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LiveWorkPlay Joins The BUSY Group: New Partnership Strengthens Inclusion in Ottawa and Beyond

For 31 years and counting, LiveWorkPlay has helped the community welcome and include people with intellectual disabilities, autistic persons, and individuals with a dual diagnosis to live, work, and play as valued citizens.

Today, we are excited to announce one of the most important developments in LiveWorkPlay history, one that we believe will help strengthen our ability to deliver on that mission for decades to come. Click here to read the announcement from The BUSY Group Canada. Continue reading below to learn more from LiveWorkPlay!

Following more than a year of exploration, due diligence, consultation, and governance review, LiveWorkPlay has joined The BUSY Group, an international not-for-profit organization delivering employment, education, training, and community services across Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

This partnership brings together two organizations that share a belief in inclusion, meaningful employment, strong communities, and the right of every person to live, work, and play as a valued citizen.

For LiveWorkPlay, joining The BUSY Group provides access to additional expertise, operational capacity, and long-term sustainability that will help strengthen our work into the future.

What Stays the Same?

While this is an exciting new chapter, there is much that remains unchanged:

  • LiveWorkPlay remains a federally incorporated Canadian nonprofit and registered charity, headquartered at Bayview Yards in Ottawa
  • The LiveWorkPlay name and brand carry on
  • Julie Kingstone and Keenan Wellar continue as the operational leaders
  • The entire staff team continues as LiveWorkPlay employees
  • All services continue without interruption
  • Relationships with supported individuals, families, employers, volunteers, funders, and community partners remain unchanged
  • Our commitment to inclusion, citizenship, and human rights continues

About The BUSY Group

Founded in Australia in 1977, The BUSY Group is one of the largest not-for-profit employment, education, training, and community services organizations in its sector, with a global total of 1,500 staff in Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Canada.

Like LiveWorkPlay, The BUSY Group is mission-driven and reinvests its resources into community impact rather than distributing profits to shareholders.

Through its employment, education, disability employment, and training services, The BUSY Group supports individuals, families, employers, and communities to create meaningful opportunities and stronger futures.

For LiveWorkPlay, joining The BUSY Group means becoming part of a larger values-aligned organization with decades of experience, substantial operational capacity, and a proven track record of sustainability and growth.

How Is the Relationship Structured?

LiveWorkPlay continues to operate as a Canadian registered charity and federally incorporated nonprofit with its own Board of Directors and leadership team. Two representatives from The BUSY Group are expected to join the Board of Directors.

This transaction was structured as a nonprofit acquisition. Unlike acquisitions in the corporate sector, it did not involve the purchase of shares or the transfer of private ownership. Instead, the transaction was completed via new LiveWorkPlay by-laws that enabled a change in control. Effective June 1, 2026, The BUSY Group Canada became the sole corporate member of LiveWorkPlay, assuming the governance rights and responsibilities associated with that role.

This structure allows LiveWorkPlay to retain its charitable status, local leadership, staff team, and community identity while benefiting from the experience, resources, and operational support of The BUSY Group network. Over time, community members may see examples of co-branding that reflect LiveWorkPlay’s connection to The BUSY Group. The LiveWorkPlay name and identity have been part of this community for more than 30 years, and that will continue.

Caption: LiveWorkPlay voting members joined a Special Meeting of Members in person, online, and via proxy on May 27, 2026, to approve the by-law changes required for joining The BUSY Group. 94% (31/33) eligible members participated in the meeting, and the resolution was approved by a unanimous vote.

Looking Ahead

Joining The BUSY Group creates new opportunities to strengthen and grow the work we do together. For the first time in LiveWorkPlay history, we have the opportunity to connect our operational work with an international network of organizations focused on employment, education, community inclusion, and social impact.

Over time, we will explore opportunities to expand supports and services, strengthen advocacy and systems-change efforts, invest in workforce development, and bring the LiveWorkPlay approach to more communities across Ontario and Canada.

Together, LiveWorkPlay and The BUSY Group will explore opportunities to:

  • Expand supports and services in Ontario and, where appropriate, elsewhere in Canada;
  • Strengthen advocacy and systems-change efforts;
  • Enhance workforce development and training opportunities; and
  • Continue investing in the person-centred approaches that define LiveWorkPlay.

Many people will be hearing this news for the first time today. While the announcement is new, the process that led to this decision began in January 2025 and included extensive due diligence, consultation, governance review, and member approval. We have some photos below that capture a few key moments along the way.

We are proud of what has been built over the past three decades and excited about what comes next. Thank you for your trust, support, and belief in LiveWorkPlay’s mission. We can’t wait to keep building that future — with all of you!

Keenan Wellar and Julie Kingstone, Co-Leaders
Daniel Spagnolo, Chair of the Board of Directors

Media Inquiry? Question? Contact Co-Leader and Director of Communications
Keenan Wellar at 613-702-0332 | keenan.wellar@liveworkplay.ca

Paul Miles with family members and individuals supported by LiveWorkPlay

Stephen Riley with the LiveWorkPlay staff team

Voting members who attended the special meeting in person share a moment with Keenan, Julie, and Anna Nelson (Director of Employment Supports)


Stephen and Paul shared a laugh with Julie and Jalynn Plaus. Jalynn was celebrating her 19th work anniversary at Value Village (if you saw how many items the previous customer brought to Jalynn’s cash, you would have laughed too)