Working tirelessly for inclusion
Waterloo man receives Order of Canada for his decades of work to nurture belonging
WATERLOO — The Order of Canada medal sits on a little table in John Lord’s Waterloo home, flanked by a program from the recent Rideau Hall ceremony and a menu from the eight-course celebratory dinner for the 45 recipients.
For Lord, the prestigious appointment from the Governor General is far more than a personal honour. It shows the focus of his decades of tireless work toward inclusion of society’s most vulnerable citizens is no longer on the fringe.
“I was honoured and humbled, but I think it’s because it says inclusion is something whose time has come,” Lord said.
He’s worn several hats in his advocacy: researcher, author, facilitator and — most personally — parent of an adopted child with Down syndrome.
“My focus has always been on social inclusion,” said Lord, 75. “How do we build communities that include everybody?”
While he acknowledges change can be slow, Lord is encouraged by the progress he’s seen.
“When we were first working on it, there was a fair bit of pushback,” he said.
Now it’s a topic even the prime minister talks about. “It’s got an energy around it,” Lord said.
Lord founded the Centre for Community Based Research in 1982, an independent research and education organization that draws on the experiences and knowledge of marginalized people, such as the homeless and those with disabilities or mental health issues, with the goal of influencing policy change.
“The goal was to do research differently,” said Lord, who also served as the first director.
Quickly, the centre built partnerships with groups across the country, and the Waterloobased centre has expanded its influence to the international level.
“The research centre I started is thriving. It’s been a pleasure to watch that grow,” Lord said. “Their work is having some very significant impacts across Canada.”
His work to foster inclusion didn’t stop there.
Lord founded several projects focused on creating informal networks to foster a sense of belonging, and he’s written extensively on a new approach for supporting vulnerable citizens that he calls the New Story, which
uses innovative approaches to create connections and opportunities in the community. He’s written books, including collaborations with his wife, Peggy Hutchison, a retired faculty member at Brock University.
The couple knows firsthand the barriers to enjoying a full life for a person with a disability after adopting their daughter Karen when she was three years old.
“It was intentional. It felt like the right thing to do,” Lord said.
Now almost 40, she is a yoga instructor and lives a busy and independent life. Together, the three wrote a book on fostering relationships.
Lord has been stepping gradually into retirement. He is involved with Wellbeing Waterloo Region, a community-led initiative working across sectors to improve the well-being of residents, and continuing to promote the New Story approach.
His lifelong mission continues to create more inclusive communities that welcome all. A lot of that comes down to belonging, he said, and there are myriad ways every day that people can nurture belonging.
Notice the people around you and what’s going on, “and be friendly,” Lord said.
“Simple really, but a really important thing.”