The Government of Canada is investing $1.3 million to support the creation of a National Dog Guide Training School in Oakville, Ont. The new facility will be fully accessible, featuring amenities like accessible parking, EV charging stations, and elevators, aimed at providing better services for Canadians with disabilities.

This funding is part of the Enabling Accessibility Fund and supports the Government’s Disability Inclusion Action Plan, which seeks to break down barriers and ensure more equitable access to services for all Canadians. The initiative will also help reduce waitlists for dog guide training programs.

“For Canadians with disabilities, guide and assistance dogs provide essential services to Canadians of all ages. Training centres, like the one the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides is building with the help of the Enabling Accessibility Fund program, will change lives,” says Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities. “For those who require support from guide or assistance dogs, this new centre will play a big role in helping them take part fully in everyday life and improve their independence.”