GUELPH – With much fanfare, speeches and a smudging ceremony that briefly caused the fire alarm to go off, the new Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington (CMHA) building on Woolwich Street in Guelph celebrated its official opening on Oct. 2.
CMHA CEO Helen Fishburn spoke of the great need for a facility dedicated to helping children, youth and their families with mental health concerns, and the series of unlikely – and extremely lucky – events that led to construction.
“It’s joy that’s caught in my throat,” she said, choking up during her address.
The property at 737 Woolwich St. in Guelph was owned by Robert Eilers, president of Vesterra Group of Companies, and he was planning to build condos.
When he learned the CMHA was hoping to lease the property and build a dedicated centre for children and youth services, “I said scrap the condos – we’re building this thing for children and youth,” he told the large crowd that gathered for the opening.
Eilers said he was a troubled teen himself, with a broken home and abusive father.
“I was going down a dark path,” he said.
That is until he received the counselling that changed the trajectory of his life.
“Counselling gave me a chance to find the path out of despair,” he said.
“Other children and youth deserve the same opportunity and help.”
Because he had the means, he decided to construct and donate the building. His donation, worth $50 million, is the largest single donation to community mental health in Canada to date.
Construction began in July of 2021, but was fraught with obstacles, from the pandemic to having to pay $1 million to the City of Guelph in development charges, permits and fees, to challenges with contractors and other delays.
Eilers joked that he had a full head of hair when the project began and Fishburn said she was five inches taller six years ago when the project was first conceived.
But the building, which has been operating for nearly a year, has already helped 9,000 children and youth, and that’s what keeps Eilers going, he said.
Within the same building is The Grove youth hub, a place where youth can come and just hang out or be connected to a nurse practitioner, mental health supports and/or numerous other services.
Executive director Jeff Hoffman expressed appreciation to the Rotary Club of Guelph, which took the lead with the youth hubs.
He said there were 32,000 visits from youth last year and 80% of those later accessed clinical services.
“What we are doing truly works,” he said.
Holly Sabara told of her experience with CMHA when one of her sons experienced significant mental health challenges.
It was 15 years ago – long before this “beautiful building,” she said – “and I can’t imagine our family story without the CMHA. And now this building,” she marvelled.
“This building means hope, love, compassion, empathy, collaboration. My heart is filled with gratitude.”
Associate minister of mental health and addictions Michael Tibollo called attention to the balancing act the government has to make between funding adult mental health services and those for children and youth.
He considered services for children and youth “preventative work that often goes unnoticed.
“But you are the people really defining the future of youth,” he said.
Dr. Jo Henderson is the executive director of Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario.
The hubs began as a research project at three sites and now there are 32 in Ontario, including the seven Grove hubs in Guelph and Wellington County.
Clarence Cachagee, executive director of Crow Shield Lodge, performed an Indigenous smudging ceremony and gave Fishburn a tailfeather from a red-tailed hawk.
“It means strength, guardianship and far-sightedness,” he said.
