude on March 31, 2022. Employees started working from home on December 29th due to an increase in the Covid numbers and NL going back to Level 4. We took the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health and continued to support staff to work remotely and adjusted as necessary. With the restrictions lifting and alert levels changing, all staff are now back to the office. Inclusion Canada Newfoundland and Labrador Board were saddened to receive the resignation of Executive Director, Hope Colbourne. Hope has been a valued employee who has worked tirelessly for the Association. Her vision, leadership and creativity has helped us significantly on our many agenda items. We thank Hope and wish her every success as she moves to bring her many skills to a sister non-profit. We will miss her, but we are very appreciative of her time with us. All the best, Hope! With that, the Executive Board has begun the search for the new Executive Director of Inclusion Canada Newfoundland and Labrador.
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Supportive Living and Housing Update by Una Tucker The Supportive Living and Housing Committee has been busy working on a History Exhibit on Deinstitutionalization. Our goal is to have it ready for our 65th Anniversary Conference. There are multiple pieces to the exhibit so many hours of work have gone into it. We are moving toward the finished line on the display boards, and our focus will now move towards the other exhibit pieces. We also have begun discussions about preparations for future information sharing with the Liaison Committee as it relates to Supported Living and Future Planning/Shared Responsibility. This is an issue of importance to many individuals and families who need help to stay in their communities.
Social Enterprise Update by Una and Dolores Tony Janes, Contracted Project Coordinator, presented his final report for Phase 1 of the Social Enterprise Work. Phase 2 began on February 7th and will end on March 31, 2022. We are pleased with the progress we have made in exploring potential opportunities to grow and support the work of Inclusion Canada Newfoundland and Labrador. Stay tuned for more on this as the project unfolds.
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Community Liaison Coordinator Update by Renee Rau As the Community Liaison Coordinator, I work with communities and stakeholders to identify barriers to inclusion, share practical expertise and build community capacity for the inclusion of persons with intellectual disabilities. I am also working to facilitate the creation of Family and Siblings’ Networks. I supervised the Community Engagement Workers who were hired to connect with communities and organizations across NL. Through our work there were: • 278 organizations contacted: 94 organizations in Western Region and Labrador, 108 organizations in Central Region and 76 organizations in Avalon Region. • 72 presentations occurred with 258 participants. Most of these presentations occurred via Zoom. However, COVID did not prevent us from having some face-to-face sessions when possible. Eight of the seventy-two presentations in this phase occurred in person. Many resources were sent via email to those organizations who participated in the presentations about RDSP’s and PIP’s (as well as other resources). Hard copies of resources were provided to those attending in person presentations. Resource packages with RDSP and PIP information were mailed to organizations to provide to their communities where we could not meet in person. This was a successful time of sharing information, hearing from communities. Next steps are to continue on with this work and focus on developing Family and Siblings’ Networks throughout the province. Thanks to our three Community Engagement Workers for their commitment and contributions to the In My Home…In My Community work.
L-R Raven Anderson,
Julia Pritchett, Maggie Millican
Community Engagement Workers
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Labour Market Facilitator Update by Donna Norcott I am a MUN graduate with a degree in English and Psychology. I am also a Certified Career Strategist and have spent several years coaching and guiding individuals to career satisfaction. I believe learning from each individual’s unique story is a vital piece of finding a strong career fit. I am passionate about lifelong learning, self-empowerment, and inclusivity. I’ve been busy my first week with orientation and learning about the Ready Willing & Able Program. I am very appreciative of the great work done by my predecessor and also very appreciative of the warm welcome at Inclusion Canada Newfoundland and Labrador. I will have more to update you on soon.
Navigator Update by Shelly England Hi, I’m Shelly England and I’m the Building Blocks Navigator. I work with and on behalf of individuals with intellectual disabilities and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who face barriers and challenges with employment readiness. I graduated top of my class from Eastern Academy in 2021, with a diploma in Child and Youth Care with Addictions. Previously, I spent many years working with children and adults with intellectual disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in many different situations. I spent the last 20 years advocating for both my children, my oldest with a diagnosis of ASD and my youngest with a specific learning disorder in reading, writing and math. In my spare time you will find me enjoying life with my family. Since starting the Navigator role in October 2021, I have made connections with twenty employment counsellors from several organizations and/or agencies, ten individuals in employment programs, and three schools including Memorial University. We have or are actively supporting thirty-three individuals to work on skills needed for employment. We receive referrals from other organizations because of the connections made and sharing the navigator role with the community.
