In November of 1952, a small group of concerned and committed parents put an advertisement in the Brantford Expositor to determine interest in starting a school for children with a developmental disability. By December of that year, five children were attending a school program in the basement of Immanuel Baptist Church, and within three months that number had more than doubled. The school was dependent upon donations and volunteers with one such group being the Bus Drivers Association, who bought the first bus. This was the beginning of “The Brantford and District Association for Retarded Children” with the first Annual General Meeting being held in February, 1954.
After many years, the Association was able to fundraise $50,000 and secure $40,000 from government grants to build the Jane Laycock School on Mt. Pleasant Street. With educational services now being provided, the Association began to seek out the ways and means to provide services for people of all ages. In March of 1962, “The Brant County Foundation for the Mentally Retarded” (now “The Brant County Foundation for Persons with Developmental Needs”) was established. The Foundation manages and utilizes funds from donations and bequests with their primary focus being the provision of homes for people receiving service from the Association. In the fall of 1964, the Association changed its name to “The Brantford and District Association for the Mentally Retarded” thereby setting as its mandate “the provision and development of services for all individuals with a developmental disability”. In 1964, the first nursery school was opened in the basement of Central Presbyterian Church. Also in 1964, the first sheltered workshop was opened for twenty men and women. The activities centred around contract work for local industries, crafts and life skill training.
In October 1972, the Andrew Donaldson Developmental Centre opened providing a nursery school for children with a developmental disability. In June 1973, the Samuel Stedman Community Residence opened its doors to eighteen adults many of whom were discharged from Provincial Institutions. In June of 1973, additional space was required at A.R.C. Industries, resulting in the Association leasing, and subsequently, buying property on Wilkes Street. Through A.R.C., a number of innovative opportunities were created. Janitorial crews cleaned numerous offices and factories throughout the community and a woodworking shop housed in A.R.C. built a variety of lawn furniture, toys, etc. The operation of a Gas Bar on Colborne Street was followed by the opening of a fruit stand and gas bar in Paris. At the end of 1973, a triplex was purchased on Burnley Avenue and the first opportunity for apartment living began. This was followed by the leasing of a number of additional apartments and homes throughout the community.
The first group Home was opened in March 1975 on Park Avenue and provided services for seven adults.
In 1980, three residential programs were developed for children aged five to eighteen. A townhouse and two apartments were replaced by three single family swellings in the late 80’s. The Community Activity Program began in the mid 80’s, and by the late 1980’s, the Samuel Stedman Community Residence was closed. Through a variety of initiatives, seven homes were purchased during the 1980’s. People moving into these homes were from Samuel Stedman Residence, the community waiting list and the Provincial Institutions. The “Supported Living” Apartment Program had tripled and a “Townhouse Program” was introduced. In 1989, the smaller A.R.C. Industries sites were replaced by Dunn Enterprises, which operated production facilities, Mortimer’s Restaurant and Gift Shop, a catering service, and supported employment. In November of 1989, the Association changed its name to “The Brantford and District Association for Community Living”.
In 1990, the Association’s Head Office moved into the Samuel Stedman Building. In 1991, plans began to build the first home outside of Brantford, and after an extensive process with Town Council and the local resident, our first house in Paris was completed in 1993. In 1993, Head Office relocated to 330 West Street to allow for the people in the rapidly growing Community Activity Program to utilize the building as a meeting point. In the early 1990’s, the Friendships UNlimited (F.U.N.) Program was established through fundraised revenue and a Seniors Program was developed through an 18-month Health Innovations Fund Grant.
With new community supports and a focus on integration, there was a steady decline in enrollment at the Andrew Donaldson Developmental Centre. In 1993, the very difficult decision was made to close the Centre. The Association was committed to ensuring that its expertise in supporting children would continue, and as a result, were chosen to develop and operate a Professional Resource Centre for all children up to 12 years. The P.R.C., which opened in 1994, became an invaluable resource for families, educators and caregivers.
Lots of housing changes occurred in the 1990’s. The agency’s first two Group Homes on Park Avenue and Chatham Street were aging, and a decision was made to sell them along with another home. Two townhouses operating as group homes were also closed. One new home was purchased in Harley along with three in Brantford, and through multi-year planning and facility depopulation, one new house was built in Brantford and one house purchased in Burford. Apartments in high rise buildings were leased with staffing supports on site creating an Enhanced Supported Living option for people, and in 1996, a family purchased a home for their son and two roommates. In 1995, the Board of Directors approved the establishment of an “Associate Family Program” designed to provide people receiving services with an opportunity to live within a family.
