AUGUST 28, 2026
Your Voice Matters.
The Elmwood Community Hub is being built on a simple principle: Do With, Not For.
As we begin the next phase of design, we are inviting people with disabilities, caregivers, family members, and disability sector experts to participate in a series of engagement sessions focused on the future Interconnected Support spaces within the Elmwood Community Hub.
Before schematic design begins, we want to hear directly from the people who understand accessibility, inclusion, and participation through lived experience and professional expertise.
Together, we can help shape spaces where people can grow, connect, and thrive.
About the Elmwood Community Hub
The Elmwood Community Hub is a planned accessible and inclusive community that brings interconnected support, health and wellness services, and housing together in one place.
Rooted in the belief that everyone deserves opportunities to grow, connect, and thrive, the Community Hub is being designed to reduce barriers, foster belonging, and create opportunities for meaningful participation.
While the Hub will address critical gaps experienced by people with disabilities, it is not intended to serve only people with disabilities. The vision is for a welcoming and inclusive community where people of all abilities can learn, participate, build relationships, and access supports together.
The Hub will be built around three interconnected components:
Interconnected Support: Purpose-designed spaces that support learning, recreation, employment readiness, daily life skills, social connection, community participation, and belonging.
Health & Wellness: Accessible, disability-informed health, therapeutic, and wellness services that support long-term well-being.
Housing: Accessible-ready independent living apartments designed to support a diverse range of needs and living arrangements.
Want to learn more about the Elmwood Community Hub? Visit our main project page.
Why We Are Asking for Your Input
Lived experience has been central to the Community Hub vision from the beginning.
People with disabilities are often expected to adapt to spaces that were designed without them in mind. Through these engagement sessions, we hope to better understand the barriers people face and identify opportunities to create a more welcoming and inclusive environment.
We recognize that accessibility looks different for everyone. Individuals have unique needs and, at times, competing needs. While no environment can meet every need, thoughtful design begins with listening.
Your input will help us better understand:
- Barriers to participation
- What helps people feel welcome and included
- What supports independence and belonging
- Priorities that should inform future design decisions
About the Engagement Sessions
These stakeholder engagement sessions willbe facilitated by Group2 Architecture Interior Design, the project's lead architect.
Each session will be approximately 90 minutes and will focus on the experiences, opportunities, and barriers that influence how people access, navigate, and participate in community life.
Topics may include:
- Arriving at the Community Hub
- Entering and navigating buildings
- Moving through indoor and outdoor spaces
- Participating in programs and activities
- Building connections and a sense of belonging
- Experiences that create barriers or support inclusion
Participants may engage in both large-group and smaller breakout discussions to ensure a variety of experiences and perspectives are heard.
These sessions are not intended to review building designs or renderings. Rather, participants will be asked to share experiences, needs, challenges, and priorities that can help guide future design decisions.
Who Should Participate?
We are seeking input from individuals who identify with one of the following groups:
People with Physical Disabilities
Examples include:
- People who use wheelchairs, walkers, canes, scooters, or other mobility devices
- People living with chronic pain or fatigue-related disabilities
- Individuals with conditions such as MS, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, or spinal cord injuries
People with Sensory and Cognitive Disabilities
Examples include:
- People with intellectual disabilities
- People with acquired brain injuries
- People with autism, learning disabilities or neurodiverse experiences
- Individuals who are blind or have low vision
- Individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing
- People who use alternative communication methods
Caregivers and Family Members
Examples include:
- Parents, Siblings, Spouses and partners
- Guardians, trustees, and other decision-makers
- Individuals who regularly assist a person with a disability to navigate daily life, services, or community participation
Disability Sector and Accessibility Experts
Examples include:
- Leaders of disability service organizations
- Accessibility consultants
- Supported employment providers
- Self-advocacy organization leaders
Accessibility and Participation Supports
We are committed to making these sessions as accessible and inclusive as possible.
During registration, participants will be asked about any accommodations or supports they require to fully participate. Elmwood will work with participants to provide appropriate supports wherever possible.
Support persons are welcome. One engagement session will also be offered virtually to support participation for those unable to attend in person.
Light refreshments will be provided at in-person sessions.
How Your Feedback Will Be Used
Feedback collected during these engagement sessions will be reviewed by Group2, Elmwood and the project team.
Themes, priorities, and insights identified through engagement will help inform schematic design and future decision-making. While it may not be possible to incorporate every suggestion, all feedback will be carefully reviewed and considered.
Participants will receive a high-level summary of what we heard and how the engagement is helping guide the next phase
of the project.
Looking Ahead
These engagement sessions are the beginning of an ongoing engagement process.
As the project moves through design, Elmwood expects to establish a Lived Experience Panel that will continue to provide feedback and guidance throughout the design process.
Panel participants will help ensure lived experience remains central as design concepts, renderings, and future decisions are developed.
Additional information about future participation opportunities will be shared following the engagement sessions.
Session Dates and Registration
Session 1 – In Person
September 23rd, 2026
Time: 10:00 am to 11:30 am
Location: Bishop LeGatt Hall, Cathedral of the Holy Family, 123 Nelson Road, Saskatoon
Session 2 – In Person
September 23rd, 2026
Time: 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm
Location: Bishop LeGatt Hall, Cathedral of the Holy Family, 123 Nelson Road, Saskatoon
Session 3 – Virtual
September 24th, 2026
Time: noon to 1:30 pm
Location: online Microsoft Teams Meeting (Link to be sent out closer tosession)
Registration helps us:
- Reserve your spot
- Plan accommodations and accessibility supports
- Understand the perspectives represented
- Follow up with participants after the sessions
Questions?
Maggie Stevenson
Director of Philanthropy
Elmwood Residences Inc.
P: 306-649-6677
E: mstevenson@elmwoodyxe.ca