Since its creation in 1954, inclusion Powell River has been bringing the community together, including those with physical, mental health or developmental disabilities. The ARC Community Event Centre located within the Jean Pike Centre for Inclusion at 7055 Alberni Street is part of this, providing a gathering space for community events as well as ongoing programs and services.
Currently, a media room is being put together at the space featuring a green screen for video productions that will be available for the general public to use. Harvey Chometsky, artist-in-residence for the ARC, said the changes are exciting and just the beginning.
“The green screen allows you to video and drop the background out and put a different background behind anything you want,” said Chometsky.
One of the plans for the media room is to create a series of video portraits of people the organization serves and others involved, “to indicate how this organization has been pivotal in shaping the character of the community,” he added.
Chometsky works at the centre on a volunteer basis because he is passionately committed to the work being done.
“I don’t think the community is really totally aware of the influence of inclusion Powell River,” he said. “The beautiful thing to me, why I am so committed to this organization, is that it was created right from the community: mothers and fathers who just said, ‘Our kids need to be welcome here; we need to create some way of making that happen.’”
ARC space manager Jennifer Morris works with a group at the centre known as self advocates, described as “a support, social and lobby group for people with diversabilities.” It helps its members raise funds to attend workshops and conferences and provides many fun and educational activities.
Mark Pearson is part of the group. He moved to Powell River from the Lower Mainland earlier this year and has become very involved in programs offered at the ARC.
“I just started here,” said Pearson. “I like the music on Fridays and I have made friends.”
In addition to participating in art programs, Pearson has been helping out at fundraising events including dinners, a garden party and this week’s Fashion for a Passion show, where he will be escorting models to the stage.
“The self advocates are very energetic,” said Morris. “These are happy people.”
The success of the ARC programs circle back to the vision and support of the greater community, according to Chometsky. “Almost anything we want to make happen in our community,” he said, “we can make happen.”
