Our Journey
The Active Lives journey began with something simple, a coffee date in March 2014. Seven families sat around a table, each with a young adult with special needs approaching adulthood. What started as a casual conversation quickly became something much deeper, because every parent in that room was carrying the same quiet fear: What happens when school ends?
Like so many families, we were staring into a future filled with uncertainty. The options in our community were limited. Waiting lists were long. And the thought of our young adults spending endless days at home, isolated, with very little to do, was heartbreaking. We knew in our hearts that they deserved more. More purpose. More friendship. More opportunity. A place where life could continue to grow, not shrink.
So How Did We Make A Difference?
We decided to take matters into our own hands. Our dream was big: a vibrant, supportive community where exceptional individuals could continue building life skills, independence, meaningful roles, and joyful connections long after graduation. We believed that personal growth does not end at secondary school, and neither should hope.
We also understood something early on: while Active Lives was born from a parent’s love and determination, it was always meant to grow beyond a parent-led model. Parents bring powerful passion and advocacy, but we recognized that long-term sustainability requires a structure that can serve every family with balance, consistency, and accountability.
As the organization expanded, decisions around programming, staffing, resources, and future growth became more complex. We wanted to ensure that Active Lives could continue to evolve with fairness and stability, guided by a diverse board and professional leadership team who could represent the broader community and support the mission from an objective, long-term perspective.
Continuing
With A True Vision
That is why our vision was always bigger than ourselves. We wanted Active Lives to become professionally led, supported by experienced management and dedicated staff, so that every individual and family feels equally valued, heard, and supported, now and for generations to come.
With a $12,000 grant and an incredible amount of determination, Active Lives opened its first day program in April 2015. We started with just three participants, one staff member, and a shared space that had to be set up each morning and packed away again at the end of the day. It was humble. It was grassroots. But it was filled with belief, the belief that something better was possible, and that our young adults deserved a life that was full, active, and visible in their community.
Creating One Respite Moment at a Time
As Active Lives began to grow, we also came to understand something just as important as meaningful programming: families needing relief. Parents and caregivers were carrying so much, not just during the school years, but through every season of life. We realized we were not simply creating a day program, we were building a future of support.
A future where families could breathe, where caregivers could rest, and where exceptional individuals could continue to feel safe and cared for beyond the hours of a typical day. That growing understanding naturally led us toward respite care, deeper collaboration, and the creation of a true home away from home, a place where support could extend into evenings, weekends, and the moments families needed it most.
Summer Time Journey
Throughout the years, summer programming also became an important part of that support. We collaborated with other camps, built strong community partnerships, and ran our own summer experiences to ensure individuals had safe, meaningful opportunities for connection and growth when school was out. These seasons helped shape our understanding of what inclusive recreation can truly look like, and they laid the foundation for what comes next.
Summer has always been a time of possibility, a chance to explore, build friendships, and create memories outside of the traditional school year. At Active Lives, we saw firsthand how important it is for individuals with neurodiversity to have access to programming that is structured, supportive, and centred around belonging. Each summer experience strengthened our commitment to creating spaces where everyone feels valued and included.
In 2026, Active Lives is proud to introduce Get Up and Move Camp, a new chapter in our journey and a camp experience designed fully through the Active Lives lens of safety, inclusion, structure, and joy. This new program reflects everything we have learned over the years and our dedication to building environments where every individual can thrive.
Get Up and Move Camp will offer meaningful activities, supportive staff, and a vibrant community atmosphere where participants can grow in confidence, independence, and connection. We are excited to bring this vision to life and continue creating unforgettable summer experiences that celebrate every individual’s strengths and potential.
Get Up
&
Move Camp
Where We Are Now
Today, Active Lives Canada has grown into a thriving network of support for families across the region. What began in one small room has evolved into multiple campuses and programs that continue to expand with the needs of our community. We now offer three day programs, a trusted respite program in our Victorian home in Orangeville, family-managed home care services through Ontario Health at Home, and new initiatives like Get Up and Move Camp. We employ over 20 dedicated staff and proudly support more than 30 families, with services rooted in dignity, belonging, and opportunity.
But what Active Lives has truly become is more than a collection of programs. It has become a community. A place where individuals are not defined by limitations, but recognized for their potential. A place where friendships form, confidence grows, independence is nurtured, and families feel the deep reassurance that their loved one has a future filled with meaning.
Active Lives is now a living example of what happens when love turns into action, when grassroots determination becomes professional strength, and when a dream becomes something real, lasting, and life-changing. We are no longer asking what the future holds for exceptional individuals, we are building that future, every single day.
And our journey is far from over. We will never stop expanding possibilities until every exceptional person has the active, connected, joyful life they deserve. Because this was never just about filling time after school. It was about creating a life, a community, and a forever place where everyone belongs.