In 1997, a small, dedicated group of parents met to discuss their concerns with the Family Benefits Act (FBA) Disability Pension. As a result of lobbying effort, the “Parents Group” was instrumental in affecting change to the pension and benefits for adults with a developmental disability in the province. While economic conditions forced the closure of Mortimer’s Restaurant at the Dunn Building, the Association did operate the Mohawk Munchies Concession Stand at Mohawk Park for three summers. A Rights Committee was formed to ensure that people whose rights were being limited or restricted had access to due process. In response to the Ministry’s “Making Services Work for People” policy framework, Contact Brant was established in 1999. The mandate of Contact Brant was to provide a single point of access for children’s and developmental services resulting in people no longer being able to apply directly to the Association for service.
Through a restructuring in 2000, the home on Spartan Drive became a respite only house offering more “parent relief” opportunities in a less intrusive situation.
Two homes were sold and the first semi-detached home was built in 2001, a second in Paris in 2005 and a third in 2008. In 2001, the Association began to provide support to young people through Foundations – a transitional initiative for young adults as they leave the school system. As a result of a new provincial initiative in 2001, the Professional Resource Centre for Child Care was closed and the Association was approved to operate the new Ontario Early Years Centre in Brant. The OEYC officially opened in March 2002.
In May 2002, the Association purchased the property at 366 Dalhousie Street for the new Head Office. The relocation to this office took place in November, 2002. In 2003, a Self-Advocates Group was developed. At the Annual General Meeting 2003, the Membership approved a name change for the Association to “Community Living Brant”. In 2004, the Minister of Community and Social Services announced a Transformation of Services for People with a Developmental Disability to create an accessible, fair and sustainable system of community-based supports. Shortly after, the announcement was made that the Ontario government was committed to the closure of the three remaining institutions by March 2009.
The number of young people receiving support through Young Adults in Transition more than doubled and it was becoming increasingly clear that their expectations for service were very different than the “standard” supports that had been offered over many years. Interest in Supported Employment was also increasing along with opportunities for small business ventures, such as catering, lawn care, a hot dog cart, recycling, knitting and greeting card businesses, to name a few. In 2006, the Respite Program from 45 Spartan Drive relocated to the 1016 Colborne Street East location, and following renovations in 2007, three young people moved into the home on Spartan Drive. A three-year “Aging at Home” initiative through the Ministry of Health enabled us to provide additional respite.
In 2007, Community Living Brant proudly sponsored a successful first of its kind in Canada “Community Life Conference”. In 2008, The Self-Advocates Committee “R.E.A.C.H. OUT” sponsored a conference with 140 self-advocates from 27 cities in attendance. That same year saw the Kiwanis sponsored AKTION club for adults with disabilities receive its charter membership from Kiwanis International. Community Living Brant welcomed back many people from the Provincial institutions over the years, and on March 31, 2009, a service of reflection and a celebration were held to mark this historical occasion of the final closure of these facilities.
On March 11, 2010, Canadians with disabilities celebrated as Canada ratified the United Nations Convention on the rights of Persons with Disabilities. This was our country’s declaration that disability is to be recognized as a matter of fundamental human rights. Canada played a lead role in developing the convention and is recognized as an international leader in this area. In 2010, the first Class Action lawsuit was launched against the Province alleging that the Province of Ontario breached its fiduciary, statutory and common law duties to care for and protect class members resulting in loss or injury suffered by them. In 2011, The Brant County Foundation for Persons with Developmental Needs built a house on 394 Park Road to replace an existing long-term rental. Community Living Brant is most fortunate to have had a relationship with the “Foundation” since 1963, during which they have been involved with the purchase/building of 9 homes.
In July 2011, the Provincial Application Centres opened under the name “Developmental Services Ontario”. In 2011, we celebrated 15 years of people having the option to live with an Associate Family. Many families have opened their homes and lives, and we are very appreciative and proud to be associated with these families. 2012 marked the 10th anniversary of the Ontario Early Years Centre: Brant.
In 2013, we were proud to mark and celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Community Living Brant, and celebrated with various events throughout the year.
In 2014, the Premier of Ontario delivered a formal apology to the former residents of Huronia, Rideau, and Southwestern Regional Centres. The Class Action Lawsuit for those previously living at these facilities was approved in the courts.
Our group home on Cumberland Street was closed and we began a Shared Accommodation support for five young men who alternately share their parents’ home and our space.
The last member of our founding families, Betty Scott, passed away in her 95th year.
The Ontario Early Years Centre: Brant transferred from the Ministry of Children and Youth Services to the Ministry of Education.
In 2015, we were awarded a 4-year Person-Centered Excellence Accreditation from The Council on Quality and Leadership.
We received a Provincial Housing Task Force Grant through the Ministry of Community and Social Services.
We received a Developmental Services Employment and Modernization Grant through the Ministry of Community and Social Services.
We were one of ten organizations in the province chosen to be involved in “From Presence to Citizenship: Putting Person-centred Thinking into Practice – A Knowledge Exchange Project”. A two-year initiative to share best practices and success stories in the Developmental Services Sector.”
In 2016, we were honoured to have the Minister of Community and Social Services, The Honourable Dr. Helena Jaczek, request a tour and conversation about our diverse and evolving services.
