October 20, 2021 - After operating Walnut Manor in St. Thomas Ontario for over 8 years, it is with mixed emotion that we announce the permanent closure of the home.
The historic home, located at 57 Walnut Street, now over 130 years old, has seen many changes over the decades, and most recently operated as a SupportiveLiving facility. With the aging and ailing infrastructure of the buildi
October 19, 2021 -Congratulations to SupportiveLiving.ca for being accredited by Canadian Business Review Board as the Best Business in Canada 2021 among other businesses!
The CBRB’s mission is to identify and promote consumer-centric businesses in Canada. Their accreditation is based on best practices as set out by the Harvard Business School.
SupportiveLiving.ca was awarded this accreditation b
September 10, 2021 - Back in May, we announced that a major Hollywood production was filming at our SupportiveLiving.ca Brantford location and we promised to provide updates as they developed.
It’s now official! From the producers of “Yellowstone”, Paramount+, Paramount studios streaming service, has wrapped up filming the TV series, “Mayor of Kingstown” starring Academy Award win
May 21, 2021 - The excitement begins as Hollywood descends on SupportiveLiving.ca!
A major Hollywood production company has chosen a SupportiveLiving.ca home as the location of an up and coming, made for TV movie series, featuring Oscar award winners and nominees.
The home is garnering a lot of attention in a Brantford neighborhood where film crews are currently shooting scenes and will be over t
April 1 - COVID-19 has inevitably changed the way we do business and impacted individuals with severe mental health and addiction challenges. As the industry attempts to navigate itself through an addictions and housing crisis, many organizations that provide permanent long term housing do not have immediate availability and as a result, long waitlists*
While SupportiveLiving.
February 2, 2021 - We are thrilled to announce that SupportiveLiving.ca has won another National Award and has been named HOUSING SUPPORT SERVICE OF THE YEAR – 2020/21. This honour comes on the heels of the national Canada over 50s Housing Award just one year ago.
Founder and President of SupportiveLiving.ca, Vishal Chityal, commented: “I am truly
Jan 19, 2021 - As a community, everyone is struggling to adhere to the restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dealing with lockdowns, isolation, social distancing and balancing life and our own mental health has not been an easy feat. Even through harsh economic times and job loss, the majority of us still have our basic needs in place – food, shelter and water. What about those
Dec 21, 2020 – This year, Christmas will not be the same. The COVID-19 pandemic presents many challenges on how we celebrate the holidays.
“The new normal.”
These are all factors that have now become a staple part of our lives: Wearing masks, testing, lockdowns, no visitation, social distancing and isolation.
Being alone, during the best of t
Nov 26, 2020 - On a week by week basis, we are beginning to understand the ever-evolving characteristics of COVID-19. Experts are predicting that a second wave could be more damaging than the first, with a result of increased cases.
Easing restrictions may not likely be the answer. The corona virus is still out there.
At SupportiveLiving.ca, we have prudently elected to maintain the original protocol o
Nov 16, 2020 – SupportiveLiving.ca is celebrating! The past fifteen years gives us a lot to reflect upon.
SL President and Founder Vishal Chityal was told by many in the industry that his model of housing would not work as long term housing for individuals with mental health vulnerabilities. 15 years later, after successfully starting up and acquiring many homes, SL
Nov 5, 2020 - At the beginning of October, we kicked off our Be Well and Stay Well Program. SupportiveLiving.ca CEO and President Vishal Chityal donated t-shirts and personal wellness kits to all our frontline workers and hundreds of residents across each of our homes in the Niagara and West regions.
Wellness party with residents and staff at
Oct 2, 2020 - Since the beginning of March when the Coronavirus pandemic started, SL management and frontline staff have worked tirelessly to keep COVID-19 out of our residences.
Although the past several months have been challenging, keeping our congregate home settings safe and our residents COVID-free has been top priority. We are relieved and happy to say that so far our efforts are paying
June 30, 2020 - In the last few months, the entire world has experienced life changing events. There has been changes to the way we work, live, play, interact and raise our children. Never before did we anticipate seeing something of this magnitude in our lifetime.
Although we are not out of the woods yet, communities across Ontario are making progress. I want to give a shout of recognition to all the wom
June 15, 2020 - With the existing supply chain of PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) allotted to hospital systems and large organizations, smaller homes in the industry struggle to secure an adequate supply.