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The Building Blocks Extension is supporting us to revise an existing resource to share with schools and students. Connections will be made with instructional resource teachers (IRT) who will share these new resources with students and caregivers. This new resource will be a guide, sharing the supports that are offered within the community along with many other things. It has been a very busy few months and I anticipate lots more to come for the Navigator role.
SET Mentoring Update by Nancy Andrews The 2021-2022 school year has been remarkably busy for SET Mentoring so far. There have been 35 students referred to SET Mentoring with 16 of them in mentoring positions. We realized over 200 connections with businesses which has given Inclusion Canada Newfoundland and Labrador a considerable amount of exposure. SET Mentoring has brought so much joy to students; the feedback I am receiving is amazing. Parents are thrilled watching how excited their children are to go to work and gain the self-confidence they need to transition from high school. Businesses owners and employees are delighted to be a part of this amazing program.
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In My Home In My Community - Labrador Dolores Flynn and Fraser Piccott traveled to Labrador in September 2021 to connect with families, community groups and businesses. Great success was realized as information was shared on the work of Inclusion Canada Newfoundland and Labrador (formerly NLACL), Registered Disability Savings Plan and other important topics. Poor weather caused the session in Makkovik to be cancelled, but sessions were held in Nain, Hopedale, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Cartwright, Port Hope Simpson, West St. Modeste and L’anse Au Clair. We are appreciative to the Disability Policy Office Capacity Grant Program for their support for this work. This project was a continuation of the grant received for the 2020-21 fiscal year, but due to Covid-19 our work was postponed. We extend sincere thanks and appreciation to Dolores and Fraser for their great work and to the families of the many communities visited.
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Introducing our Strategic Plan 2022 – 2025 During a strategic planning session held on September 19th, 2021, the members of Inclusion Canada Newfoundland and Labrador reviewed our work to-date and decided on the priorities for the next three years. In addition to this, there were a series of development meetings, oneon-one discussions, feedback from Executive and staff and editing review meetings resulting in this final document to guide us in our work for the next three years. The focused priority at the heart of our work is to support individuals to live in their own homes, in communities of their choosing. The exercised right to live in the community with supports, if needed, is the central focus of Inclusion Canada Newfoundland and Labrador.
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Green Bay Association for Community Living Update by Adam Hull Green Bay Community has been given the opportunity to offer the Green Bay North and South areas a Community Access Program. The Community Access Program which will be offered is a 34 week programs which initiatives are to promote inclusion to the areas constituents. The program is divided into three components a Community Kitchen, a Technology Crash Course and a self-care program called My Health, My Body My Mind. The Community Kitchen is an opportunity for members of the community to have access to the opportunity to cook healthy food for them twice a week free of charge. The goal of the community kitchen is to improve the quality of life of the disenfranchised members of the community. This will be done by teaching them the skills necessary to cook a healthy meal which will meet the standards of Canada’s food guide. Members of our staff will help teach clients how to cook healthy meals such as soups, stews, roasted turkey, chicken and other various meals which they may take home at the end of the session. Our second program will be a technology crash course called Innovative Technology. This course will help members of the community struggling with how to use different aspects of technology and the various technology related questions which people may have. One thing Covid - 19 has highlighted has been the ability technology has to keep us connected with others even when government restrictions put a barrier to people’s ability to socialize. Here at GBCEC we believe that regardless of government restriction it is vital for us as humans to have connections with other people in some way shape or form. To ensure that everyone feels a genuine connection to their community and family regardless of Covid-19, GBCEC implemented the Innovative Technology program so that those who need to be taught how to use government websites, pay bills, collect EI, set up Vax pass or any technology related questions which members of the community may want to be educated on and can be given instructions on how these services can be used and taken advantage of. Finally, “My Health My Body My Mind” will be a program dedicated to people’s wellbeing on physical and mental health. Exercise and informational sessions will be offered in partnership with different organizations in the Green Bay North and South areas. GBCEC feels strongly about the importance of inclusion for all. Our organization wants to try our hardest to reduce the effects of Covid -19 on the social atmosphere within the Green Bay North and South areas for all members of society. We hope that by offering our Community Access Program that we can touch the lives and make a difference in the lives of individuals within our area. This program is funded by Easter Seals, and our host office GBCEC.
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Thank you!
74 O’Leary Avenue St. John’s, NL 709 722-0790 info@inclusioncanadanl.ca