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Homelessness in Canada was not a social problem until the 1980s. Canadian government housing policies and programs in place throughout the 1970s were based on a concept of shelter as a basic need or requirement for survival and of the obligation of government and society to provide adequate housing for everyone. Public policies shifted away from rehousing in the 1980s in wealthy Western countries like Canada, which led to a de-housing of households that had previously been housed. By 1987, when the United Nations established the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless (IYSH), homelessness had become a serious social problem in Canada. The report of the major 1987 IYSH conference held in Ottawa said that housing was not a high priority for government, and this was a significant contributor to the homelessness problem. While there was a demand for adequate and affordable housing for low income Canadian families, government funding was not available. In the 1980s a "wider segment of the population" began to experience homelessness for the first time—evident through their use of emergency shelters and soup kitchens. Shelters began to experience overcrowding, and demand for services for the homeless was constantly increasing. A series of cuts were made to national housing programs by the federal government through the mid-1980s and in the 1990s. While Canada's economy was robust, the cuts continued and in some cases accelerated in the 1990s, including cuts to the 1973 national affordable housing program. The government solution for homelessness was to create more homeless shelters and to increase emergency services. In the larger metropolitan areas like Toronto the use of homeless shelters increased by 75% from 1988 to 1998. Urban centres such as Montreal, Laval, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary all experienced increasing homelessness.
Homeless shelters are a type of homeless service agency which provide temporary residence for homeless individuals and families. Shelters exist to provide residents with safety and protection from exposure to the weather while simultaneously reducing the environmental impact on the community. They are similar to, but distinguishable from, various types of emergency shelters, which are typically operated for specific circumstances and populations—fleeing natural disasters or abusive social circumstances. Extreme weather conditions create problems similar to disaster management scenarios, and are handled with warming centers, which typically operate for short durations during adverse weather.
Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter (CWES) was established in Calgary in 1974. The Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter has serves individuals who experience domestic abuse. The organization was one of the first not-for-profits in Canada established to provide crisis support for victims of family violence, and prevention programs for the community.
Allan P. Markin, OC, AOE was the chairman of Canadian Natural Resources Limited and is a co-owner of the Calgary Flames ice hockey franchise of the National Hockey League based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Southridge School is a K-12 private school in South Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. It is a regional school, serving from as far away as Richmond and Ladner, though most students are from the White Rock, South Surrey area.
West Island College (WIC) is a system of three Canadian private schools: West Island College Montreal, founded in 1974, West Island College Calgary, founded in 1982, and Class Afloat–West Island College International, founded in 1984.
Pathways to Housing is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1992 by Dr. Sam Tsemberis. It is the mission of Pathways to Housing to transform individual lives by ending homelessness and supporting recovery.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and patient services.
Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are:
Pernell-Karl Sylvester Subban is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Between 2009 and 2022, he played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, and New Jersey Devils. The Canadiens selected Subban in the second round, 43rd overall, of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. In 2013, he won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenceman, and tied with Kris Letang as the season’s leading scorer among defencemen. In the summer of 2014, he signed an eight-year, $72 million contract with the Canadiens, running through the 2021–22 season. After the 2015–16 season, Subban was traded to the Nashville Predators, where he spent three seasons before being traded to New Jersey in 2019. He is also an analyst for the NHL on ESPN.
The 2011–12 CWHL season was the fifth in league history. Regular season play begun on October 22, 2011, as the defending champion Montreal Stars host the Brampton Thunder. The league expanded from five teams to six as Team Alberta (CWHL) joined the league for competitive play. The 2012 Clarkson Cup in Niagara Falls was also contested between the Stars and Thunder, with Montreal winning its second consecutive title.
The Pittsburgh Penguin's Foundation is a non-profit organization located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The foundation began on July 20, 2010, with the support of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s, Pittsburgh Penguins ownership group. The foundation offers preventive wellness and developmental programs, charity programs, and promotes activity among youth and families while teaching life skills.
Fundica is a privately held financial services corporation based in Montreal, Quebec, that has developed an AI-powered funding search platform for banks, credit unions, business accelerators, economic development agencies and other entrepreneur-supporting organizations across North America. Businesses can access Fundica’s search technology through the website of an entrepreneur-supporting organization and use it to find relevant funding sources based on company profile and stated needs.
The INN is a non-profit organization based in Long Island, New York. The organization addresses hunger and homelessness on Long Island by providing food, shelter, long-term housing, and supportive services. It is estimated that the INN feeds about 5,000 Long Islanders each week.
Brigette Lacquette is a Canadian ice hockey player, currently playing for the Calgary section of the PWHPA and the Canadian national team, playing defence. She participated at the 2015 IIHF Women's World Championship. In the autumn of 2015, Lacquette joined the Calgary Inferno of the CWHL.
Bell Let's Talk is a campaign created by the Canadian telecommunications company, Bell Canada, in an effort to raise awareness and combat stigma surrounding mental illness in Canada. It is the largest corporate commitment to mental health in Canada. Originally a five-year, $50 million program to create a stigma-free Canada and drive action in mental health care, research, and the workplace, Bell Let's Talk was renewed in 2015 for five years with a target of committing $100 million, and in 2020, the initiative was renewed for a further five years, and a commitment of $155 million. The most prominent part of the initiative is "Bell Let's Talk Day," an annual one-day advertising campaign where money is donated to mental health funds based on the number of social media and communication interactions that include the branded hashtag, #BellLetsTalk, or its Canadian French equivalent, #BellCause.
Family Promise is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the United States, founded by Karen Olson in 1988. Family Promise primarily serves families with children who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, with the mission of "help[ing] homeless and low-income families achieve sustainable independence through a community-based response."
True Patriot Love Foundation is a Canadian national, Toronto-based charity dedicated to supporting Canadian military members, veterans and their families. It has committed more than $28-million to 825 community-based programs across Canada since 2009 which has helped change the lives of 30,000 military members, Veterans and families. The foundation raises awareness around the challenges related to military service on a national level and funds programs in local communities to support health and well-being, enable rehabilitation & recovery from injury, assist the children and spouses of those who serve, and promote re-integration into communities following service.
Rajan Sawhney is a Canadian politician who was elected in the 2019 Alberta general election to represent the electoral district of Calgary-North East in the 30th Alberta Legislature. She is a member of the United Conservative Party. On April 30, 2019, she was appointed to be the Minister of Community & Social Services in the Executive Council of Alberta. On July 8, 2021, she was shuffled into the Minister of Transportation.
Earl Silverman was a Canadian domestic abuse survivor, activist and men's rights advocate who founded the Men's Alternative Safe House (MASH), the only privately funded domestic abuse shelter for men in Canada, and the Family of Men society, which operated phone lines to assist victims. He also served as the Canadian Liaison for the National Coalition for Men. June 14 is unofficially “Earl Silverman Day.”