Clients will learn new skills
Federal money allows Breton Ability Centre to expand
As chief executive officer of Breton Ability Centre, Millie Colbourne has seen how simply having a job can change a person.
That’s why she’s so excited that the centre has received $173,730 from the federal government to help expand its learning and development programs for people with disabilities.
“It’s amazing,” she said Wednesday. “To see the joy that they take from being employed — and it’s meaningful employment, that’s the main thing. They do take a lot of pride in being independent and developing those skills.”
The non-repayable contribution from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency should ensure many more people with disabilities have a chance to learn new skills then put them to use in one of Breton Ability Centre’s growing list of social enterprises, including the Best of Cape Breton Gift Shop in downtown Sydney, a mini putt golf course, a print and copy shop, a custom woodworking operation, a community garden and a recycling depot.
The money will help pay for a two-storey addition to the existing Life Work Centre on the Breton Ability Centre site, as well as a new bottle sorting facility to increase the capacity of the centre’s bottle donation business.
A new café and boutique are also planned, as well as a multiuse area for learning and skills development workshops, meetings and community functions.
She said the expansion will create between 20 and 30 new jobs at Breton Ability Centre, which currently supports more than 100 adults with disabilities and the money generated by the business is invested back into the programs at the centre.
“We’ve been wanting to expand that centre for some time — we’re kind of cramped there right now and we can only have so many people in the building,” said Colbourne. “We need to do more to prepare people to become part of the labour force, people with disabilities and this is going to give us the opportunity to expand some of our programs.
“Our society needs to start recognizing that people with disabilities have a lot to contribute
to our communities. Social enterprises is one of the avenues in which people with disabilities can demonstrate their skills and abilities, and that they do contribute to our society and to our economy.”