Province Supports Horizon Achievement Centre in Sydney, to Expand Employment Opportunities

Building a stronger Nova Scotia where everyone can grow and succeed means all people should have the opportunity to live active lives and contribute to their communities.

Premier Stephen McNeil announced today, Feb. 19, in Sydney that government is investing $2 million to support Horizon Achievement Centre to help adults with diverse abilities access employment training. The province has also given Horizon 2.2 hectares of land in the Harbourside Business Park, where a new building will be built to house the facility.

The centre has launched a capital campaign to raise funds for the new facility. To date, the organization has raised over $1.3 million.

“Horizon Achievement Centre provides important skill building programs and has helped many individuals on their journey to further independence,” said Premier Stephen McNeil. “This investment will mean more participants and their families have the support they need to develop life and employment skills.”

The centre provides supportive employment and training opportunities to individuals with an intellectual disability or barriers to employment through a variety of social enterprises.

It is Cape Breton’s largest provider of vocational training and employment development services and a prominent supplier of products and services to the surrounding community.

Quotes:

“This project will serve as a prominent piece of community infrastructure within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality that will positively reflect on the inclusion of adults living with intellectual disabilities. A new facility will allow us to expand our many programs, services and social enterprises while also allowing us to accommodate additional clients from an extensive waiting list."

– Carol Pendergast, executive director, Horizon Achievement Centre

“I am learning how to cook. I make my own money. I am more confident in myself than I was five years ago, before I even started working here and at school. I absolutely love it.”

– Catlin Cox, participant, Horizon Achievement Centre

Quick Facts:

• the $2 million investment is part of a $6.4 million capital campaign to build a new facility for Horizon Achievement Centre
• Horizon Achievement Centre was started in 1984 and now has over 130 participants
• the centre provides real wage opportunities and supportive employment through an on-site kitchen, mail and printing service, online thrift store and four offsite cafes located in Sydney
• Horizon Achievement Centre also receives $1.8 million in annual operational funding from the Department of Community Services under the Disability Support Program
• government is investing in helping disability service providers maintain or expand day programming services. Recent examples include an $800,000 contribution to the Colchester Community Workshops, an $500,000 contribution to the Flower Cart Group in the Annapolis Valley and an $1 million contribution to the Haley Street Adult Services Centre in North Sydney

Additional Resources:

Horizon Achievement Centre: https://www.horizon-ns.ca/

Choice, Equality and Good Lives in Inclusive Communities: A Roadmap for Transforming the Nova Scotia Services to Persons with Disabilities Program: https://novascotia.ca/coms/transformation/docs/Choice_Equality_and_Good_Lives_in_Inclusive_Communities.pdf