Thunder Bay Family Network

07/07/2025

August is going to be a fun month at ICAN

07/03/2025

👋Curious about what ARCH Disability Law Centre does?

We’re hosting a free, live info session and you’re invited! Join us online to learn about the free legal services we offer to people with disabilities across Ontario.

We’ll chat about:
- Who we are
- The types of legal issues we help with
- How to reach out if you ever need us
- and more !

When:
📅Wednesday, July 30th, 2025
⏱11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
Where:
📍Online via Zoom (link will be sent after you register)

Register here: archdisabilitylaw.ca/about-arch-webinar

This session is open to everyone – people with disabilities, families, service providers, and community members. ASL interpretation and automatic captions will be available.
Feel free to share with anyone who might be interested!

07/02/2025

John O’Brien, a giant in the disability rights movement, died peacefully on June 27, 2025. He’s gone now. And already, there’s a space where his quiet, fierce hope used to be.

For decades, John didn’t travel the world to speak, he came to ask questions. Real ones: What does a good life look like? Who do you sit with? Who dreams with you? Then he listened deeply, persistently. He saw every person as a constellation of gifts waiting to be seen and shared.

With his life partner and co-conspirator Connie Lyle O’Brien, John was a pioneer in the person-centered planning movement, and the belief that services should follow the person, not the other way around. His writing didn’t shout. It invited. It whispered justice, love, and the radical act of walking beside.

He wasn’t flashy. He wasn’t loud. He was precise, grounded, and relentless.

In a world that demands compliance, John asked for contribution. In systems that offered protection, he insisted on presence. And he reminded us that real safety comes through relationship, through community, through simply being human together.

The disability community mourns, yes. But remembering John means more than grief. It means action. It means listening harder, dreaming louder, and refusing to settle for inclusion that stops at the doorway.

John O’Brien is gone. But his legacy is not. His vision is not. The work is not over.

Ben
..

ID: Image shows John speaking into a microphone. Text reads: In Memory of John O'Brien - A Weaver of Possibility

06/26/2025

06/24/2025

Helping people achieve their dreams…..consider becoming a Developmental Services Worker at Confederation College! Amazing program taught by amazing people! Thank you for highlighting this program and showing how trained and qualified supports help individuals and families!

👋 Welcome to Confederation College's video spotlight!📚 In today's video, we're diving deep into our Developmental Services Worker Program. Learn more about...

06/21/2025

People with developmental and intellectual disabilities have had to fight to be seen as the rightful owners of their own lives, their own space. When you enter someone’s home as a support worker, you’re not clocking into your environment, you’re walking into theirs. That’s sacred.

It’s not about being polite, it’s about being person-centred in the deepest way. Shoes off if they ask. Quiet if they need it. Ask before moving things. Listen before doing. It’s their home, their rules, their life.

Dignity doesn’t need a policy. It needs practice.

…

ID: Image shows a man sitting on a chair. Words read I do not live in your workplace you work in my home.

06/17/2025

Eligibility for the Disability Tax Credit, or DTC, is NOT based on income or employment. You do not need to be employed or earning income to apply for the DTC.

You can also qualify for the DTC if you work. It won’t affect your employment.

The DTC provides a tax credit that can reduce the income tax you owe. It can also be transferred to a family member who helps support you.

When you qualify for the DTC, you may also be eligible for other benefits, including the NEW Canada Disability Benefit, which starts paying monthly in July 2025.

Not sure about the DTC? READ MORE and APPLY TODAY!

Click here for DTC resources: https://bit.ly/3Zye7lB



Image Description: A promotional image with the text “Not if income impacts the Disability Tax Credit?” at the top. Below it, four wooden blocks spell out “START HERE APPLY TODAY!” with a hand placing the block that says “TODAY!”. The background is a wooden surface, and the overall tone is encouraging and informative.

06/17/2025

TONIGHTS EVENT WILL NOT TAKE PLACE DUE TO UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES. WE WILL RESUME PEER TO PEER IN THE FALL.

06/17/2025

TONIGHTS SESSION IS POSTPONED DUE TO UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES. WE WILL RESUME PEER TO PEER IN THE FALL.

A reminder that our last peer to peer gathering for the summer is tonight! We welcome Hannah from the Ontario Caregiver Organization. You can join in person or via Zoom!

06/13/2025

💦Splash pads are opening for the season!💦

Get ready to cool off, Thunder Bay! Splash pads at Northwood Playfield and County Park open today and will operate daily from 11 am – 8 pm.

The Waterfront Splash Pad at Prince Arthur’s Landing opens Sunday, June 15, and will operate daily from 11 am – 8:30 pm.

On Friday, June 20, splash pads at Franklin Park and the North End Community Centre will also open for the season.

Each splash pad offers a unique experience, perfect for staying active and beating the heat all summer long! ☀️

For hours and locations, visit: www.thunderbay.ca/splashpads