By Donna Cain, Director of Living Options
We’re pleased to share that, as of April this year, the department formerly known as Residential Services has officially been renamed Living Options. The new name reflects our commitment to choice and autonomy, recognizing that individuals deserve to live in settings that are meaningful, empowering, and aligned with their personal preferences.
This name change not only reflects the diverse and person-centered supports we provide but also initiates a thoughtful and intentional process for better describing the services we provide. Our department had been called Residential Services for decades, but the term “residential” is increasingly recognized as perpetuating a colonial narrative. It fails to acknowledge the deep-rooted historical trauma and ongoing harm caused by residential schools and other institutional systems designed to assimilate Indigenous children into a Euro-Canadian society.
Today, for some individuals and communities across Canada, using the term “residential” in service contexts can unintentionally reinforce feelings of disempowerment, exclusion, or trauma. As part of our broader commitment to inclusion, respect, and reconciliation, we have reviewed our department’s name and how it aligns with our organizational values. After reflection, we determined that a renaming is both appropriate and necessary at this time.
As the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) reminds us, reconciliation is an ongoing process that requires engagement. Renaming our department is a small but significant step towards this commitment. It marks a shift away from institutional terminology and moves us toward a more inclusive, respectful, and forward-looking expression of our work.
Although we have changed our name, our commitment to providing high-quality, individualized services remains the same. This update more accurately represents who we are, what we do, and the values that steer us. Thank you for supporting this important evolution in our language and our practice.
