This has been a year that has tested our resilience, courage and ability to respond to changing realities.
In the past 12 months we have seen a shift in the political landscape, experienced a major flood and have
witnessed the passing of clients, colleagues and founding members. But despite these challenges, and
even perhaps because of them, our commitment to carry on has also resulted in many achievements. We
have delivered workshops and made presentations on a range of issues locally, provincially, nationally and internationally; hosted guests from across the globe; been accredited for the fifth time; welcomed formally the first salaried midwives in the province of Ontario into the organization; become a Canadian Food Centre; and brought to the community a sun-drenched Earth Day celebration with a land acknowledgement, trays of wonderful food, a Tai Chi performance, henna designs and an appeal to protect the environment.
And because the overdose crisis continues to haunt our community, as we mourn the loss of people we care deeply about, we must act courageously and continue to hold one another close. As the earth protests with extreme weather, we must collectively protect, honour and celebrate what remains sacred and beautiful. As we face current and future challenges, we must rely more intensely on one another. We will confront stigma, exclusion and discrimination, so we must join arms in solidarity with compassion, respect and a relentless commitment to inclusion. We will only be able to confront our challenges and celebrate our successes if we honour our differences, strengthen community, hold dear our values and know we can count on supporting and being supported by one another.
This has indeed been a year that has tested our resilience and our courage. It has shown us that we will
continue to move forward if we walk, and rebuild, together. And that is how we will persevere — and thrive.
Steven and Lynne