- SCI Canada completed its fourth year of the four-year funding agreement with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). The four-year grant report was submitted on time. SCI Canada applied for and received a new three-year grant from ESDC beginning April 1, 2023. The budget for the three years beginning April 1, 2023, is the same $ amount as the previous annual grants approved by ESDC.
- SCI Canada employed two part-time staff and one project staff.
- The Board held four meetings during the year providing us with governance and leadership. The Executive Directors’ Council held 12 meetings to coordinate our support to Corporate Members, and to direct operations at our national office.
- For our three strategic priorities: Work on Peer Support Services will resume in the fall of 2023. Work on the rapid implementation of the Accessible Canada Act continued in full force. SCI Canada worked with 11 other national not-for-profit organizations pushing for approval of the Canada Disability Benefit Act to lift people with disabilities above the poverty line. Work on resource development continues to be on hold.
- Our Include-Me social platform continues to be used by the disability community to address issues that cross all disabilities.
- SCI Canada held a strategic planning workshop in October 2022. The Board approved the strategic planning report.
- SCI Canada developed a partnership with Durham College’s Media, Arts and Design program to create authentic depictions of people with spinal cord injuries. We also hired student photographers and illustrators. Each Corporate Member was given a hard drive of over 350 images to use in their marketing and communications materials.
- 2022 marked the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Dieppe. Veteran Affairs Canada used the story of our founder, John Counsell, who was injured in Dieppe to help mark the event. A tribute to him and SCI Canada is now on display at Juno Beach Centre in Normandy, France. The full story can be found at this link: https://sci-can.ca/blog/john-counsell
- In 2022, SCI Canada moved out of shared office space with another non-profit organization, and staff now work out of their homes as a cost-saving measure.
- SCI Canada awarded three student scholarships. We also set up the new Thomas Parker Scholarship for launch in 2023.
- The audit has been completed with no complications. SCI Canada ended the year with a surplus of $55,908.