September 25, 2026

Mary Centre held its Annual General Meeting on September 22, 2026, and I am pleased to report that the evening was a great success. We had seventy-six (76) people join us, making the gathering particularly meaningful and providing an opportunity to reflect on another rewarding year for Mary Centre.

The AGM allowed us to celebrate the progress we have made in advancing our mission and supporting people to live with dignity, choice, independence, and belonging, with opportunities to Build a Good Life.

During the meeting, I had the opportunity to highlight several of Mary Centre’s accomplishments over the past year, particularly in the areas of program growth and impact, partnerships and housing, and planning for our future.

Program Growth and Impact

Over the past year, Mary Centre continued to experience growth in both the demand for our services and the number of people we were able to support. We received seventy-two (72) intake calls and expanded several of our programs.

Through our Out of Home Respite Program, we were able to extend services and supports to an additional five (5) people. Across our Toronto and Peel Day Programs, we welcomed an additional seven (7) people, and through our Supported Independent Living Program in Peel, we secured housing for one (1) person.

Across all programs, Mary Centre:

• Supported 122 people
• Provided 98,897 hours of employee support
• Served 59,420 meals

While these numbers demonstrate the scope of Mary Centre’s work, our impact goes well beyond statistics. It is reflected in the everyday experiences, accomplishments, relationships, and opportunities of the people we have the privilege of supporting.

Every day, our programs help people Build a Good Life with dignity, choice, independence, and a deep sense of belonging. Our impact is not abstract. It is lived and felt in the lives of the people we support and their families.

Partnerships and Future Housing Opportunities

Partnerships continue to be an important component of Mary Centre’s growth and our ability to create new opportunities for the people we support.

Housing remains a significant priority. Over the next several months, we are planning to establish Supported Independent Living opportunities for four (4) people in Peel. We also have commitments for an additional thirteen (13) housing units through opportunities in Peel and Toronto, including Golden Age Village for the Elderly and the Victoria Park development in the coming years.

This year, Mary Centre also partnered with the Archdiocese of Toronto and Catholic Charities to communicate our willingness to work with local Toronto parishes. Our involvement focuses on two key areas. First, when a parish has a member of its congregation with a developmental disability who is living at home, Mary Centre can be available to the individual and their family to begin exploring future planning options, particularly when parents or caregivers are concerned about what the future may hold for their son or daughter. Second, we are exploring how Mary Centre can assist parishes in creating opportunities for members of their congregations to come together in support of individuals who may need additional assistance but may not know how or where to access that support.

These partnerships provide an opportunity to strengthen community connections while helping individuals and families begin important conversations about the future.

Planning for the Future

Considerable work is also underway to position Mary Centre for the years ahead.

Mary Centre has engaged Laridae to support the development of our next Strategic Plan. We are now entering the stakeholder engagement phase, which includes focus groups and a survey. This process will provide opportunities for the people we support, families, employees, Board members, partners, and other stakeholders to contribute their perspectives and help inform Mary Centre’s future direction.

Our Accreditation journey is also underway. Don Walker and Cindy Dowdall officially launched Accreditation at our Annual General Meeting. This represents an important organizational commitment to continuous learning, accountability, quality improvement, and excellence in the services and supports we provide.

Together, Strategic Planning and Accreditation will help sharpen our organizational direction, strengthen quality across Mary Centre, and guide future priorities and investments.

Protecting and Strengthening Mary Centre’s Culture

As we look toward Mary Centre’s future, organizational culture continues to be an important area of focus.

While strategic planning, accreditation, program growth, and new partnerships are important, we must ensure that the culture that makes Mary Centre unique is not lost among competing organizational priorities. Instead, it must continue to be intentionally protected, strengthened, and reflected in how we work together.

Our focus is to Build Belonging. Build Trust. Build Together.

These three principles reflect the culture we want to continue nurturing at Mary Centre. By creating an environment where people feel valued, trusted, respected, and connected to a shared purpose, we strengthen not only our organization but also our ability to provide meaningful supports and opportunities for people to Build a Good Life.

I want to once again acknowledge the people we have the privilege of supporting and their families, whose trust in Mary Centre is at the heart of everything we do. I also extend my sincere appreciation to our employees, Board members, funders, donors, community partners, volunteers, and supporters.

Their compassion, dedication, partnership, and commitment enable Mary Centre to bring our Vision, Mission, and Values to life every day.

Denise Tremblett

Executive Director

Please visit the Resource section, Building Excellence: Our Accreditation Journey, for updates.