February 1, 2024
After 31 years of outstanding service, Todd MacDonald, Senior Manager from Health and Transition Services, announced his retirement at the end of 2023.
Todd joined St.Amant as a Resident Care Coordinator in 1993 and has held several roles for over three decades.
“I went through four unique roles, and I deeply enjoyed each one of them. I think there is such a great vibrance now and then with great people.”
His passion for supporting and advocating for people with disabilities was critical in the work of deinstitutionalization and community transitions for the people supported by St. Amant’s Health and Transition Services. Todd states that:
“One of the most fulfilling parts of my career was to be part of the deinstitutionalizing process. When I began working here, we had 286 people living in this building (440 River Road, Winnipeg). Now we have 78. I felt that my work changed people’s lives because I was focused on integrating people into the community. And I felt good about it.”
Over the past few years, Todd has been a key staff member in developing the short-term admission and discharge processes. His dedication to establishing meaningful relationships with community partners and supporting the COVID-19 pandemic response was remarkable.
Beyond the friendships and relationships built through his career, Todd hopes that being part of St.Amant’s transition process into a community-setting organization will be a legacy for current and future professionals and people supported by St.Amant. Building relationships has always been Todd’s natural gift.
“I love people, so building relationships and helping St.Amant through working on those relationships felt pretty fulfilling.”
Todd’s unique ability to connect with people has inspired everyone who crossed paths with him at St.Amant and beyond. His welcoming, encouraging, and supportive personality has been a natural draw for people. It granted him the status of local celebrity in the organization.
Kerri Walters, Psychology & Research Services Director said, “Todd played a huge role in welcoming me to the Research Centre and Psychology Services as a young researcher. Todd has a genuine love for his work, for the people he works with, and for the people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism in the province.”
“He leaves his legacy to all of us after so many years of providing a genuine version of who we are inspired to be if we could be. If we could build the future, I’d look to Todd as a role model. His legacy for us is to continue with the important work that we do,” concluded Walters.
At the end of December, staff and friends held a farewell party in St.Amant’s cafeteria, filled with people whose lives changed for the better thanks to his passion and dedication to his work.
Along with memories shared, laughter, and even some tears, Todd’s retirement party included a sing along from a popular song from Cher, Believe, adapted exclusively for the occasion:
“Do you believe in life after Todd
We can feel something inside us say
We really don’t think we’re strong enough, no.”
Amongst several stories Todd sorted through photos and gifts all over his office, one particularly close to his heart.
“We supported a young man and his family from a northern community to cope with the process of ‘losing’ him. He was slowly fading, and in that process, I learned so much from his family about their culture, their journey as a family, and being open and honest about what was happening.
When he passed, his family gave me one of his jackets. They said that I was now part of the family. It happened many years ago and I was young. But that stayed with me. This is probably the nicest gift I’ve ever received. All these gifts helped me to stay afloat when challenging times came and gave me strength to continue despite difficulties.”
Todd’s kind heart shines through his words when asked for advice to current and future generations.
“During challenging times, I knew we (at St.Amant) were trying our best, but I also knew that given enough time, we’d get there. If you know you’re doing the right thing, just like anything in life, challenges won’t stop you from continually doing your best. Stay true to yourself and be open to sharing who you are and what you bring. That’s how we all learn and make positive changes.”
After so many years of dedication and intense work as a valuable employee, Todd looks forward to beginning the next step of his journey.
“I’m excited about taking time to rest for a while and understand what the next phase of my life will look like. I also need to let go, which is hard. I love golf, and I love being around my family. I’ve been thinking about being part of a helping network, animals perhaps. That is something I genuinely love. But also, I need to be around people.”
Please join St.Amant in thanking Todd for his more than 30 years of service and celebrating his well-earned retirement milestone.
Happy retirement, Todd.