Volume 43, Number 3, December 2011
Staff Profile
D
evon Oman, Swift Current Recycle
Depot Coordinator, has worked for the
Saskatchewan Abilities Council for three
years. Devon helps supervise clients at the
Recycle Depot and assists customers who
are dropping off recyclables at the depot.
Devon’s main focus is the safety of the
clients and customers all the time. The safety
of animals is also a concern for Devon.
Devon’s ambition is to rescue dogs. In just
one year Devon rescued three dogs from the
SPCA and took them into his own home and
cared for them
like family. Devon
has a huge heart
and rescued dogs
that a lot of other
people had turned
their backs on for
many years.
Devon Oman,
Recycle Centre
Coordinator
Devon started
videotaping
breeds of dogs
around the
city and at the
SPCA to make a home documentary,
“Dogumentaries for Swift Current.” He put
on a fundraiser at the library in Swift Current
on September 22, 2011 to raise money for the
SPCA. He sold his home movie and popcorn
and drinks. Devon raised over $200 that
evening with great success.
One thing Devon really wants to make the
public aware of is “don’t judge the dog by its
breed. Treat all dogs with tender loving care
and equally.” Devon has plans for rescuing
more dogs and making more movies to keep
everyone aware on how much these dogs
need our help and love.
Kylea Russell
General Information
Board of Directors
Yvette Arcand (Saskatoon)
Jim Biss (Saskatoon)
Steven Bobiash (Regina) Ron Boychuk (Yorkton) Lyle Finlay (Regina)
Larry Goodfellow (Saskatoon)
Bob Guest (Denholm)
Corrin Harper (Saskatoon)
Jim Herr (Watrous)
Barbara Hughes (Abbey)
Michelle Hunter (Regina)
Bruno Konecsni (Saskatoon)
Tamara Larre (Saskatoon)
Stan Lautsch (Swift Current)
Jeff Lightheart (Regina)
Andy Livingston (Saskatoon)
Dr. Ulla Nielsen (Saskatoon)
Fran Nutter (Saskatoon)
Carolyn Rebeyka (Saskatoon)
Tom Spence (Saskatoon)
Doug Surtees (Saskatoon)
Ron Walter (Saskatoon)
Arley Wieler (Saskatoon)
Frank Wilson (Watrous)
President: Tom Spence
Executive Director: Ian Wilkinson
Editors: Kirk Heidecker, Mona
Loshack
Design and Layout: Kelly Solberg
The Bulletin is published three times per year
and distributed free of charge to members of
the Saskatchewan Abilities Council. Articles
printed in the Bulletin may be reproduced
with written permission from the
Saskatchewan Abilities Council. For more
information on our programs, products, and
services, please contact one of our offices
located across the province:
Provincial Services:
(Saskatoon) .......................374-4448
Regina................................569-9048
Saskatoon...........................653-1694
Swift Current......................773-2076
Yorkton...............................782-2463
Prince Albert......................922-0225
Moose Jaw.........................693-3020
We welcome your comments.
2310 Louise Avenue
Saskatoon SK S7J 2C7
fax: 306-373-2665
email: [email protected]
www.abilitiescouncil.sk.ca
© Saskatchewan Abilities Council, 2011.
Saskatchewan Abilities Council
Programs & Services
VOCATIONAL
SERVICES
•Employment Opportunities
•Supported Employment
•Supported Services
•Training
REHABILITATION
SERVICES
•Adaptive Technology
•Farmers with Disabilities
•Orthopaedics
•Parking Program for
People with Disabilities
•Special Needs Equipment
RECREATIONAL
PROGRAMS
•Activity Centres
•Camp Easter Seal
•Life Enrichment
•SLYP-Out
•Summer Fun
•Access Transit
There’s Always Time for a Challenge!
D
elores Lacelle has been involved with
the Saskatchewan Abilities Council
since 1992. Since beginning her journey
with the Council, she has made it a point to
be active and involved, whether it is with
small projects or large extended jobs.
The first thing Delores did when she arrived
at the Swift Current Branch was make
herself an indispensable member of the
assembly and packaging areas. She assisted
staff and her workmates whenever possible,
as well as doing her assigned jobs.
