Partnership for Long-Term Impact: Woods Homes’ EDI Journey

April 21, 2026:

Partnership for Long-Term Impact: Woods Homes’ EDI Journey

Q: What impact has this partnership with the Centre had for the Woods Homes team?

It’s been great. It’s driven a lot of our work in the EDI space forward in our organization. With the support of the Training Centre team, we were able to interpret and decide how to move forward in a path of change – there were so many options and complete flexibility to make choices that matched with our organizational needs.

We have made the Centre’s workshop Creating a Culture of Respect one of the conditions of our employment for all the staff in our organization. So that’s the main workshop that our people access, but a few of our programs have utilized other training components too.

Q: What challenges did you encounter along the way?

One ongoing challenge has been finding ways to truly honour and prioritize EDI work when, for many of us, it can feel like it’s happening off the side of our desks. That raises practical questions about capacity and accountability and how we ensure the right people are tending to the right pieces, and that the work is supported to be sustainable.

Another challenge is simply knowing where to begin. Equity and inclusion work is never static: the learning evolves, expectations shift, and priorities change as we listen more closely and understand more deeply. In those moments, teams sometimes have to choose progress over perfection, taking a thoughtful risk, leaning into learning and starting to chart a path rather than waiting until every step feels fully clear.

Q: What’s next for your team?

A key focus for us is continuing to invite feedback on how we’re doing in the EDI space, with particular attention to 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion. We want to stay connected to what’s emerging and what may be possible, then bring those insights back to staff to confirm if we’re on the right path. Above all, we’re committed to keeping the conversation open and the information flowing so we can respond thoughtfully, adapt as needed and remain creative in how we move this work forward.

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