Community Living Tillsonburg celebrating 70th anniversary

Cathy Hudson, left, and Selina Assenov of Community Living Tillsonburg were in the Tillsonburg Town Centre to make the community aware of the organization’s 70th anniversary. Many activities are planned throughout the year to celebrate the milestone. (Jeff Helsdon Photo).

By Jeff Helsdon

Editor

Much has changed since Community Living Tillsonburg was established 70 years ago.

The group, whose mission is to “build inclusive communities by promoting acceptance”, kicked off a series of special events to celebrate the 70th anniversary with a display in the Tillsonburg Town Centre on Feb. 28.

“May is community living month,” said Community Living Tillsonburg CEO Cathy Hudson. “We light up the town with blue and green – those are our colours. We’re planning a scavenger hunt for the community that month.”

Other planned activities include an exhibit at Annandale National Historic Site during Turtle Fest, a cash calendar fundraiser in June, sponsoring the Tillsonburg District Chamber of Commerce’s Business After 5 in August, celebrating developmental service workers’ month in September and early childhood educators’ month in October.

“We’re hoping to connect with other things happening in the community and have a bigger presence,” Hudson said.

In the early 1950s, services for individuals with developmental disabilities were limited to segregated care in large institutions. In the mid-1950s, change started.

“Seventy years ago, it was families that came together looking for something for their children,” Hudson said. “At that time, if you had a child that had been diagnosed with disabilities, lots of times your doctor recommended putting them in an institution. A lot of families didn’t want to do that.”

In 1955, the efforts of families paid off with the formation of the Tillsonburg and District Association for Retarded Children. The first privately-funded classroom was on Washington Grand with four students and one teacher. With the Rotary Club heading it up, Rotary Westmount School was built on Concession Street in 1959.

Over the next two decades, programs to provide employment for adults with disabilities started, as well as housing. A workshop was developed in 1965 in a storefront on Brock Street to provide employment and employment training. From a small start with four adults with disabilities and one supervisor, it grew quickly to 14 workers and a long wait list. In response, ARC industries was started on Queen Street where the Upper Deck Youth Centre is today.

In 1970, the association purchased a 100-acre farm north of Tillsonburg for $40,000 to provide more employment. Pick-your-own strawberries and corn, as well as a greenhouse operation and sugar bush provided opportunities for employment was provided at what became known as Arcwood Acres. Two years later, Arcwood Acres residence was built to provide housing for challenged adults to live independently.

By the early 1980s, adults moved from Arcwood Acres Residence to group homes and apartments in town. Arcwood Acres remained as a facility for residents with high needs.

With the opening of South Ridge Public School in 1981, a special education program was provided in a mainstream setting. That year also saw Arc Industries move to Concession Street East and a move to a more industrial model. By this time, the ceramic Christmas trees produced by Arc had become a popular commodity. The phase out of the farm also started.

Following a provincial trend, the name was changed to Tillsonburg and District Association for Community Living in 1988.

Fast-forward to the 1990s and the new millennium and a new attitude was becoming established to bring challenged individuals into the main stream, both for adults and children. Group homes eventually became obsolete and challenged adults are supported in their homes and have jobs in the community. A name change to Community Living Tillsonburg also took place.

Today, Community Living Tillsonburg supports more than 300 people in the community. The organization has about 130 staff and also operates the Tillsonburg Children’s Centre, located at the Livingston Centre.

“Tillsonburg has been a great community to grow into over 70 years,” Hudson said. “The community is welcoming to all people, and values inclusion at all levels.  Through the 70th year, the organization is hoping to highlight and recognize these great achievements, as well as promote continued growth and partnerships in the years to come.”