A longtime fixture in the Steinbach community is preparing to close its doors for good, but not without opening many others.
Kindale Industries, operated by enVision Community Living, will officially shut down operations on July 18th. In its place, a new chapter begins, one that's all about choice, growth, and opportunity.
Jeannette DeLong, Executive Director of enVision Community Living says that Kindale Industries has served the Steinbach area for decades, once providing structured work and skill-building opportunities for people living with intellectual disabilities. At its peak, the facility supported over 125 individuals each day with woodworking, packaging, screen printing, and even sewing, though those specific trades began to fade with time.
"The last people who knew how to sew retired about eight years ago," DeLong shared. "And things change, buying clothes became cheaper, and the needs of the people we serve started to shift."
According to DeLong, families and individuals began voicing a desire for more community-based, individualized services. They didn’t want to be in a separate facility anymore; they wanted to be part of the broader community.
"For about 20 years now, we've been hearing the same message: people want to belong in the community, not just work separately from it," she explained. "And now we’re seeing that dream come true."
That dream is taking shape through enVision's rebranded day services, now known as enVision Possibilities: a name meant to reflect exactly that: a world of possibilities for every individual.
"Everybody has this desire to fulfill a purpose, to be productive and contributing," said DeLong. "With enVision Possibilities, we sit down with each person and figure out: what do you want to do? What do you enjoy? Then we help them build the skills they need to get there."
Unlike traditional programs, enVision Possibilities offers flexible, individualized paths. Whether it's volunteering, joining a community organization, or entering the workforce, each participant chooses their direction.
"It's not just one box people fit into anymore," said DeLong. "It’s a menu, people pick what works best for them."
This change also aligns with the ongoing success of Eastman Employment Services, another branch under the enVision umbrella, which has been helping individuals with intellectual disabilities find meaningful work for over 30 years.
"Employment services are 24/7," DeLong said. "Because jobs happen around the clock, and the people we serve are working evenings, nights, weekends, just like anyone else."
For local business owners looking to hire, Eastman Employment Services is the go-to resource.
“They know the labour pool, the skills people have, and they help businesses navigate any questions they might have about hiring someone with a disability,” she added.
With the closure of Kindale Industries, all former employees hired for that specific program have already been let go, not because of performance issues, but because the job they were hired for no longer exists in the same form.
“It’s important to understand that those positions were created for a particular kind of service model that’s changed,” said DeLong. “The services people want and need now don’t require a building that size.”
While the end of Kindale marks the closing of a significant chapter, DeLong sees it as a double celebration.
“There’s a lot to be proud of. Kindale was admired across the province, even the country, for what we did there,” she said. “But now, we’re realizing the dream of people living a life of their choosing, right in the community. And that’s worth celebrating.”
As Steinbach continues to grow and evolve, enVision Possibilities hopes to offer even more ways for people with intellectual disabilities to learn, contribute, and thrive, right alongside their fellow citizens.
“Steinbach is an inclusive, welcoming place,” said DeLong. “And that’s why this new vision is working, because the community is ready for it.”