We received a Supported Employment Demonstration for Young People with Autism Spectrum Grant through the Ministry of Children and Youth Services.
Our Associate Family Support was rebranded by the Ministry of Community and Social Services as “Lifeshare” and folks we support and their Lifeshare Families were chosen for the Provincial promotional photo/video material.
A new partnership was developed with the City Housing Department for 14 people in individualized arrangements.
Dunn Enterprises ceased operations as the era of Sheltered Workshops came to a close. The timing was right as our Employment Services were growing rapidly with assistance from both the Ministry of Community and Social Services Modernization and Employment Grant and a 2-year Supported Employment Grant for Young People on the Autism Spectrum through the Ministry of Children and Youth Services.
In 2017, the Premier of Ontario delivered a formal apology to the former residents of the twelve Provincial Institutions/Regional Centres not previously named. The Class Action Lawsuit for those formerly living at these facilities was approved in the courts.
The 2-year “From Presence to Citizenship” initiative to share best practices in the Developmental Services Sector was extended for two additional years and we were again included in the ten organizations chosen from across the Province.
The ongoing shifting of our services resulted in the continued evolution of individualized support teams and individual budgets.
In 2018, the allocations of Passport Individualized Funding to people and their families has been growing exponentially, more than doubling the number of people purchasing/requesting assistance with their funds. Community Living Brant offers primarily individualized services versus group.
The Ontario Early Year’s Centre was transferred from the Ministry of Education to the Municipality and was rebranded as EarlyON Child and Family Centres.
Community Living Brant took a lead for a number of new Brantford/Brant County community events, such as Jane’s Walks, an Asset Based Community Development Symposium and Pop-up Markets.
As we celebrate our 65th year, we are most grateful to the small and committed group of parents who came together in 1952. Community Living Brant now supports over 450 individuals and employs approximately 270 people, and has a total operating budget in excess of $14 million.
In 2019, the allocations of Passport Individualized funding to people and their families continued to grow exponentially, doubling the number of people purchasing/requesting assistance with their funds within 2 years.
Continued work on Asset Based Community Development saw the start of the community’s first Near and Dear events to discover and share the gifts of citizens in specific neighbourhoods including the gifts of people we support in those neighbourhoods.
The Ontario Disability Support Program- Employment Supports program (ODSP-ES) for our region which included Brantford, Haldimand-Norfolk, Hamilton, and Niagara had its funding transferred from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services to the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development. With this change, the funding for this service was transferred to a separate Service System Manager organization called FedCap Canada. FedCap Canada contracted with Community Living Brant to offer these services in our community.
In April 2020, Community Living Brant received a 3 year Ontario Trillium Foundation grant for the Belonging Brant initiative. Belonging Brant is an adaptation of Befriend, a model from Australia, which reduces isolation by connecting people through social groups based on common interests. Belonging Brant will support people with developmental disabilities to identify their interests so they can connect with others through the groups that are established (e.g. knitting, walking clubs). By year three 30 inclusive groups, led by a trained Host will meet monthly, reaching 450 people and 90 people with developmental disabilities. By the year three, 96 stories of connections made through the groups will have been shared through a social media, podcasts and an annual celebration.
In September 2020, we were again awarded a 4-year Person-Centred Excellence Accreditation from the Council on Quality and Leadership. Our Strategic Plan was developed in conjunction with the outcomes of our Accreditation Review.
The Province undertook Employment Transformation, which included ODSP- ES services. In April 2021, Community Living Brant entered into a contract with the new Service System Manager, FedCap, as chosen by the province. This shift meant the Community Living Brant was now contracted to provide employment supports through this Service System Manager. The objective was to centralize and streamline employment supports for all sectors in the province through a coordinated system of services. We were part of one of three demonstration projects in the province.
In 2022, the province moved forward with the same transformation across the remainder of Ontario.
Services were expanded in late 2021 to include more specialized supports for youth with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD)/addictions/complex mental health concerns. The team, Pathways, provides holistic and unique supports to this group of youth who require intensive individualized supports to meet daily safety, housing, health and advocacy needs, along with building positive relationships and connections for each person.
The Province also introduced a new framework for transformation of developmental services over a 10-year period called “The Journey to Belonging: Choice and Inclusion “ It has the following key principles:
- People receive support based on their needs.
- Services build on the strengths of people and supports provided by families, support networks and communities.
- Supports are person-directed and flexible.
- Supports are proactive and responsive to people’s changing needs across the course of their lives.
- Services are driven by evidence, outcomes and continuous improvement.
- Services and supports promote health, wellbeing and safety.
- System is sustainable.
Your Donation Makes A Difference
Community Living Brant relies on the generosity of the community to support our work. Community Living Brant is a registered charitable organization that advocates and supports people who have a developmental disability to lead meaningful lives in their community.
