SCE LifeWorks is excited to announce the recipient of the 2024 SCE LifeWorks Impact Award: Dale Kendel!

Dale Kendel has dedicated nearly 60 years to improving the lives of people with intellectual disabilities, and even in retirement, he remains an active advocate. 

Dale’s career began with direct support and leadership roles at various camps, recreation activities in Manitoba from 1966 to 1973. This evolved to a regional staff position in Westman Parklands region. 

In 1976, he was appointed Executive Director of Community Living Manitoba, a position he held for 33 years until his retirement in 2009. During his tenure, with the help of many, Dale became a key agent of change, advocating for de-institutionalization and championing community-based services. 

Under his leadership, initiatives like the “Welcome Home” project in the early 1980s marked the first major push for de-institutionalization in Manitoba. Dale also played a pivotal role in the closure of the Pelican Lake institution in 2000, and the most recent 2024 closure of the Manitoba Development Centre, always acknowledging the many partners involved in these significant efforts. He was also instrumental in advocating for the legal rights of Manitobans with intellectual disabilities, contributing to the landmark charter challenge that replaced the Mental Health Act with the Vulnerable Person’s Act in 1996. This was later revised in 2022 as the Adults Living with an Intellectual Disability Act (once again, Dale was deeply involved in this revision process as part of the 9-person Task Force Report, “Pathways to Dignity-Rights, Safeguards, Planning and Decision Making”). 

Throughout his career, Dale’s influence extended far beyond these milestones. He was a driving force behind the Manitoba Marathon, which helped fund service growth, and the development of In The Company of Friends, a client-led service model. Dale also championed the right to education for individuals with intellectual disabilities and played a key role in the foundational years of the Manitoba Supported Employment Network (MSEN). 

Dale’s contributions didn’t stop there—he supported the growth of the People First self-advocacy movement, advanced services for individuals with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD), addressed justice issues, and expanded person-centred planning. He also spent ten years on the Barrier Free Manitoba Steering Committee, advocating for accessibility legislation that led to the Accessibility for Manitobans Act in 2013. 

Dale’s career is filled with achievements that shaped services and advocacy for people with intellectual disabilities in Manitoba. He has been, and continues to be, a tireless champion and capacity builder for inclusion and social change. 

Oly Backstrom, President and CEO of SCE LifeWorks, reflects on Dale’s tremendous contributions over the years:
“If there was a systemic change that improved the lives of Manitobans with developmental disabilities in the last 50 years, there’s a good chance Dale was instrumental in driving that change. He has been a tireless, determined advocate across many fronts. Dale has also been a true capacity builder—identifying opportunities, providing the initial push, and then entrusting them to a colleague or organization to carry forward, always for the betterment of Manitobans with disabilities. At SCE LifeWorks, we are proud to recognize Dale, and this gives us and the entire community an opportunity to say a heartfelt ‘thank you.’”

Dale Kendel’s Award will be presented at the upcoming “Come Together” event on Thursday 7, 2024 at WAG-Qaumajuq – Ilavut (300 Memorial Boulevard). For more details and to purchase tickets, please visit https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/sce-lifeworks-inc/events/come-together/