KACL

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month or NDEAM!

This month, our Employment Services team is on a quest to share information about disability employment in Canada because there is a lot of work to do.

Did you know more than 740,000 Canadians who have a disability were unemployed yet had the potential to work? (Statistics Canada, 2024)

Did you know 71% of employers cited not knowing the skillset of a person with a disability as a barrier to hiring? (CCRW, 2017)

What about 1 in 3 people living with disability being overly qualified for their jobs? (Statistics Canada)

With many sectors facing a staffing crisis, why not hire inclusively?

Interested in learning more about disability employment in Canada and how your business can become an Inclusive Employer? Come meet the KACL Employment Services team on Thursday, October 8th in Market Square anytime between 12:30 – 2pm. Win a prize and learn something while doing it! 🏆

Tomorrow, October 2nd, the Kenora and Lake of the Woods Regional Community Foundation is hosting their Annual Giving Challenge. It is a great time to contribute to one of KACL's Endowment Funds!!!

You can donate online through the Community foundation's donation portal.

In addition to KACL's Endowment Fund there are other memorial and family funds who have designated KACL as their recipient. These funds are:

The Dave Lilico Memorial Fund
The Retson Family Fund
The Strachan Family Fund
The Williams Family Fund

Your support of KACL helps the people we support and their families to participate in community life, including chances to live, learn, work, enjoy recreation and contribute to an inclusive and caring community.

You can learn more about KACL's Endowment Fund here - https://www.kacl.ca/kacl-endowment-fund/

TODAY’S GIFTS. TOMORROW’S GRANTS.

The Community Foundation’s Annual Giving Challenge is Friday, October 2! And this year, there’s even more reason to give!

Generous donors have announced a $50,000 MATCHING GIFT OPPORTUNITY!

From October 2 to December 31, 2026, every donation made to the Kenora & Lake of the Woods Community Foundation will be matched by generous donors, up to a total of $50,000.

Your gift today can help build a stronger future for our community — because gifts to the Foundation’s endowment funds are invested to provide grants to local charities and community organizations for years to come.

Over the past decade, our Annual Giving Challenge has raised $500,000 for the Foundation’s endowment funds. Since 2004, the Foundation has distributed $7 million in grants throughout the Kenora and Lake of the Woods region.

Your support helps make grants possible in areas such as:
🌿 Environment
🎭 Arts & Culture
❤️ Health & Wellness
🤝 Social Services
🐾 Animal Welfare
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Youth & Families
💙 Emerging Community Needs

Join us on October 2!

📻 Live on 89.5 The Lake, featuring local donors, grant recipients and volunteers

🔥 Kenora Rotary Club Charity BBQ
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

💰 Make your gift in person:
Northern Credit Union
346 Second Street South, Kenora
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

💻 Give online:
www.klwcf.ca

Every gift matters. Every gift can make a difference. And now, your gift can be MATCHED!

Let’s come together on October 2 to celebrate generosity and invest in the future of the Kenora & Lake of the Woods community.

October 1st marks the start of National Disability Employment Awareness Month or NDEAM! All month, KACL's Employment Services Team will be out and about visiting every business in Kenora to get them ready for the national LIGHT IT UP! for NDEAM celebration happening October 15th!

Want to show you support inclusivity? On October 8th, join KACL's Employment Team in Market Square anytime between 12:30 - 2pm to learn about NDEAM, dispel some social myths about disability employment and walk away understanding the benefits and value that hiring inclusively brings to a workplace; all through interactive activities! There are prizes to be won from various Inclusive Employers and you'll be entered to win our GRAND PRIZE basket!

Are you a business? Throughout the month, KACL's Employment Services Team will be offering businesses starter kits to decorate their storefronts and offices, free "LIGHT IT UP! for NDEAM" window painting (and removal) and the opportunity to learn about inclusive hiring practices. All in preparation for October 15th, where every community in Canada will be lit up in PURPLE and BLUE to celebrate inclusivity as they LIGHT IT UP! for NDEAM!

Details about the Pow Wow today. 🧡

🧡 Orange Shirt Day Pow Wow 🧡

Gather with us to honour Residential School Survivors, remember the children who never made it home, raise awareness, and celebrate the strength and resilience of our people.

📅 September 30, 2026
⏰ Grand Entry at 1 PM
📍 Jarnel Contracting Pavilion | Kenora, ON

Honorariums will be provided to dancers in full regalia. Registration is required at the event.

For more information, please contact:
📧 [email protected]
📞 1-877-880-5638 ext. 213

Today is the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day. We encourage everyone to join in the community events today, not only to show support for our neighbours, friends, family and community, but also to be open to learn and experience through the gatherings and ceremonies held today.

KACL's offices, The Arts Hub and Kids' Zone will closed on Wednesday September 20th for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

There are many events and gathering planned in Kenora and the surrounding area so watch your social media to learn how to take part in these. KACL encourages everyone to learn more about the history, resilience and rich cultures of the Indigenous peoples of Treaty #3.

Also, there are also some online Lunch and Learns throughout the week and a Livestream on the 30th from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. You can find information and links to these offerings here - https://trw-svr.nctr.ca/

Our Inclusive Employer GIVEAWAY is back just in time for Sweater Weather 🍂

Get cozy this autumn with a Canadian Tire sherpa throw, charming earthy bird decor and an iconic Hudson's Bay mug that'll have you falling 🍁 in love with every warm sip of c***r and hot chocolate from Keewatin Place. Tickle your taste buds with the delights of Sweet, Lake of the Woods while admiring your Kenora print from Flowers by the Lake. Indulge your scent-ses with the aroma of the season, pumpkin spice, from Wholesale Club and brew inspiration with a cup of Joe Coffee from Lake of the Woods Brewing Company, a journal from Image One Home & Cottage and a doodle art set from Red Apple (and so much more)!

How to Win? It's easy!
LIKE 👍 and COMMENT: "Your favourite fall snack or beverage"

Winner will be notified the week of: September 28th
(NOTE: A KACL Employee will contact you. KACL Meta accounts will not contact you directly.)

Thanks to all of these Inclusive Employers for their continued commitment to inclusivity in our community. 🏆 And, stay tuned as we announce how we'll be celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) which kicks off October 1st! 💡

September is FASD awareness month and there are so many resources available online that we wanted to share a few of them with you through the remainder of this month.

Please watch this video called "Everything You Need to Know about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FASD) in Under 8 Minutes".

Everything You Need To Know About Fetal Alcohol Syndrome(FASD) In Under 8 Minutes Everything You Need To Know About Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FASD) In ...

Meet our Children’s Services Infant, Youth and Development Consultants!

Developmental Play Ideas
Discover fun, engaging play ideas designed to support your child's development across five key areas: Communication, Gross Motor, Problem Solving, Fine Motor, and Personal-Social skills. Each activity encourages learning through play while helping children build confidence and reach important developmental milestones.
Stay tuned for a growing collection of age-appropriate activities for children from 1 to 66 months, making it easy to find playful ways to support development at every stage