THE HISTORY OF CRESTON AND DISTRICT SOCIETY FOR COMMUNITY LIVING.
"The Dr. Endicott Centre"
 

The Creston and District Society for Community Living has a long history in the Creston and the out lying areas of the Kootenays. Starting in the 1950's with Dr. Endicott, the Endicott Center, now know as CDSCL served the Kootenay areas providing support and education to those born with physical and mental disabilities.

Below is a brief description of the 53 years of service CDSCL. has provided and still provides today. Prior to the 1960's, there were no Kootenay-based services for people with developmental disabilities. Children with a developmental disability did not attend school and their adult counterparts did not work or participate in the community. The closest diagnostic and assessment facility was at the far away, hard to reach, Woodlands Institution, near Vancouver.

Dr. James Endicott was a general practitioner and pediatrician in Trail, BC. He took an active part in community affairs including politics and the United Church. He became concerned at the surprisingly large number of mentally handicapped children who were brought to him for treatment. Against popular beliefs at the time, Dr. Endicott believed that many of these children were capable of learning and in 1948, he established a residential home and school in the Kootenays.

In 1951, Dr Endicott and a group of parents incorporated the first Kootenay Society for Handicapped Children.

Other community chapters followed. The Creston Chapter was started in 1956. The decentralized care of handicapped children spread throughout the province and in 1955 the BC Association for the Mentally Handicapped was formed.

In 1956, the Pine Grove School was started in Creston and in 1963, the Kootenay Society for Handicapped Children established the Endicott Home and the following year Pine Grove School became the resident school. The Home and school served 15 boys and 15 girls and was run by the Sisters of Our Lady of the Cross. Funding came from government, 10 school districts and parent fees. The first child, with a diagnosed developmental disability, was granted permission, after a long struggle, to attend the public school, in Creston, in 1970. An adult unit was opened in 1970 for 15 adults. Lay staff now provided care and the site was CUPE certified in 1972. By 1977, the Endicott Centre served 74 people.

In 1980, Community Living was the dream and down sizing started where i n 1986, the move from the Endicott Centre to community based services was well on its way.

When Tranquille, Woodlands and Glendale closed in Kamloops, Endicott Centre staff helped people come home and in 1989, two adult group homes were established, one in Creston and the other in Nelson. 1997, was the birth of the new society, the Creston and District Society for Community Living (CDSCL) was incorporated. In 1998, CDSCL took over the provision of services from the Endicott Centre.

Finally, in 2002, the larger facilities were closed, the last resident was moved into the community, and CDSCL moved their administrative office to an uptown location at 223 10th Avenue North. Community Living was and is in full operation.

In 2005, CDSCL began branching out to provide services to people with other disabilities and needs by starting a Therapeutic Riding Program for children and adults with various disabilities.

In 2005, CDSCL received a three year accreditation status from CARF.  Click here to read the report.

In the fall of 2007, CDSCL took over the management of Rebekah Manor, a subsidized apartment building for seniors.