Oly Backstrom, Presiedent and CEO of SCE LifeWorks
For Immediate Release: Orland (Oly) Backstrom, President and CEO of SCE LifeWorks, has been appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada, an honour that recognizes individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the nation.
The SCE LifeWorks philosophy is: “We believe that all people deserve the opportunity to live and work in the community where they are respected and rewarded for their efforts, skills, and accomplishments.”
Oly began his career at SCE LifeWorks in 1994, initially as a direct support worker, assisting a young man in transitioning from a residential institution to life in the community. He worked his way up through the organization to become President and CEO. Along the way, he shared not only the organization’s philosophy but also his personal belief that everyone has a gift that society can benefit from. However, for people with intellectual disabilities, those gifts are often not ‘unwrapped.’ Oly believes that individuals with intellectual disabilities are capable of achieving more in all aspects of life, including in the workplace.
Oly recognized the transition from school to adult life is a high-stakes time, where support is crucial for young adults. This insight led him to champion the Project SEARCH school-to-work model in Manitoba.
Project SEARCH was developed in 1996 at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center by Erin Riehle, who recognized that individuals with developmental disabilities could be trained to fill high-turnover, entry-level positions involving complex and systemic tasks. Now present in more than 700 locations worldwide, Project SEARCH graduates over 3,500 students annually, with more than 75% securing meaningful employment.
Oly played a pivotal role in bringing this program to Canada, starting in 2008. For three years, he worked tirelessly to engage school divisions, Manitoba Hydro and the provincial government in a collaborative partnership, eventually launching the first Canadian site at Manitoba Hydro/the Government of Manitoba in 2011. Building on the success of the first site, Oly continued to break down systemic barriers, leading to the creation of a second Project SEARCH site at HSC Winnipeg in 2016.
Oly’s belief in the Project SEARCH model has inspired him to speak across Canada at conferences such as the Canadian Association for Supported Employment (CASE), the Saskatchewan Association of Rehabilitation Centres’ Conference, the Ontario Disability Employment Network (ODEN) Conference, and the Canadian Association for Community Living Best Practices Summit. His presentation at the 2017 ODEN conference helped spark the spread of the model across Canada, leading to the opening of two new sites in September 2019 at Halton Health Care and Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital / UHN Toronto Rehab.
Thanks to Oly’s efforts and his willingness to assist, champion, and support the model,–followed up by colleagues in Ontario and PEI who shared the vision and worked hard to execute Project SEARCH site development–there are currently 22 Project SEARCH sites (2 MB, 19 ON, 1 PEI) in Canada who anticipate the 2023/2024 graduates across the three provinces obtaining meaningful employment, with a macro-level impact of income and social inclusion benefiting their communities.
“Oly transformed the experience of Canadian youth with disabilities who are transitioning from school to work when he brought the international best practice Project SEARCH model to Canada in 2011. The model raises employment outcomes by more than 2.5 times and builds inclusive workplaces. We now have 22 Project SEARCH locations in 3 Canadian provinces and we are continuing to grow this impact.” — Carolyn McDougall, Manager, Employment Pathways, Ontario/Canada Coordinator, Project SEARCH, Business Liaison for Project SEARCH Toronto at Holland Bloorview
Those who work with him daily have the distinct pleasure of witnessing the results of his hard work and dedication to unlocking the hidden gifts in individuals with intellectual disabilities.
“Oly has spent more than 30 years championing the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in the workforce and the community. His unwavering commitment to challenge the status quo resulted in Project SEARCH coming to Winnipeg, not just at one site, but at two, ultimately providing better outcomes for people in our city. The Board of SCE LifeWorks is not only proud of Oly’s work but even prouder of him as a person. Oly makes our city a better place to live.” — Joe Shedden, Chair, Board of Directors for SCE LifeWorks
The Board of Directors and staff at SCE LifeWorks are immensely proud to celebrate this recognition of Oly Backstrom’s tireless work over the past 30 years to raise awareness and unlock the potential of people with intellectual disabilities. For more information on Project SEARCH
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