Thunder Bay Family Network

11/28/2025

11/27/2025

Excited for the 26th annual Parade of Lights hosted by the Thunder Bay Police Association!

Volunteers will be out collecting donations during the parade in support of Autism Ontario North Region, George Jeffrey Children's Foundation, Thunder Bay Therapeutic Riding Association and Special Olympics Ontario - Thunder Bay!

You can also donate online, by visiting https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/parade-of-lights-thunder-bay/

Additionally, The Parade of Lights has also partnered with Milk and Water Baking Co., so between now and December 7th, for every 6 cupcakes purchased, $5 will be donated to the Parade of Lights.

It is not to late to volunteer and you can sign up here: https://forms.gle/SXcFt2r78xgMwdAK6

More information can be found by clicking: www.paradeoflightstb.ca

11/27/2025

Thank you so much P4P Planning Network for joining us! Your time, energy, and enthusiasm made the event a success. We appreciate your partnership and your passion!!

11/26/2025

If you think this is just a Southern Ontario issue, you would be incorrect. We personally know of families in our area who have experienced this and it needs to stop. As noted in the news clip, this is about human dignity and our loved ones deserve nothing less.

Yesterday, CLO's Social Policy Director, Shawn Pegg, was interviewed by CityNews in response to the Ombudsman's report focused on people with intellectual disabilities being hospitalized inappropriately.

Watch the segment here https://youtu.be/9sfMlq_GqqI?si=FTYQ185iP8YyWJwy

11/26/2025

Today, Ombudsman Paul Dubé published his report, Lost in Transition, revealing how the province’s systemic failure to help people with complex developmental disabilities and high needs has left too many to suffer for unnecessarily long periods in hospital.

“This is simply unacceptable,” Ombudsman Dubé says in his report. “Uniquely vulnerable members of our society are entitled to have their rights respected and to live with dignity in humane, compassionate conditions.”

Among his 24 recommendations, the Ombudsman calls on the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and the Ministry of Health to:
• Create a joint forum for proactive system planning
• Improve capital planning to create more supportive living spaces in the community
• Improve recruitment and retention – including for French-speaking staff in clinical and community settings
• Improve data collection and information sharing between the sectors

The ministries have unequivocally accepted all of the recommendations, including that they report back to the Ombudsman every six months on their progress in implementing them.

Full report and related materials available here: https://www.ombudsman.on.ca/en/our-work/investigations/lost-transition

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Aujourd’hui, l’Ombudsman Paul Dubé a publié son rapport, Transferts en souffrance, démontrant comment l’incapacité systémique du gouvernement provincial à venir en aide aux personnes ayant des déficiences intellectuelles complexes et des besoins complexes a mené à des hospitalisations indues prolongées.

« C’est tout simplement inacceptable », écrit l’Ombudsman Dubé dans son rapport. Les membres particulièrement vulnérables de notre société ont des droits qu’il nous faut respecter et une dignité qu’il nous faut protéger; ils(elles) méritent des conditions humaines et de la compassion. »

Dans ses 24 recommandations, l’Ombudsman exhorte le ministère des Services à l’enfance et des Services sociaux et communautaires et le ministère de la Santé à prendre les mesures suivantes :
• Établir une tribune conjointe pour amorcer une planification proactive du système.
• Améliorer la planification des immobilisations pour offrir plus de logements avec services de soutien dans la collectivité.
• Améliorer le recrutement et la rétention – notamment du personnel parlant français en milieu clinique et dans la collectivité.
• Améliorer la collecte de données et l’échange d’information entre les secteurs.

Les Ministères ont accepté sans équivoque toutes les recommandations, y compris qu'ils fassent un rapport à l’Ombudsman tous les six mois sur les progrès de leur mise en œuvre.

