On Tuesday, August 10, the respective memberships of the Cranbrook Society for Community Living (CSCL) and the Creston and District Society for Community Living (CDSCL) passed a special resolution to amalgamate their societies into one new community support society.

Effective September 1, CSCL and CDSCL will join to form NEXUS Community Support Society. Headed by CSCL’s current Chief Execute Officer Brandon Arnett, NEXUS will continue to support children, youth, and adults with diverse and differing abilities across the East and West Kootenay.

“I am very excited for this endeavour – one that will see two long-standing community organizations come together while continuing to provide an incredible service to our communities,” said Arnett. “These organizations share a unique history dating back to the 1950s and Dr. W. James Endicott’s passion for inclusive communities in the East and West Kootenay. Fast forward 65 years and we are still doing this work today. Now, we are going to bring our two great organizations together to form a new, modern, organization that will continue to provide great services to individuals, families and communities.”

CSCL and CDSCL were started in the 1950s by parents and volunteers that wanted to create opportunities in their communities for their children with special needs. Both organizations have continued to evolve and grow over the past six-decades, yet one thing has never changed – the support from the communities in which they serve.

“Over the past 60-plus years, our communities have stood behind us. It hasn’t always been easy, but we always work through our challenges as a collective and for the betterment of those we support and their families. I know that as we grow and evolve, these things won’t change. Our communities will be there to support us, and us them,” said Joanne Thom, current Board Chair of CSCL and the first Board Chair of NEXUS Community Support Society.

“NEXUS will be an organization that connects people to their communities, to each other and to the supports they need to live full, meaningful lives,” said Susan Davis, current Board Chair of CDSCL and first Vice-Chair of NEXUS Community Support Society. “NEXUS, true to the meaning of the word, will strive to be the link to community, the link to work, the link to success for those we support and their families.”

“As we set forward on this adventure, we are excited to offer those we support, their families, and our communities a service that focusses on social justice and social equity for all. We are also excited to offer nearly 230 employees an amazing place to work – one where they can come to work each day and make an impact,” Thom said.

CSCL and CDSCL jointly employ nearly 230 support professionals, support over 150 individuals and their families and inject $10+ million back into community annually through wages and program costs.

“As we look to the next 20, 30, 50 years, we had to ask ourselves, ‘where have we come from and where do we want to go?’ We know that we are proud of what we have done individually which gives us the passion to keep going. We want to continue to make our communities great for everyone, but we want to do it together for this next chapter. Ultimately, together, we want to achieve our vision: an inclusive community that embraces diversity and equality; where all members belong,” said Arnett.

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