When Emilie Brunet came to Winchester with her family for work 7 years ago, they ultimately decided to stay put and raise a family.
“There’s something very unsettling about having kids in a place where you don’t come from,” said Emilie. “You hope that the community you chose can bring support and safety to your whole family. This feeling is even stronger when you have a kid with significant disabilities. I’ve always been ready to fight for inclusion and I will bulldoze anything in my war. But the truth is that most of the time, I’ve been observing how inclusion finds us.”
Emilie praises everything in Winchester, from the kindness of neighbourhood kids, to the welcoming attitudes of local business owners, to the inclusive nature of local recreational amenities and programs. “This community takes care of their own, regardless of their abilities,” Emilie adds.
The icing on the cake for the young family has been a recent bond formed between Emilie’s son, Oli, and Albert Street resident, Daniel Levere. Daniel is well known around Winchester due to his love of going out for walks around town. Like Oli, Daniel has disabilities, and Emilie notices and admires how he is treated in the community.
“I’ve now had the chance to witness how this community treats him, and I must say that I feel reassured for what the future holds for my son,” said Emilie. “I can see that people treat this gentleman with respect and genuinely enjoy his presence. The local businesses take care of him, people shake his hand, and the trucks honk when he signs to them.” She notes that Oli has now picked up this signing behaviour, showing how special a bond the two have.
“This connection reflects the core value of unconditional belief in one another that Community Living Dundas County upholds,” said the organization in an email. “At CLDC, we believe in inclusion by valuing and embracing every person, regardless of their abilities. This story shows how Daniel and Oli’s relationship developed based on [the] inclusive community we strive to create, where trust and care allow everyone to thrive.
“Emilie’s experience with Daniel reminds us how powerful it is when people believe in each other without prejudice. It’s through these connections that we break down barriers and lift each other up, making our community stronger.”
Emilie and her family could not be happier with their choice to live here. “Let’s keep being kind and inclusive,” she adds. “Let’s lead with love, because light finds light.”
