David Hingsburger, a major advocate for the disability services sector, passed away on July 18, 2021. Hingsburger, of Salmo, British Columbia was a pioneer of change in the disability services sector and made people question their own practices and many people are living happier. Overall, the community had learnt from his insights, wisdom and wonderful humour. He raised important topics that needed to be addressed.

Everyone at CVS was saddened to hear this news. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.

We would like to share a quote from David that is very special to us at CVS.

\”Being in human services is cool because, in essence, you are paid to be human.  Paid to explore the commonalities of the human condition.  Paid to discover the incredible diversity of the human spirit.  Paid to spend the day doing something that matters; something that makes a difference.  Something that you are proud of.

Done right, you have chosen both a job and a passion.  Both a passion and a mission.  Both a mission and a purpose.  There are those who spend their lives looking for a purpose.  You will rise to it each morning.  And that’s a hell of a way to start the day.\”

– David Hingsburger 

David made a major impact and he will be sorely missed. Rest in Peace, David. (12/21/1952 – 7/18/2021)

Click here to see our new CVS Annual Report 2020/2021. This year we did our annual report as a video so we hope you enjoy watching all of us report on our year!

Spirit Club is a virtual wellness platform that everyone across our CVS community now has full access to. It\’s a great resource for everyone to stay fit and even practice mindfulness. CVS has signed up for a 6 month membership and we will review this in the late fall to gauge continued interest.

Here\’s a link with video instruction for anyone who needs it as well. Links in the below image won\’t work due to file type.

• To access online classes, click here
• To watch on demand classes, click here

Further to the statement we made a few weeks ago, after the discovery of 215 unmarked graves at the former residential school in Kamloops, we are so very saddened to hear of the further findings in the past week.

In Saskatchewan, last week the Cowessess First Nation announced a preliminary finding Thursday of 751 unmarked graves at a cemetery near the former Marieval Indian Residential School. The Marieval Indian Residential School operated from 1899 to 1997 in the area where Cowessess is now located, about 140 kilometres east of Regina. Children from First Nations in southeast Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba were sent to the school. The First Nation took over the school\’s cemetery from the Catholic Church in the 1970s. Earlier in June Cowessess started using ground-penetrating radar to locate unmarked graves. It was not immediately clear if all the remains are connected to the residential school.

Most recently, on Wednesday June 30th, it was announced that 182 unmarked graves were found in BC\’s South Interior near the location of a former residential school. The community of ʔaq\’am, one of four bands in the Ktunaxa Nation and located near the city of Cranbrook, B.C., used ground-penetrating radar to search a site close to the former St. Eugene\’s Mission School, the Lower Kootenay Band announced Wednesday. According to the band, the findings indicated the graves were shallow, about a metre deep. \”You can never fully prepare for something like this,\” said Chief Jason Louie of the Lower Kootenay Band, which is a member of the Ktunaxa Nation. St. Eugene\’s Mission School was operated by the Catholic Church from 1912 until the early 1970s. The building has since been converted into a golf resort and casino owned by the Ktunaxa Nation.  The Lower Kootenay Band says up to 100 of its members were forced to attend the school.

\”It is believed that the remains of these 182 souls are from the member Bands of the Ktunaxa Nation, neighbouring First Nations communities and the community of ʔaq\’am,\” read a media release from the band.

CVS, as an agency that supports individuals from the indigenous community, is saddened and heartbroken by these findings. We will continue to support you in whatever way we can.

Support is available for anyone affected by their experience at residential schools, and those who are triggered by these reports.

A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for residential school survivors and others affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.

We wanted to remind you again of the importance of taking care in the summer and hot weather.

Remember that during times of extreme heat, it is important to take extra precautions to prevent heat-related illness, particularly for those who may be more vulnerable to these conditions such as the elderly, people on certain medications and those with respiratory conditions.

At Community Ventures Society, we hope that everyone takes the time to ensure that individuals who are being supported understand how to recognize that they may be overheating and how to prevent this from happening.

Consider the following –

• Never leave anyone alone in a car
• Stay in the shade when possible
• Drink plenty of fluids
• Wear lighter clothing, hats and sunglasses
• Close curtains during the daytime to block the sun
• Open windows to promote air circulation
• Use fans to promote a cross breeze in rooms
• Apply sunscreen when spending time outdoors

These preventative measures are fairly standard in terms of managing care during the summer months. CVS and all of its staff are committed to taking these extra precautions to ensure that the proper safeguards are in place to reduce the incidence of heat related illness.

To keep a close eye on weather warnings across BC please click here.

Enjoy the warmer temperatures & let’s all stay safe while enjoying these sunnier days!

We wanted to share an interesting article from the CBC about supports for individuals with disabilities. The writer of the article provides first-hand examples of experiences that demonstrate that there is still work to do in providing supports to individuals with disabilities in Canada.

To read the article, visit the CBC by clicking here.

The City of Coquitlam has invested effort to make their spaces and offering more inclusive. In May, they highlighted this initiative –

Coquitlam is increasing efforts to help people of all abilities benefit from recreation access through a new inclusive adult drop-in sports program.

The new Accessible and Inclusive Drop-In Sports program is just one of several programs helping to broaden access to the City’s recreation offerings. Adults of all abilities will be able to enjoy individual play with a variety of sports equipment, including basketball, soccer and floor hockey. While these inclusive programs have been in place for a number of years, the pandemic has made inclusive programming even more important given the link between activity and health, both mental and physical.

Recreation for People of all Abilities

The City encourages children and adults of all abilities to participate in its recreation programs, and provides supports such as:

• Recreation support plans – Providing extra support to assist those registered for recreation programs, including help with instructions, physical literacy skills, modified games and sports, encouragement and more.
• Accessible and Inclusive Drop-in Sports – For ages 18 and up, this program runs Tuesdays and Thursdays at Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex until May 27. To register, visit www.coquitlam.ca/registration and click Register for Programs. In the Drop In area, click Adult to see available dates and times.
• Social stories – Caregivers can download illustrated stories to assist children on the autism spectrum, or who experience anxiety, to prepare for a camp or program.
• Adapted fitness equipment in all City fitness centres – Equipment includes assisted dip/chin-up machines, Nustep inclusive recumbent trainers, upper body ergometer machines and a variety of aids for those with reduced hand function.
• Sensory-friendly swim – Registered drop-in swimming sessions without music or water features, for those with sensory issues or seeking a quieter swim. To register, visit www.coquitlam.ca/registration and click Register for Programs. In the Drop In area, click Swimming and open the Public Swim dropdown. Look for Sensory-Friendly in the drop-in name to see available locations, dates and times.
• Canucks Autism Network (CAN) skating programs – The City partners with CAN to offer adapted skating programs for children and youth with a CAN membership.

For more information, visit https://www.coquitlam.ca/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=610.