A Nova Scotia marathon runner is taking on his biggest challenge yet, and raising money along the way.
Cape Sable Island’s Landon Smith is running from the southernmost tip of Nova Scotia, The Hawk on Cape Sable Island, to the province’s northernmost point, Meat Cove in Cape Breton.
Smith is raising money for Autism Nova Scotia’s day camp program.
He says he’s inspired by his nephew, who is autistic.
“I think it’s so hard for parents, especially if they’re non verbal,” said Smith. “They don’t know what’s wrong because the child can’t communicate, it’s just so hard on the parents and the children too.”
He went on to detail how demanding meeting the needs of an autistic child can be.
“Its going to go to the summer camps, because they need one counselor per child,” said Smith. “That way it gives the kids a break and the parents a break.”
Smith said he’s an experienced marathon runner, but the more than 780-kilometre run will be by far the furthest he’s ever done.
Even his daily goals are ambitious.
“I’m hoping between 70 to 80 (kilometres), that’s my goal,” said Smith. “I don’t know if I’ll hit that every day, but I know when I get to Cape Breton things will really slow down… it’s a lot of days of running, it’s a lot of time on your feet.”
Community members and supporters can follow Landon’s journey on the Landon’s Tip-to-Tip Facebook page.
Donations can be made here, where Smith has already raised $17,901, well surpassing his original $5,000 goal.
A Fredericton mom has found a permanent way to ensure her non-verbal autistic son can always communicate.
Now she is helping other non-verbal people do the same.
Almost three months ago, Jessica Fletcher got a QWERTY keyboard tattoo to help communicate with her son, Hunter, who previously relied solely on an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device — a tablet that allows users to select words and symbols — to express himself.
The idea came one day when Fletcher and Hunter were dining at a restaurant, and his tablet ran out of battery.
Fletcher said that when the device died, she asked a waitress for a piece of paper to write the alphabet for Hunter, so he could tell her what he wanted to order.
She said that when Hunter saw the paper, he became frustrated, turned it over, and began writing out the keyboard layout instead.
Fletcher said that was the moment she realized she couldn’t limit his ability to communicate to technology, because it could fail.
“So, I thought what better way than a tattoo, something that’s always on me. It’s not something I could forget at home,” she explained.
Picture of Fletcher’s tattoo. PHOTO: Hunter’s Voice Facebook page.
Fletcher then worked with local tattoo shop Main Street Tattoo Company to design the tattoo, complete with letters, a happy face, a sad face, and an I “heart” you button.
Fletcher said that when she revealed the tattoo to Hunter, he immediately became interested.
He then grabbed her arm and typed “mama.”
Since then, Fletcher said Hunter uses the tattoo every day, especially when they go swimming and in other spaces where technology can’t be used.
The tattoo has also provided another unexpected perk for Hunter: privacy.
Unlike Hunter’s speech device, which speaks his words aloud, the tattoo lets them share quiet conversations.
Fletcher said Hunter has used the tattoo when they go to the movie theater or when he needs to go to the bathroom.
She said it made her sad that she never thought of a way for him to communicate privately before.
“Communication is a human right; he deserves to be able to talk to me privately, or loudly, any way he wants,” she said. “It’s kind of bittersweet for sure; I’m so happy and amazed he can talk to me privately, but again it makes me sad he went 11 years without the ability to do so.”
Fletcher first shared her and Hunter’s story in a social media video that went viral, racking up more than two million likes and 115 million views.
Fletcher said that since then, their story has inspired many loved ones of autistic non-speaking people to find better ways to accommodate them.
“A lot of people told me that they wish they were brave enough to get a tattoo so they could accommodate non-speakers in their life, and I thought why not make shirts, sweaters, hoodies with a keyboard on the sleeve, something removable so no one has to commit to having something so permanent,” Fletcher said.
Fletcher partnered with Maritimer Clothing, a local New Brunswick business, to create T-shirts and hoodies with the keyboard design.
She said so far sales have been good, and that the initiative has also been adopted by teachers, nurses, and paramedics looking to better communicate with non-speaking individuals they interact with.
“It’s been really cool to see the impacts it’s making because it’s accessible communication right within reach,” she said.
She is now working on creating sleeves with the keyboard for people living in hotter climates, shirts and sleeves with AAC symbols for children who still don’t know how to write, and has also partnered with a U.K. company to sell the items there.
Fletcher hopes one day she can make them available globally.
“It’s important to get these out there, and it opens the door for deeper conversations about communication barriers,” she said.
Fletcher also hopes her and Hunter’s story continues to create change and more opportunities for non-speaking people to communicate.
“Non-speaking does not mean non-thinking, and communication doesn’t always have to stay on speech to be real and be meaningful, so I think offering as many accessibility tools for non-speakers is crucial,” she said.
It is a budget of more than $65.8 million for the Rainy River District School Board.
Between 70% and 75% is connected to staff salaries and wages.
The budget reflects continued declining enrolment, resulting in the board having fewer staff for the next school year.
Chief Executive Officer of Education Heather Campbell says there are some new support positions created.
“We have additional autism support workers from the prior budget year in our schools,” says Campbell.
“As well, we’ve now secured a second speech-language pathologist. We have continued funding for our First Nation, Métis and Inuit grad coach positions, both at the new Rainy River K-12 school and at Fort Frances High School.”
There are also enhancements to the funding for school field trips and secondary athletic excursions, and support for school nutrition programs.
The board is drawing from reserves to help pay for the nutrition programs.
