FSJ Association for Community Living celebrates 65 years, looking forward to the next 65
Sixty-five years ago, the Fort St. John Association for Community Living was formed, and has spent the intervening years supporting individuals with developmental disabilities and complex needs achieve full and meaningful lives within the community. With the various projects FSJACL has planned and underway, they hope to continue providing this support for many more decades.
“This organization was formed by people who believed something about the human spirit,” said FSJACL Chief Executive Officer, Jordan Soggie. “I think this belief has stayed true through the 65 years that we’ve operated, and is strong today as we face new challenges, of people being left in the community without supports.
“Today the people who work at the Association, and those who govern this community-based organization are here for the same reason it was founded.”
Sixty-five years of supporting individuals with disabilities in the Peace:
Inspired by the special needs of her granddaughter, in 1960, Jean Mensink founded the FSJACL. In the beginning, the organization focussed on better education for children with disabilities, including additional classrooms and eventually integration into regular classes.
Spearheaded by President David Allsopp, in 1978 the FSJACL begins prioritizing residences for adults and job opportunities, with public awareness and local cooperation becoming key goals.
The 1980s saw services expand, with the completion of the 112 Avenue group home, which promoted community-based care.
In 1984 when the Tranquille Institution in Kamloops closed, FSJACL assisted with the re-integration of Peace River residents into their communities.
FSJACL’s first dedicated office opened in 1987, creating a central hub for services, day programs and life-skills training. This main building was renovated in 1999, adding multipurpose spaces for classes, job coaching, skill-building programs and arts.
Trina Sperling, Finance and Human Resources Clerk who has been with the Association for Community Living for 24 years in a variety of roles, reflects on her time:
“I’ve seen firsthand the remarkable changes that have shaped our organization into what it is today. I couldn’t be more proud of the work that we’ve done together.”
When Sperling first joined the organization was much smaller, and today they have grown to serve six times the number of people they served in 2001.
“This growth isn’t just in numbers, it’s in the depth and impact of the services we provide,” she said. “We’ve developed new programs and opportunities, always giving the goal of offering more to the people we support.”
The focus on inclusion that began in 1990, continued into the next century as FSJACL celebrated it’s 40th anniversary. Not only did it have numerous achievements in education, employment and recreational programs for its members, but in 2004 a new development on 102 Avenue to provide permanent housing and respite beds for individuals with disabilities was constructed.
“We became the host agency for Home Share, we’ve built up the Community Connections program and made employment a central focus. These aren’t just additions to our roster, they represent real change in how we can empower individuals to live fuller, more independent lives,” Sperling said.
The Association has worked tirelessly to ensure that affordable housing is within reach for people they support. Not just building new homes but renovating existing buildings to make them better suit the people FSJACL serves.
It wasn’t all about job creation and housing – in 2005 FSJACL launched the Fort St. John Players, a self-advocate theatre group that produced original performances.
The Red Carpet Awards began in 2014, to recognize the accomplishments of individuals with disabilities.
National Disability Employment Month in 2019 celebrated inclusive employers and highlighted a 95 percent retention rate in its career programs.
In the last five years, plans for expansions to meet the city’s growing needs and better serve individuals with disabilities began to take shape.
Following the pandemic and a record-breaking $65,000 fundraiser at the DGS golf tourney, FSJACL began planning a new building for treatment and withdrawal beds, with the support of Northern Health. By 2024, the new Supported Independent Living program welcomed its first participants.
Also in 2024, through the Of the Vine fundraiser, FSJACL raised $149,000 to support the renovation of its office space into a community centre.
FSJACL’s big plans set stage for the next 65 years:
The Association’s biggest project to date started last year, when they decided to separate the office and community spaces into two separate locations to better provide services to those it supports.
The first step was moving the offices out of the building on 100 Avenue to a new location at the corner of 100 Street and 104 Avenue – the main entrance is on 104 Ave., across from Save-on Foods. By removing the offices from the main location, FSJACL now has 6,000 square feet of space to transform into an accessible community space with a commercial kitchen, sensory room, music and art spaces, computer and meeting rooms as well as a community lounge.
The total estimated cost of the project – which will be named the Terus Community Centre – is $800,000. Through the generosity of the community, approximately $380,000 remains to be raised.
Other projects to improve the facility include repairing the back-alley access to the community centre, to increase safety, accessibility and ease of access. The FSJACL has also asked the City of Fort St. John to consider redoing the curb in front of both buildings, by either creating a boulevard or installing drop downs to allow for more ramps for pickups and drop offs, and to install handicap signage.
The FSJACL plans don’t stop there – on January 20, they announced a partnership with the City on a potential downtown housing project, destined for the remaining two-acre parcel of land on the old hospital site on 100 Avenue.
This project, operated by the FSJACL, would focus on inclusive and accessible workforce housing through a mix of units – one to three-bedrooms – and include subsidized units for individuals with disabilities.
“This potential housing project represents another exciting step in creating an inclusive and vibrant community. This potential project will provide more affordable, accessible housing option that meet the diverse needs of our residents as we continue building a community where everyone can thrive,” Fort St. John Mayor Lilia Hansen said when the project was announced.
Celebrating 65 years of service:
At the 65th Anniversary celebration held at FSJACL’s new offices at 9940 104 Avenue, staff reflected on their time at the Association and spoke of a future full of opportunity for the organization and the people it serves.
“Looking back, one thing stands out to me. Our community support has grown. We’ve gone from one annual fundraiser to multiple opportunities throughout the year, thanks to the incredible generosity and support of our community partners.
“And yet, through all these changes there is one constant that remains unwavering. The passion, commitment and dedication of the people that work with us. The heart of this organization is its people,” Sperling said.
Along the way, Sperling said the Association has earned the trust and confidence of accredited bodies, with seven successful accreditations stand as testament to their commitment to excellence.
“Accreditation is only part of the story; the real success comes from the relationship we built within the community. Our partnerships have been invaluable in helping us provide the resources we need to support the people we care for.”
Soggie said that FSJACL believes that all people have worth greater than others may see; that all people are born equal in dignity and rights.
“We are here today because we believe regardless of a person’s abilities, they should not be deprived of opportunities to shine.”
“We are here to see people shine. We do that by empowering people to engage in opportunities, and we want to see people try and try again and be empowered to live a life of choices. We want to see people see the opportunities of life ahead of them by choice,” said Soggie. “With opportunities, advocacy and the support of our teams to empower individuals and each other, we get to see people shine.”
“The next 65 years, we are here to build opportunities, to empower people and to watch them and Fort St. John shine.”