{"id":561625,"date":"2026-03-26T08:03:42","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T08:03:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/561625\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T08:03:42","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T08:03:42","slug":"montreals-on-rock-founder-retires-after-nearly-35-years-daughter-takes-over","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/561625\/","title":{"rendered":"Montreal\u2019s On Rock founder retires after nearly 35 years, daughter takes over"},"content":{"rendered":"

After more than three decades at the head of a West Island organization focused on food security and community support, Kim Reid has stepped down from On Rock Community Services, passing leadership to his daughter in a transition years in the making.<\/p>\n

Reid, the group\u2019s founder and now retired president, officially stepped away March 1, closing a chapter that began with a small youth drop-in centre and grew into a food bank serving more than 300 families each week.<\/p>\n

\"\"Kim Reid, founder and retired president of On Rock Community Services (left), stands with his daughter Kayla Reid, executive director, at On Rock Community Services in Pierrefonds, Que., on March 25, 2026. (Adriana Gentile, CityNews)<\/p>\n

Humble beginnings, unexpected direction<\/p>\n

When Reid launched what would become On Rock in the late 1980s, the goal was not to tackle food insecurity but to create a safe space for young people.<\/p>\n

He described the early days as informal and energetic, recalling that the centre functioned as \u201cbasically an arcade, greasy spoon, loud music, lots of kids running around.\u201d<\/p>\n

The organization\u2019s pivot toward food security came gradually \u2014 and somewhat unexpectedly \u2014 when a volunteer running a small food bank began using the space. As her visits became less frequent, Reid and his team realized they had effectively taken over the operation.<\/p>\n

\"\"A shopping cart filled with food is seen at On Rock Community Services in Pierrefonds, Que., on March 25, 2026. (Adriana Gentile, CityNews)<\/p>\n

At the time, the program supported just a few dozen families each week. That number would steadily climb, particularly in the mid-2000s and again during the COVID-19 pandemic, when demand surged sharply.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe never saw this going in the direction that it did,\u201d Reid said, reflecting on the organization\u2019s growth.<\/p>\n

Growth brings complexity \u2014 and change<\/p>\n

As On Rock expanded, so did the demands of running it. What began as a grassroots effort evolved into a large-scale operation with staff, volunteers and significant infrastructure.<\/p>\n

Reid said the increasing administrative and technical responsibilities made it clear that a transition would eventually be necessary.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just started to get to the point where I was wonderful when it was this size,\u201d he said, referring to the organization\u2019s earlier years. \u201cBut then we grew to the point where we had to add IT and all kinds of other complicated stuff that I have no interest in.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the same time, Reid was thinking about the organization\u2019s long-term future. Ensuring its survival beyond his leadership became a central priority.<\/p>\n

\u201cA big thing for me was this organization had to keep running after I retired otherwise I failed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"\"The exterior of On Rock Community Services is shown in Pierrefonds, Que., on March 25, 2026. (Adriana Gentile, CityNews)<\/p>\n

A successor steps forward<\/p>\n

That future took shape within his own family. Kayla Reid, now executive director, became involved during the pandemic after helping launch On Rock\u2019s thrift store.<\/p>\n

With her previous work disrupted, she accepted her father\u2019s invitation to build something new within the organization \u2014 a decision that quickly evolved into a deeper commitment.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy heart was here,\u201d she said, explaining why she chose to stay rather than return to teaching art classes.<\/p>\n

After several years running the store, she moved into an operations role and began preparing for leadership, working closely with her father to learn the organization from the inside out.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt became more and more clear to me that I definitely wanted to fill his very big shoes when he was ready to retire,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"\"Clothing hangs on a rack at On Rock Community Services in Pierrefonds, Que., on March 25, 2026. (Adriana Gentile, CityNews)<\/p>\n

A changing organization, a constant mission<\/p>\n

Under Reid\u2019s leadership, On Rock adapted repeatedly to meet shifting community needs \u2014 from youth programming to emergency response during floods, and later to large-scale food distribution.<\/p>\n

Today, that focus on food security remains central, particularly as demand continues to grow in areas often perceived as affluent.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a misconception that the West Island is a wealthier part of Montreal,\u201d Kayla said. \u201cBut the reality is we do struggle with food insecurity.\u201d<\/p>\n

The organization has expanded its reach in response, now serving communities beyond its traditional base, including Dorval, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Lachine and LaSalle.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead<\/p>\n

As she steps into the role, Kayla said her immediate focus is stability \u2014 maintaining services while continuing to grow.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, I would just like to have a smooth transition as possible,\u201d she said, adding that sustaining recent initiatives, including the organization\u2019s market, will be key in the near term.<\/p>\n

She also emphasized the importance of community involvement in sustaining On Rock\u2019s work.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I step into his shoes, we need to continue to make sure that we\u2019re doing it as a community,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Letting go \u2014 without stepping away<\/p>\n

For Reid, the transition represents both an ending and a measure of success. He said knowing the organization will continue \u2014 and remain grounded in its original mission \u2014 made it possible to step back.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels pretty satisfying to walk away going all right these guys got this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Though retired, he does not expect to be far from the work he helped build.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll always be a part of it,\u201d he said. \u201cShe can pick up the phone and say \u2018dad I need help\u2019 and I\u2019ll be here.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After more than three decades at the head of a West Island organization focused on food security and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":561626,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194292],"tags":[49,48,2338],"class_list":["post-561625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-montreal","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-montreal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/561625","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=561625"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/561625\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/561626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=561625"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=561625"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=561625"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}