SupportiveLiving CEO Vishal Chityal identified seven homes in the Golden Horseshoe area that were unable to secure reuseable masks, surgical masks, sanitizers, sanit
May 22, 2020 – From my experience in the mental health housing industry, I know that a good state of mental health is vital when it comes to our well-being, for our team members and for residents alike. Personal and community interaction lends to sense of belonging and its positive effects help individuals live longer. Even before COVID-19, loneliness was a growing public health concern and one of its main cause
May 12, 2020 --Bed Availability
With COVID-19 restrictions slowly lifting and in efforts to ease the burden on the hospital system, we are pleased to announce that we will be accepting new admissions based on the following criteria:
1) Client is discharged directly from hospital into a SupportiveLiving Residence
2) There is a 24-hour COVID-19 test conducte
May 1, 2020 – Over the past seven weeks since restrictions have been placed on our communities due to COVID-19 we have seen the housing industry turned upside down, with a monumental increase in demand for affordable housing as well as housing for the vulnerable and an increased pressure on an already stressed industry.
I would like to take a moment to applaud all Frontline workers across Canada, the uns
April 18, 2020 -In a shocking statement by Ian McCallum posted to his blog with regards to Walnut Manor, he has once again raised questions as to the operations of SupportiveLiving.ca in St. Thomas.
Ian McCallum chooses to attack SupportiveLiving on a constant basis to serve his own political agenda. For many months, well before COVID-19 was even a current topic, SupportiveLiving.ca was monitoring the situation closely
March 20, 2020 - Fourteen years ago when I built my first home in Welland, Ontario, I was able to house four so-called “unhousable” residents who had fallen through the cracks in the health care system, with critics trying to convince me that what I was doing was not “worth it” and not possible. Since then I have not looked back and have housed hundreds of Ontario’s vulne
February 18, 2020 - SupportiveLiving.ca is proud to present a six-part blog series: From Corporate to Community – A Tale of Two Realities.
Shama Chaudhry, now Director of Communications for SupportiveLiving.ca, is a published author, international best-seller and has worked in Corporate Canada for most of her career.
This blog series is a reflection of her transformation mo
This is Part 1 of a six-part blog series entitled From Corporate to Community - A Tale of Two Realities
It was September 2016. I sat at my cubicle, staring at my computer, the cursor blinking back at me. I woke up that morning, in complete dread of my routine: the commute, a hundred unread emails and looming deadlines.
After fifteen years, my heart wasn’t in it any more. The ambi
While I was at Corporate, every turn I took towards advancement was a trial. When you come from a place where you once loved your job and suddenly you're thrown into a space where everything is in constant flux, the need for stability is paramount.
Although agility was one of my key strengths, there was only so much change I could endure. With being constantly told you can do better, I was up for the challenge, but as I mentio
This was it. I was following two of my passions: writing and giving back to the community.
After going through my own turmoil and having the resources for support and guidance, I knew deep down, I needed to pay it forward.
I began volunteering my time to write for organizations where the premise for their business revolved around the support, guidance and empowerment of their respective communities. I volunteered for o
In my last blog, I talked about how I nervous I was speaking to Barb.
I could hear her voice in the background. “Someone is calling for me?” she asked incredulously.
When she finally picked up the phone, I quickly introduced myself to her. There was so much excitement in her voice that I could feel her energy through the phone. As I asked her questions about her life before coming to SupportiveLiving.ca, he
Barb M at Walnut Manor
Many times I encountered a crossroad in my life. I would take the wrong path because I used my brain instead of relying on my heart or instincts. Perhaps it was derived from childhood beliefs to think more and feel less.
Over-thinking and constant analysis led to paralysis. I went down the path of least resistance for the sake of comfort. Doing what was familiar because
When in the corporate world, I remember visiting our offices downtown and walking around the homeless on my way to our penthouse suite.
In the blazing heat of the summer or the bitter cold winters with temperatures hitting record lows of -25C, I often wondered why they did not stay in shelters. Acquaintances would warn me not to give them money because instead of charity, I would be feeding their drug habits. Or they would try
SupportiveLiving.ca is proud to announce that they are the recipient of a National Enablement Award. Canadian over 50’s Housing Awards bestowed the honour upon SupportiveLiving.ca in a ceremony that took place in Mississauga, Ontario on Dec 10, 2019.
SupportiveLiving.ca's management team from left to right: Shama Chaudhry, (Director of Communications), Cynthia Lamb (Regional Supervisor), Jacqueline Honey
What is Supportive Living?
Adequate and suitable housing contributes to physical and mental well-being.
Supportive Living homes provide the advantages of living independently, with affordable housing for people struggling with chronic mental health issues.
As stated in the Homeless Hub report, "Housing First in Canada," a harm reduction model of housing acknowledges t
Do you sometimes feel like a hamster on a wheel when you are faced with challenging clients who are hard to stabilize? As much as industry professionals want to stabilize housing for their clients, sometimes we feel like we are on an endless cycle of hospitalization, incarceration, and homelessness.
The cycle of homelessness, incarceration, and hospitalization
Despite efforts to bri