Campbell says the budget also addresses priorities in literacy, math and pathway planning.
“We have a continuation of a lot of our digital math tools. We see continuation of support for developing those essential skills for students for their future pathways in employing an experiential learning Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program recruiter, as well as continuing with our Techways coordinator,” says Campbell.
“That program is for grades seven and eight students, giving them an early exposure to career and pathway planning with a focus on skilled trades competencies.”
Campbell says the budget also continues support for First Nation, Metis and Inuit education by increasing the number of Anishinaabemowin instructors.
She says this addresses the increase in students wanting to learn the Ojibwe language.
The board is getting more provincial funding, but Campbell says it mostly reflects inflationary adjustments.
Described as a “one-stop shop,” the website connects Ontario families with autistic children to a range of useful resources.
“I am the parent of an autistic child, and I know what it’s like to make this journey,” said Robin Cooper, a founder of Thunder Bay Autism Hub and member of the Kiwanis Club of Westfort. “It’s challenging. Every autistic person is different. There wasn’t really one place you could go. You had to do a lot of searching, and a lot of people don’t have the time. I thought, ‘this is something I can do to help other families.’ I wanted to pay back families who have helped me.”
Robin Cooper (left) announced the launch of the Thunder Bay Autism Hub with Kiwanis Club board member Terry Ferguson at a gathering Wednesday afternoon (Jacob Henriksen-Willis / June 25 2026)
Thunder Bay Autism Hub is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Westfort and developed by members of Autism Northwest, a nonprofit organization for parents of autistic children.
“The idea for this website came from [an Autism Northwest] meeting, where we were sharing a lot of information and someone said, ‘You know, we need a manual,’” said Karen Armstrong, treasurer of Autism Northwest. “So we got together with chart paper, Post-it notes, and a lot of pens, and threw ideas around. Then Robin [Cooper] took those ideas and turned them into this beautiful website.”
Cooper says parents can turn to the website at any stage of their child’s autism journey—from diagnosis through to late teenage years—and find valuable support.
Autism Northwest board members Karen Armstrong (left) and Dayle Klassen(Jacob Henriksen-Willis / June 25 2026)
“I’ve broken it down into sections and focused on what people ask the most questions about,” she said. “I’m trying to find all the little things that can make it easier for families. There’s such diversity, so any one service provider isn’t going to know everything, right? So this way we can work together collectively to share that information with the community.”
The website is designed to grow over time as more information and resources are added.
“It’s pretty amazing to see that it’s actually there,” Armstrong said. “From the privacy of your own home, you can reach out and get important information. [Robin’s] adding more stuff to it every day. It’ll be exciting to watch.”
Cooper said the next step is adding more resources for autistic adults.
“Once you’re 18, you age out of the Ontario Autism Program, then you’re looking at disability services and things like that. That transition to adulthood is really important. You need to start at 16, not 18, because it does take a while. So those are the kinds of things I’m looking to add to the website as well,” she said.
The Kenora-Rainy River District Child and Family Services (KRRDCFS) has expanded its autism services in the Rainy River District.
It has also added new programming.
It resulted from a grant received from the provincial government earlier this year.
Supervisor of Clinical and Community Services Becky Andrusko says it is exciting news for families.
“With this investment, we strengthened access to core clinical services and improved how families connect with supports, helping to reduce barriers and better navigate the system,” says Andrusko.
“We’ve also introduced new programming, including parent supports, child-focused group services and specialized mental health supports tailored for children with autism spectrum disorder.”
Andrusko notes the district has experienced a large number of children diagnosed with ASD in the last ten years.
Families usually access supports through the Ontario Autism Program (OAP).
According to an Ontario Autism Coalition report issued last fall, one-third of families indicated having to wait a year or more to access OAP’s core clinical services, with longer wait times for those in northern Ontario.
Andrusco says the services available through the KRRDCFS help bridge the wait.
“We don’t have a wait list at our agency currently, and all of our services are free because we’re a community-based mental health program,” says Andrusko.
“We’re all funded through the government.”
A variety of programs are available.
They include parenting programs and support through the developmental services sector up to the age of 18.
Andrusko says they can also help families connect with other community-based services.
“If they do require speech language pathology, we make the appropriate referrals for occupational therapy, physical therapy, anything that that specific child might need.”
The Thunder Bay International Airport is taking steps to be more inclusive for those with hidden disabilities.
The airport authority has announced it has partnered with the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program, an international initiative that supports people with non-visible disabilities.
“The Sunflower Program started in 2016 at London Gatwick Airport,” says the airport’s director of business development and revenue management, Jackie MacDonald about the growing initiative. “Since 2016, it has grown into a globally-recognized symbol for individuals with non-visible or hidden disabilities.”
The program allows those with hidden disabilities to wear a lanyard displaying a sunflower that will voluntarily share that they may need a helping hand, understanding, navigating or more time at the airport.
“This can range from things such as autism, people dealing with chronic pain, they may have a brain injury,” says MacDonald, adding that also includes people with ADHD, dementia and hearing loss. “In terms of the airport, they could be traveling with anxiety. That’s a huge thing at airports.”
MacDonald says all relevant staff at Thunder Bay Airport have been trained to recognize the symbol and offer assistance to those wearing the sunflower lanyard in a respectful, understanding manner.
Lanyards are available now and can be picked up at the airport at the accessible check-in counter on the main floor of the terminal building or in administrative office on the third floor.
“For us, it’s all about the passenger experience,” says MacDonald. “We always want to make sure our passengers have a positive experience when traveling through our airport.”
