PEI People First

04/22/2026

Did you know that the United Nations has declared 2026 as the International Year of Volunteers!

People First of Canada is built on volunteers. Our members, Board of Directors, and advisors are all volunteers. Across the country, people give up their time and energy and raise their voices to make change happen for people with intellectual disabilities.

We celebrate and thank all our volunteers and the positive impact they make every day. We appreciate you!

04/14/2026

The latest issue of the Institution Watch newsletter is available.

The Institution Watch Newsletter is written and produced by the  People First of Canada and Inclusion Canada National Task Force on Deinstitutionalization. This newsletter is dedicated to monitoring the progress towards a vision of full community living for all people with intellectual disabilitie...

04/02/2026

04/01/2026

PFC has finished up our validation focus groups for our ASC research project. The topic is about barriers to federal financial services. We had a great time talking to people last week about our research and their experiences. Thank you to everyone who joined us online or in person in Toronto. Thank you also to People First Quebec for your help with these focus groups.

03/25/2026

03/21/2026

Today is World Down Syndrome Day! The theme this year is ‘Together against loneliness.’ We believe that loneliness should not be part of anyone’s story. Togetherness starts with a smile, a wave, or a simple ‘Hello.’ Inclusion means belonging, being connected, and taking part in all aspects of life!

03/10/2026

We are deeply saddened to share the news that PEI People First Co-President, Joni Miner, has passed away.

Joni was a strong and passionate advocate who believed that everyone, no matter how they communicate, deserves to have their voice heard and their decisions respected and supported by the people they trust. Her dedication to self-advocacy and inclusion touched many lives across PEI and beyond.

Joni loved spending time with friends, listening to music, and especially travelling to Winnipeg for the national People First of Canada People First of Canada meetings, where she proudly represented PEI and connected with fellow self-advocates from across the country.

She will be deeply missed by her friends, colleagues, and the many people whose lives she influenced through her kindness, leadership, and advocacy.

Please see the link below for information about Joni’s service.
https://epfuneral.ca/tribute/details/2673/Joni-Lee-Miner/obituary.html -start

Our thoughts are with Joni’s family, friends, and all who knew and loved her. 💙

03/08/2026

On International Women’s Day, People First of Canada celebrates the strength, leadership, and voices of women with intellectual disabilities.

Women with intellectual disabilities are strong leaders. They speak up for their rights, support their communities, and help build a more inclusive Canada.

Today, and every day, we stand with women with intellectual disabilities as they lead the way toward a more equal and inclusive future.

03/04/2026

The February issue of the People First of Canada Updater is available now. Please have a look.

People First of Canada’s documentary film These Four Walls was first shown at the Museum for Human Rights in Manitoba in March 2024. After that, the film spent a year in the film festival circuit. During that time it won awards and an honourable mention, along with nominations. Once the film festi...

03/04/2026

Sharing from Inclusion Canada

As a P/T member of Inclusion Canada, we applauds the House of Commons for unanimously supporting Bill S-228. Bill S-228 would amend the Criminal Code to clarify that forcing or coercing a person to be sterilized is aggravated assault.

Canada has a troubling, well-documented, and ongoing history of sterilizing people with an intellectual disability without their consent. When Inclusion Canada’s board member, Roy Skoreyko, learned about Bill S-228 he said, “that happened to me.”

Roy met with Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes MP Jamie Schmale, a champion for Bill S-228. Roy asked the MP to help other people with an intellectual disability who were sterilized to know that this bill is about them. Roy was certainly heard!

Let week, MPs from four parties spoke about Bill S-228. Each one said the words “disability” or “eugenics.” Thank you to MP Schmale who mentioned Roy by name and said Bill S-228 “tells people that their voices were heard, that what happened to them was wrong and that they will not be ignored.”

See the link to the debate in the House of Commons here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk7cWpmcREY

We congratulate Roy for his courage and commitment to ensure what happened to him, never happens to anyone else.
For more information about Roy’s story and his determination to fight against abuse and advocate for disability rights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-4VKS4ZEGA

Thank you also to People First of Canada People First of Canada for your continued advocacy and to those MPs who acknowledged people with an intellectual disability and expressed support for this legislation. We will continue to monitor its movement in Parliament.