Lansdowne Children’s Centre hosts annual general meeting

Lansdowne Children's Centre CEO Rita-Marie Hadley

Lansdowne Children’s Centre’s annual general meeting on June 15 was a celebration of the year behind, and an eager glimpse at the road ahead.

Board Chair Ashley Veldkamp spoke to the impact Lansdowne had had over the past year, including that the organization had supported 10 per cent more infants, children and youth than the year previous, as well as expanding its tiered model of service to every publicly funded school across its 4,000-square-kilometre catchment area.

“This means more children are receiving support earlier, helping them build the skills and confidence they need to succeed at home, at school, and in their communities,”

she said.

She also noted that progress had been made on Lansdowne’s new site in Brantford, including the announcement of the location of the new building, and funding commitments from municipal leaders.

Later in the meeting, Lansdowne CEO Rita-Marie Hadley provided some updates on the new building project; there was a slide loop for attendees to see some of the updated designs.

During her presentation, Veldkamp recognized all of the members of the board, capital steering committee and professional advisory committee, thanking them for their contributions. She took a moment for a special thanks to Lloyd St. Amand, who joined the board in 2015, served on the executive, was the board chair and extended his service as past chair to allow for a smooth leadership transition.

Past board chair Lloyd St Amand recognized for his years of proud dedication and volunteer service to Lansdowne Children's Centre, with current board chair Ashley Veldkamp, at the 2026 annual general meeting in Brantford.

“Lloyd, thank you for your steady guidance, thoughtful leadership, and years of dedication to Lansdowne,” Veldkamp said.

A number of staff were honoured for their service milestones with Lansdowne: for five years of service, Kate Cronin, Amanda Hatton, Samantha Hunter, Logan McDonald, Debbie-Lynn Nelson, Claire Soden, Cynthia Tiffany, and Sarah Willson; for ten years of service, Stephanie Fox; for 15 years of service, Ann Matheson; for 20 years of service, Cassandra Cloet, Amy Joudrey, and Natasha Kramer; and for 25 years of service, Melissa Andrus, Marg Farrace, Tara Marcellus, and Sarah Thompson.

There was also a special recognition of Lorraine DeJong, social worker, who was retiring after 38 years with Lansdowne.

Other awards presented at the meeting were the Terry Fisher Memorial Art Award, which was presented to Billie Macdonald-Moore, and the Bob Cassie Community Care Award, which was presented to Julie Neal.

The meeting also included a presentation by guest speaker Tom McHugh, CEO of Grandview Kids, who spoke about his agency’s journey from a grassroots movement by client families calling for a new facility for the agency to the ribbon cutting on a new building several years later.

As work on Lansdowne’s own new building project gains traction, updates will be provided on a more regular basis.

The special guests at the annual general meeting included MPP Will Bouma; City of Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis; Anne Collinson, program supervisor from the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services; Sarah Robertson with Child and Family services of Grand Erie; Sandra Parker and Linda McFadyen with Contact Brant; Annette Minutillo with the Samuel Stedman Foundation; Tammy West and Sue Bailey from Haldimand Norfolk REACH; Sherry Smith and Chantal Dunn with the City of Brantford; Anne Marie Peirce and Amy Sterkenburg from the Brant Community Foundation; and past Lansdowne board chair Scott Lyons.

Click here to read Lansdowne's 2025/26 annual report: www.lansdownecentre.ca/post/2025-2026-annual-report-lansdowne-children-s-centre