With the pending closure of their northwest Calgary facility, Vecova Centre for Disability Services and Research is moving to a new model to provide services to Calgarians with disabilities.

The new model sees Vecova moving into a hub for programming and services at the Kahanoff Centre in the Beltline, with new spoke locations providing regional services in northwest Calgary at Kaleidoscope, and in Canmore and Airdrie.

Vecova CEO Kelly Holmes-Binns said that the new model would allow for services to continue for clients and provide more flexibility in the way that those services are provided.

“I think it’s going to open up a lot more opportunity for easy access to individuals in those communities, and it will position us well for future growth to move into new communities where we don’t offer services directly. Currently, one of the biggest barriers that we hear from the individuals we serve is transportation,” Holmes-Binns said.

She said that the transportation to the Vecova facility near the university has been daunting for clients, and that change would hopefully make it easier to access services.

The new model would additionally allow for expansion into south Calgary.

The Kahanoff Centre will host Vecova’s housing, mental health, training, and administration services and staff, while Kaleidoscope will host employment, wayfinding, consumer services, and social and community programs.

Those locations are expected to be open in late fall, with renovations beginning in the summer.

Holmes-Binns said that conversations around moving to the hub-and-spoke model began in 2024, with community research.

“We’ve been talking with our staff and with the different levels of government in terms of gaps and needs for services, and a big piece of the feedback is the transportation challenge, as well as areas outside of Calgary really struggling to provide services in their community for people with disabilities,” she said.

“That’s where the Vecova can come in and help to integrate into the community, and provide supports directly where people live.”

Vecova’s main facility, which houses its recreation and aquatic programming, will be closing permanently on Friday, June 27, after attempts to secure funding to build a new aquatics and recreation centre came to an end in late 2024.

Vecova will be hosting a farewell ceremony for the facility, which was opened in 1969, on June 17.

For more details, see vecova.ca.