Le rapport complet et les documents connexes sont disponibles ici : https://www.ombudsman.on.ca/fr/notre-travail/enquetes/transferts-en-souffrance

11/26/2025

Ombudsman Paul Dubé’s latest report, released yesterday, highlights the cases of seven individuals with complex developmental disabilities and high needs who languished in hospitals for years, waiting for appropriate housing and support as their life skills and behaviours deteriorated.

Addressing reporters at Queen’s Park, Ombudsman Dubé said:

“We must remember that the people at the heart of this report are among society’s most vulnerable. They, and their caregivers, are navigating incredibly complex realities – autism, cerebral palsy, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorders, schizophrenia, intellectual delays, seizure disorders, and a range of mental health and physical challenges.

“Many have what is known as a dual diagnosis, and far too often, they are languishing in hospital for months at a time because there is no adequate system to ensure a timely transition out of hospital and into the developmental supports and services they actually need.

“The fact that our system continues to rely on hospitals as a default placement is not just inefficient – it is unfair, inappropriate, and profoundly harmful to them and their families.”

Read the Ombudsman’s report, recommendations and full remarks: https://www.ombudsman.on.ca/en/our-work/investigations/lost-transition

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Le rapport de l’Ombudsman Paul Dubé publié hier met en lumière les cas de sept personnes avec des troubles du développement complexes et des besoins élevés qui ont dépéri dans des hôpitaux en attendant un logement et un soutien appropriés, tandis que leurs compétences de vie et leurs comportements se détérioraient.

S’adressant aux journalistes à Queen’s Park, l’Ombudsman Dubé a dit :

« Il est essentiel de se rappeler que les personnes au cœur de ce rapport figurent parmi les plus vulnérables de la société. Elles, ainsi que leurs personnes soignantes, doivent faire face à des réalités d'une complexité incroyable : autisme, paralysie cérébrale, anxiété, troubles obsessionnels-compulsifs, schizophrénie, déficience intellectuelle, troubles épileptiques et toute une gamme de problèmes de santé mentale et de handicaps physiques.

« Beaucoup de ces personnes présentent ce que l'on appelle un double diagnostic, et bien trop souvent, elles languissent à l'hôpital pendant des mois faute de système adéquat pour assurer un transfert rapide hors de l'hôpital et vers les services et soutiens au développement dont elles ont réellement besoin.

« Le fait que notre système continue de privilégier l'hôpital comme lieu d'orientation par défaut est non seulement inefficace, mais aussi injuste, inapproprié et profondément préjudiciable pour elles et leurs familles. »

Consultez le rapport de l’Ombudsman, ses recommandations et son mot d’ouverture : https://ombudsman.on.ca/fr/notre-travail/enquetes/transferts-en-souffrance

11/26/2025

Yesterday, CLO's Social Policy Director, Shawn Pegg, was interviewed by CityNews in response to the Ombudsman's report focused on people with intellectual disabilities being hospitalized inappropriately.

Watch the segment here https://youtu.be/9sfMlq_GqqI?si=FTYQ185iP8YyWJwy

11/26/2025

Philip is a member of our ICAN Social Network and we couldn’t be more proud of him!!

11/25/2025

The Ombudsman released a report about hospitalizations and our loved ones languishing in hospital beds, because there are simply no appropriate placements for them.

Read full report here, along with the 24 recommendations:
https://www.ombudsman.on.ca/en/our-work/investigations/lost-transition

Click and scroll down to view the Press Conference:
https://www.ombudsman.on.ca/en

Investigation into whether the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and the Ministry of Health are taking adequate steps to address the inappropriate hospitalization of adults with developmental disabilities

11/25/2025

Crisis in the Classroom brings attention to the untenable use of isolation, restraint and exclusion against students with disabilities in Ontario. Learn more and read our recommendations for change at https://communitylivingontario.ca/resources/crisis-in-the-classroom.

11/25/2025

We join this call!

Community Living Ontario calls on the province to act immediately on Ombudsman recommendations re: inappropriate hospitalization of adults with developmental disabilities.

[To read the full press release, please type the link on the graphic into your browser or copy and paste the link from the comments.]