Community Living Oakville

02/06/2026

When leadership, advocacy, and community connection show up in the same room.

Shania from Xcel Day Services and Ryan from Xplore Employment joined Mika, Lead of our Raise Your Voice Council, alongside council member Frankie and Anthony at the Community Resource Fair at MM Robinson High School.

Events like this help families learn what’s possible after high school and connect with real programs, real supports, and real people who are living it every day.

We’re proud to be part of conversations that help people with disabilities and their families plan for meaningful, supported, and inclusive futures in our community.

02/05/2026

Happy Birthday, Mark! 🎉

What better way to celebrate than high above the city with great company, great views, and a memorable meal at the 360 Restaurant atop the CN Tower.

Here’s to another year filled with moments that lift you up, Mark!

02/04/2026

We’re feeling incredibly grateful today. 💙💚

Through the GIVEOakville campaign, Community Living Oakville’s Raise Your Voice Council received meaningful community support that will directly strengthen the voices of self-advocates in Oakville.

This campaign is about more than fundraising. It’s about people coming together to back inclusion, rights, and leadership for people with developmental disabilities in our community.

Thank you to the Oakville Community Foundation for amplifying local generosity and to the family foundations and community members who believed in this work. Your support helps the Raise Your Voice Council continue to:

• Advocate for the rights and inclusion of people with developmental disabilities
• Create opportunities for self-advocates to lead conversations in the community
• Raise awareness, educate, and build understanding across Oakville
• Strengthen confidence, leadership skills, and public voice for council members

When people are given the platform to speak for themselves, real change happens. And this community just made that possible.

The Raise Your Voice Council is supported through the Oakville Community Foundation’s GIVEOakville program. Community Living Oakville gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Balogh Family Foundation, Vital Community Fund, Frank and Azniv Lochan Family Foundation, Stephen Goodrich Foundation, Haslett-Theall Family Foundation, and the many generous public donors held at The Foundation.

Thank you for standing with self-advocates and helping make Oakville more inclusive for everyone.

02/04/2026

February is Black History Month, and today we’re still celebrating the joy of Shay Day.

Yesterday, Nova Scotia recognized Shay Colley for her leadership, impact, and the way she represents Black excellence on and off the court.

Born in Halifax and raised in Brampton, Shay has represented Canada since she was 16, competed on the Olympic stage at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics and the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, and continues to give back by mentoring young athletes and running basketball camps for kids.

Her story is about more than sport. It’s about character, kindness, and showing the next generation what’s possible.

Thank you to Shay’s mother, Shernera, for allowing us to share this proud moment as part of our Black History Month reflections.

Representation matters. Role models matter. And Shay’s journey is a powerful reminder of both.

02/02/2026

02/02/2026

This February, we begin Black History Month by remembering Viola Desmond.

In 1946, she quietly challenged racial segregation in a Nova Scotia theatre. Her courage became a defining moment in Canada’s civil rights history and a reminder that real change often begins with one person refusing to accept exclusion.

At Community Living Oakville, our Mission is to support people to live active, rewarding, and fulfilling lives in the community, guided by their dreams and goals. Our Vision is a world where each person lives their dreams and choices as a respected and valued contributor to community life.

Viola Desmond’s story reflects the very heart of that vision — a world where no one is told they do not belong.

This month, we honour Black history by listening, learning, and continuing our work to build communities where belonging is not a privilege, but a promise.

01/30/2026

In this week’s edition of Update Friday, Waiting To Belong news features, Student Links success stories, and more! Read the full edition: https://bit.ly/4kcv2T4

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01/28/2026

Join Community Living Oakville for Art & Souls — an afternoon of art, music, and creativity shared by people with disabilities in our community.

This event is a chance to experience local talent in a welcoming space where expression, connection, and belonging take centre stage.

📅 Friday, February 13
📍 141 Bronte Road, Oakville
⏰ 1:00–3:00 PM

We hope you’ll stop by, take it in, and show your support.

01/28/2026

This story from KW Habilitation, featured on CTV News Kitchener, highlights a reality families across Ontario are facing every day.

As children become adults, many supports disappear. Families are left navigating long waitlists, limited options, and often paying out of pocket just to keep their loved one connected to community.

Across Ontario, more than 53,000 adults are waiting for Developmental Services supports.

The simple ask from agencies is this: provide service providers with the resources needed to expand supports and meet the growing demand so families can access the help they urgently need.

Thank you to KW Habilitation for helping shine a light on this important issue affecting families across the province — including here in Oakville.

01/23/2026

CityNews visited Community Living Oakville to speak with Sally and our Executive Director, Alexandra, about a growing issue that can no longer be ignored.

People with developmental disabilities and the agencies that support them are facing a funding crisis that has been building for decades.

For over 30 years, the developmental services sector has experienced chronic underfunding. During that same time, the cost of living has increased by nearly 60%, while our sector has seen only about 7% in cumulative funding increases. The result? Program closures, reduced staffing, and families left without essential supports.

The system, as it stands, is no longer sustainable.

At the same time, the needs of people supported are changing. Many are ageing and require more complex care, yet funding has not kept pace. Meanwhile, more than 53,000 people across Ontario remain on waitlists for developmental services — some waiting for decades.

This is why we are calling on the Government of Ontario to take immediate action in the upcoming budget cycle by:
• Increasing annualized base funding
• Providing full Passport funding allocations to all those eligible
• Address the growing and urgent waitlists for services
Immediate government action is needed so people with developmental disabilities are not forgotten and agencies can continue to operate sustainably.

This conversation is part of the province-wide campaign led by CLOntario to bring attention to the urgent need for sustainable funding in developmental services.

Watch, share, and help us raise awareness. People with developmental disabilities deserve better.

01/22/2026

CityNews joined us to hear directly from Sally, and from our Executive Director Alexandra, about what it truly means for families to wait years for Developmental Services supports in Ontario.

These moments captured here are more than an interview — they represent the voices of thousands of families who are still waiting.

We’re grateful to Michelle Mackey for approaching this story with such care.

Watch for the segment on CityNews.

01/21/2026

Did you know Community Living Oakville and many other Developmental Services organizations are governed by a volunteer Board of Directors?

These dedicated community members give their time, experience, and leadership to help guide our mission and ensure people with developmental disabilities receive quality supports and opportunities.

Our Board works behind the scenes to promote inclusion, accountability, and meaningful community connection helping shape decisions that impact the lives of the people we support every day.

Their role is unpaid, but their impact is powerful.

We’re grateful for the passion and commitment they bring to Community Living Oakville and to building a community where everyone belongs.

Oakville DreamInspireBelong