Who We Are
Arcane Horizon Community believes that the foundation of high quality supports that empower people to be active participants in their life choices, and that maximizes their quality of life comes from upholding the principles of the Adults Living with an Intellectual Disability Act (ALIDA), coupled with an approach that follows the internationally recognized Gentle Teaching philosophy which values the necessity of engaging, positive relationships between people and the staff who support them. To effectively communicate ALIDA in a Gentle Teaching way, Arcane Horizon instructs its staff in the Non-Violent Crisis Prevention program (NCI), an internationally recognized communications skills course, with emphasis towards proactive and positive interactions. By using these three components, Arcane Horizon provides person-centered supports that empower people to connect with and impact their communities in positive and profound ways.
Arcane Horizon continues to grow and develop impactful supports from the experiences and continued contributions of staff, family members, friends and community partners. Arcane Horizon continues its mission to develop and maintain living environments and day program options for adults with intellectual disabilities, and is dedicated to developing and expanding its support of vulnerable people in Winnipeg.
Our Vision
Adults with intellectual disabilities are included, accepted and valued in our communities.
Our Mission
Arcane Horizon provides community living supports that focus on quality of life, respect and dignity for adults with intellectual disabilities.
Arcane Horizon's 2023-2028 Strategic Plan
Arcane Horizon is dedicated to moving forward with our services, staff development and communication. The PDF below summarizes our 2023 Strategic Plan
The History of Arcane Horizon
In the 1980’s and 1990's, the Nobess family challenged the Manitoba Government over rights violations of a family member living with a disability. This hard-fought challenge proved to be long and stressful, but resulted in the creation of the Vulnerable Persons Act in Manitoba, now known as the Adults Living with an Intellectual Disability Act (ALIDA). This act was designed to protect the rights and freedoms of all Manitobans living with intellectual disabilities. Following this, the family was joined by the Block family to set up supports for the first two family members to be supported by a new fledgling agency that was called Arcane Horizon Inc. Since that time, more than 60 other families have joined the Arcane Horizon Community, and the agency has continued to grow, and evolve into the new and dynamic organization that it is today.
Rooted in the principles of the Adults Living with an Intellectual Disability Act, the agency continues to strive to meet the needs of its community, respect and advocate for the rights of people living with disabilities, and create a workplace culture that values the needs of the staff who provide meaningful living assistance and relationships with the people they support and the connections to their friends and families.
Arcane Horizon is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, who share their skills and insights to help the agency operations team achieve its mission and vision.
With their guidance, we are able to explore the skills and insights of adults with intellectual disabilities, advocate for the resources needed to achieve the most positive outcomes, and help the people we support to actively belong to their communities.
Role of the Board
The Board of Directors has these key responsibilities:
- To establish and implement the organization’s mission, vision, direction and purpose.
- To establish goals and priorities in meeting the strategic direction of the organization.
- To ensure that the organization has a defined governance framework in place including policies and processes.
- To develop, implement and ensure compliance with laws, bylaws, and policies.
- To select, support, guide, direct, evaluate and determine compensation for the Executive Director (ED).
- To ensure the financial health of the organization by ensuring there are adequate resources to conduct its work, by monitoring the budget and expenditures, by protecting the assets of the organization and by ensuring there is an annual audit of the financials.
- To enhance the organization’s public image through Agency public relations and promotions.
- To monitor the community to ensure that services are relevant and accessible to supported individuals.
- To report to the community on an annual basis at the annual general meeting.
- To oversee the operations of the Board by determining its role, evaluating its operations, and by recruiting, training and evaluating individual Board Directors.
If you are interested in becoming a board member, please send your resume and cover letter to Human Resources Director Trent Whidden at twhidden@arcanehorizon.org.