After a while, Delores asked if she could
change direction and in 2006 started to
work in the wood products area. She has
been involved in painting wood projects,
processing milk cartons for Semiarid Prairie
Agricultural Research Centre (SPARC),
the local research station, and sorting and
recycling paper for Enviroshred.
Not one to be without a challenge for long,
in 2009 Delores was given the option to
mix up her day and work in the sewing area
half time. She readily agreed and became
involved in the prep and finishing work
for all of the sewing work orders. Delores
also chose to be involved in various other
programs at the centre, both work and social
such as: music and drama therapy, yoga,
special cleaning projects, and being involved
with the social committee.
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Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to:
Saskatchewan Abilities Council
2310 Louise Avenue
Saskatoon, SK S7J 2C7
OUR VISION Every once in awhile Delores
would inquire about the
possibility of working in the
community, but would quickly
pull back saying maybe she
wasn’t ready just yet.
Delores Lacelle,
Training Centre Client
In 2009 the Branch established
the Community Alternatives
program designed to assist
individuals working in the
training centre with exploring
work opportunities in the
community. This time when
Delores was approached, she agreed it
was time to look further into community
employment.
She started slowly by first participating in
Job Smart training offered at the centre.
She then began working with a work crew
hired to maintain flower beds around the
five Cypress Health Region facilities in the
city. In June 2010, she was hired as a casual
cleaner at Body Fit, a local fitness centre,
where she vacuums, cleans floors and wipes
down machines. Delores has found Body
Fit to be a great place to work and finds her
supervisors there good to work with, and
although she says she occasionally “finds it
stressful,” she would like to stay there.
In her spare time, Delores can be seen
all over the community going to various
restaurants for coffee with friends and
being involved in events at her apartment
complex, such as musical entertainment,
bingo, shuffleboard, and pizza parties. She
has three daughters and eight grandchildren,
and although they are farther away than she
would like, she loves to get together with
them. Delores loves every aspect of being a
grandmother.
Delores continues to balance her personal
life and work schedules in the sewing and
wood products areas and Body Fit easily.
Even though it may be uncomfortable for
her at times, Delores continues to step out of
her comfort zone and continually challenges
herself by signing up for new opportunities
every chance she can. Delores sums it all up
and shows us how to live the words: “there is
a lot to do, if you want to.”
Melissa Smart
Working together to enrich futures through abilities.
Swift Current Branch Expands Screen Printing Capabilities
F
or more than 40 years, the Swift Current Branch Training Centre
has created training opportunities for people with varying levels
of abilities. The screen printing area of the training centre decorates a
wide variety of products. “There really hasn’t
been anything that we haven’t printed,” says
Corey Adam, Training Centre Operations
Manager. “We have printed binders, pens,
travel mugs, notebooks, flags, wind socks,
street banners and, of course, all kinds of
different clothing (our clients enjoy the process
of turning a plain t-shirt into a work of art), and
we are always open to new products.”
The screen printing area of the training centre
provides hands-on training opportunities
to three individuals with disabilities. These
clients have been part of the screen printing
team for many years. Their involvement with
the training centre provides them with the
opportunity to live independently and reach
self-determined goals.
In 2011 the screen printing area expanded
their service to include RV mats for a local
manufacturer. Training Centre Supervisor,
Carol Lemon, indicated that the 3’ x 6’ imprints “are the largest
imprints we have produced to date.” Clients are involved in shipping
and receiving, packaging, and imprinting the product in a timely
manner. The end result is an excellent product that clients and the
customer can be proud of.
Furthering the demonstration of the Council’s initiative for growth is
the production of a new type of painted wooden stake. With at least two
different pipeline projects underway in the province, there has been
a demand for painted and imprinted survey stakes. A painted stake is
typically 8” of bright pink or yellow paint at the top of the 4’ stake.
However, new this year is a demand for stakes that are painted all the
way from top to bottom, and then
stencilled with a company name and/
or phone number. This involves the
services of the wood products area of
the training centre.
“We have already completed more
than 30,000 stakes for our various
customers,” says Wood Products
Assistant Supervisor, Adrian Quintin, “and there are more orders to be
filled.” Some of the branch’s customers include SaskTel, SaskPower,
and TransGas.
