Mayor Richard Atwell presents Saanich’s proclamation of Community Living Month to Jennifer Deakin, a self advocate who is employed at the University of Victoria in Saanich.
On October 27, 2015, close to 60 people in Victoria joined Saanich Mayor Richard Atwell, self advocates, family members, service providers and CLBC staff for a Community Living Month event.
The event was organized to culminate outreach the South Island Community Council (SICC) and CLBC did this year with all South Island municipalities asking them to proclaim Community Living Month. As one of municipalities to proclaim the month, the SICC asked Mayor Atwell to come to the event to read out Saanich’s proclamation and present a copy of the proclamation to Jennifer Deakin, a self advocate who is employed at the University of Victoria in Saanich. The municipality of Saanich is a recognized leader in the Capital Regional District in employing individuals with diversabilities, hiring people in both their recreation and police departments.
Mayor Atwell and event MC CLBC facilitator, Patrick Jobe, were joined at the podium by self advocate, Michelle Goos, who spoke about the importance of inclusion, and Sheenagh Morrison, a self advocate who won a WOW!clbc Award in 2012, and who screened the BC Self Advocacy Foundation video, No More Barriers. Patrick also read out a welcome from Minister of Social Development and Social Innovation, Michelle Stilwell, and launched a mapping project the local office is conducting to formally identify community partners who are helping to build inclusion on the South Island. A great time was had by all!
