Shane Simpson, CLBC Board Chair.
Dear Friends,
I wanted to take this opportunity to write to you, as partners with Community Living BC, to introduce myself to those of you I do not know and to say hello again to old friends.
I am excited to take on this opportunity as the new Chair of CLBC’s Board of Directors. It is an organization I came to know well during my time as Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. It was also during that time I got to meet many of the organizations that are active and engaged in the community living sector.
It is at times of great challenge that you truly learn about people and organizations. I reflect on how groups in this sector stepped up during the pandemic, to both support and advocate for those with developmental disabilities. It was a tough time with people facing isolation, loss of employment and health impacts among others. However, the results of the sector’s collective efforts were clear in how well most people were able to manage in those difficult times.
I am happy to see how the Re-imagining Community Inclusion process has evolved and been sustained over time. It was my hope the RCI would be a vehicle for looking down the road and shaping the future of community living. The commitment and efforts of all those involved has created an opportunity for that to be realized.
The greatest aspiration for me is to see how we can enhance independence and choice for those in our community. Everyone is an individual with their own needs and desires. Our challenge is to ensure those needs are met and that we create every opportunity for those aspirations to be realized. I look forward to being part of those discussions surrounding how CLBC and the sector overall evolve to create those opportunities.
I am optimistic about our future, but I realize that meeting our resource needs will be challenging. I know all areas of government funding will be tight in coming years and that CLBC will not be exempt from that. We will work hard to meet these challenges, and I know the Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction is committed to working with us to succeed.
It was great to see the BC government announce there would be no clawback of the Canada Disability Benefit. While the CDB needs more work to expand its expected eligibility, the Disability Tax Credit is too restrictive and undersubscribed. And, even with disappointment on the projected amount of the benefit, it is a step forward. We will continue to work to optimize this benefit for our community.
Moving forward together, we can build a sector that is collaborative, progressive and committed to meeting people’s needs while increasing their independence and choices. I look forward to walking that path with all of you.
I anticipate having the opportunity to meet with you collectively and individually soon. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you want to talk further. I welcome your insights and advice. Thank you again for all your work on behalf of this community.
Sincerely,
Shane Simpson
Board Chair
Community Living BC
