Bright Beginnings
Our Branch has served the North Shore community since 1958
when a group of West Vancouver individuals led by Dr. L.V. Crowley
and his wife Rusty, organized a social club called the "White Cross"
where adults with mental illness could meet, socialize and develop
skills. On May 26th, 1958 this club became a Charter Member of
the Canadian Mental Health Association. Our first small office
was located at Pemberton and Marine and by 1959 was open one evening
a week as a drop-in center for ex-psychiatric patients.
This became the first drop-in center to be sponsored by CMHA in
British Columbia.
The center was 100% dependent on fundraising efforts that included
teas, bridge parties, bake sales, rummage sales, and the Thrift Shop.
From 1966 until 1982, Betsy Lee was the first paid director of the
North and West Vancouver Branch. During the 1960's she spearheaded
a number of educational programs in conjunction with the West Vancouver
School Board. In August of 1974 CMHA opened an Activity Center in
response to the high rate of recidivism among chronically ill within
our community. Many individuals would be re-hospitalized within six
months of discharge due in part to the lack of community support and
systems and services. This activity center was called Corner House,
then Canora Club and continued to operate until August, 2002.
While our current programs and services differ from those originally
begun in 1958 our commitment to reducing recidivism rates and
increasing the mental health of everyone in our community remains.