It is with sadness and warm wishes for her future that the Board of Disability Alliance BC (DABC) announces the planned retirement of our Executive Director, Jane Dyson, OBC. Jane will be retiring later in 2018.

Ms. Dyson’s departure from DABC comes at a time when our organization is at its strongest since it was founded in 1977. It is highly regarded in the not-for-profit and disability communities and well respected by funders and all levels of government. This is due in large measure to Jane’s strong leadership.

Jane joined DABC in 1998 to work on systemic advocacy issues. She subsequently became a Program Director of DABC’s Advocacy Access Program, and Executive Director in 2009.

In 2016, Ms. Dyson received the Order of BC in recognition of her work with DABC and the disability community. DABC is now one of the most influential and prominent disability rights organizations in BC.

We are saddened to lose Jane and sincerely thank her for her years of hard work and dedication to DABC and the disability community. She will be greatly missed by us all. DABC’s Board, staff and volunteers will celebrate Jane’s successes with the Alliance and we all wish her a long, happy, and fruitful retirement.

Jane’s decision to retire, like her work with the Alliance, has been done with kindness and thoughtfulness so that DABC’s team, community colleagues and clients will continue to experience strong leadership, strong partnerships, and excellent service during this transition period.

DABC’s Board has established a search committee that will be releasing a job posting in the coming weeks. No information will be available about the position until that time.

We have received the following information from SPARC BC:

We hope that you will join us and participate in a Community Meeting for B.C’s first Poverty Reduction Strategy that will take place in Burnaby, BC.

Date and Time: Monday, January 29, 2018 from  5:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Location: Firefighters Banquet & Conference Centre, 6515 Bonsor Avenue

You are invited to come and talk about how to reduce poverty in your community and the province. We want to know:

• What are the issues facing you and people in poverty right now?
• What would work to help you and people out of poverty?

Your ideas will help inform B.C.’s Poverty Reduction Strategy.

The Social Planning and Research Council of BC (SPARC BC) has been engaged to plan and deliver these community meetings on behalf of the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction.

Please pre-register for the event using this link:
https://povertyreductioncommunitymeeting-burnaby-newwest.eventbrite.ca 
A hot meal will be provided.

Supports are available for you to participate in the community meeting, including transportation, child care, and health supports.If you require any supports to participate, please send your email to BurnabyNewWest_Poverty_Meeting@sparc.bc.ca or call Jayd at 604-718-7745.

Please help us spread the word in your community.

Learn more about the BC Poverty Reduction Strategy and find other ways to share your ideas by visiting: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/bcpovertyreduction/

If you have any questions or comments that you would like to share around the event please do not hesitate to reach out.

DABC has received the following from the South Granville Seniors Centre:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 23, 2018

Vancouver, BC – on Friday, February 2 at 1pm the South Granville Seniors Centre and the Seniors Create Project invites the public to a staged reading of View from a Window. In the fall of 2016, South Granville Seniors Centre partnered with Marnie Perrin (Project Lead). Storytelling workshops were held in senior centres around Vancouver, exploring what it is like to be a senior in today’s face-paced youth-centric society. The stories collected were then weaved into a beautiful play which will be performed by this amazing cast of senior-aged actors: Yvonne Adalian, Bernard Cuffling, Richard Newman and Gina Stockdale** led by local director Natasha Nadir. South Granville hopes to share this meaningful performance piece with our community.

The performance will be held at the following senior centres:

South Granville Seniors Centre: February 2 at 1pm
1420 West 12 Ave, Vancouver

Silver Harbour Seniors Centre: February 9 at 1:15pm
144 22nd St E, North Vancouver

West End Seniors Network: February 15 at 12pm
Barclay Manor, 1447 Barclay St, Vancouver

For full performance details go to: www.southgranvilleseniors.ca/seniors-create-project-enters-phase-2/

The South Granville Seniors Centre is well-known as a welcoming and inclusive space for seniors (ages 55+) of all backgrounds.

Thank you to our funders, the City of Vancouver, Metro Vancouver and main sponsor Prospera Credit Union.

**The participation of these Artists is arranged by permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association under the provisions of the Dance.Opera.Theatre Policy. 

—

Clemencia Gomez
Executive Director
South Granville Seniors Centre

1420 W.12^th Avenue
Vancouver, BC, V6H 1M8
604.732.0812
www.southgranvilleseniors.ca

The South Granville Seniors Centre is a non-profit organization that provides drop-in programs and services that promote health, well-being and independent lifestyles for seniors living in the South Granville/Fairview and surrounding areas. We are also one of the few places in Canada that run a regular Spanish Outreach Program for Spanish speaking seniors.