“We continually demonstrate the Saskatchewan Abilities Council’s
initiative and commitment to work with the community, both local
and provincial, to create new products and partnerships, and to further
training and development opportunities for clients,” says Corey Adam.
M
arjory Tunney, the new Regional Director of the
Saskatchewan Abilities Council for Swift Current and
George Bowditch, City Councillor, assist clients of the local
Abilities Council office in the flag raising September 12 to
recognize Saskatchewan Abilities Council Awareness Week,
September 11 to September 17. “Saskatchewan Abilities
Council Awareness Week is a great week to celebrate,” explains
Marjory, “it raises awareness in the community of the ongoing
work we do and introduces them to our new programs. It is also
a time for clients and staff to acknowledge their contributions to
the quality of life in Swift Current and surrounding areas.”
Ability Bowl 24
Saturday, February 11, 2012 * Gallagher Centre, Yorkton
S
nowarama is a popular fundraising
snowmobile event that combines winter
fun and community spirit in support of a great
cause – Easter Seals™ Saskatchewan.
This family-oriented event offers riders two
groomed trails, a banquet, live auction and
much more! A minimum donation of $150
puts you on the trail ride and gives you an
entry into the grand prize draw of a brand new
2012 Yamaha Phazer GT snowmobile.
The wood products area works with
19 clients who have varying levels
of abilities. To manufacture the new
wooden stakes, the clients cut 2x6’s
into 4’ lengths, check for defects,
feed the lengths into the multi-rip
saw, cull and place the stakes into
carts to be hand painted, assist staff
with the painting and screen printing,
bundle and band the painted stakes,
and stack the finished bundles onto
pallets for shipping.
Mona Loshack
Saskatchewan Abilities Council
Awareness Week
Ride
With
Us!
35 Years of Snowmobiling for Easter Seals™ Kids
Meet thirteen year old Bailey Clark, Yorkton’s
Easter Seals™ Ambassador at
www.snowarama.ca. She is one of many
children across the province that will benefit
from the funds raised from this event.
Prizes, Incentives, Live Auction,
Raffle, Awards
Grand Prize Draw
2012 Yamaha
Phazer GT
Contact Snowarama headquarters in
Yorkton for registration requirements and
activities, course information, recommended
accommodations, banquet information, free
fuel facts, and more:
Tel: 306-782-2463
Toll Free in SK: 1-866-301-0031
Fax: 306-782-7844
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.snowarama.ca
Special Thanks to our Platinum
Sponsors for their incredible support:
valued at $9,000!
This promises to be an exciting event!
Register on-line at
www.snowarama.ca
Broadway Park Realty
2012 Membership
Yes!
You can take pride in knowing your membership helps improve the quality
of life for thousands of people with disabilities in Saskatchewan.
Name _________________________________________________ PLEASE MAKE CHEQUE
PAYABLE AND MAIL TO:
Address _______________________________________________ Saskatchewan Abilities Council
2310 Louise Avenue
Saskatoon, SK S7J 2C7
Email __________________________________________________ OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE:
q Yes, please send me information on Legacy Giving.
bility Bowl is just around the corner
in Swift Current. This year Ability
Bowl will be held on Saturday, April 28,
2012. It will be the 24th Ability Bowl held
in Swift Current. Since the first Ability
Bowl, the Swift Current Branch has raised
over $1,000,000 to help individuals with
disabilities. Our goal is $83,000 this year
and we know that we can reach it with all
the support around our community. For
more information on Ability Bowl, please
contact Kylea Russell at:
Tel: 306-773-2076
Email: [email protected]
Kylea Russell
Special Events Coordinator
OUR MISSION
The Saskatchewan Abilities
Council works with people of
varying abilities to enhance their
independence and participation
in the community through
vocational, rehabilitation and
recreational services.
OUR VALUES
I wish to become a member.
My minimum $10 membership donation is enclosed.
City/Town ____________________ Postal Code ________________
A
www.abilitiescouncil.sk.ca
_Receipts will be issued for a donation of $10 or more. Bus # 107955221RR0001
At the Council we treat people with:
• Respect • Honesty • Compassion
Our programs and services are:
• Client-centred • Goal-oriented
• Accountable
We value:
• Teamwork • Excellence • Innovation