Our story begins in 2002 when L’Abri en Ville, a Montreal non-profit organization that offers sheltered housing for people with mental illness, determined that it had grown to an optimal capacity and that the best way to expand was to set up similar organizations in other parts of Canada. The Board of L’Abri en Ville received a federal grant from a program designed to reduce the number of homeless people in Canada.
Donations were received from individuals and the local churches. The Edith and John Low-Beer (EJLB) Foundation gave substantial seed funding. Other major sources of start-up funding were the Anglican Diocese of Montreal and a federal grant through L’Abri en Ville.
The first apartment opened in July 2003; a coordinator was hired, furniture was collected and an apartment was found. The landlord was sympathetic to mental illness, and still is, supportive of our mission. Our Harbour still rents apartments from this same landlord.
The number of apartments grew gradually from one to five over the next 13 years. Our team of more than 40 volunteers gave tirelessly of both their physical and emotional energy to ensure that our residents have friends, go out, live in clean, well-maintained apartments, and eat well.
In 2016, our application for funding under the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) Homelessness Partnering Strategy (Stratégie des partenariats de lutte contre l’itinérance or SPLI) program was successful and funding was granted to open three more apartments.
The Board, which had previously done all of the day-to-day administration and financial work, realized this model was not sustainable for the long term. A Director General was hired to help manage the growth.
All three new apartments were opened and occupied within two years bringing the total number of apartments to eight, providing caring, supported housing to 24 people living with mental illness. The three-year SPLI-funded project ended on March 31, 2019. Our Harbour successfully applied for two-year transitional funding from the ESDC Reaching Home Program for 2019-2020 and 2020-2021.
COVID-19 changed the world and Our Harbour evolved along with it. Special funding from the federal Reaching Home program in 2020-21 and 2021-22 allowed us to continue our activities in the Our Harbour Community Clubhouse. We gathered safely and at a distance indoors through the falls and winters, sustaining programs and social activities to counter the anxiety, isolation, and fearfulness generated by the pandemic.
The end of the 2022-2023 year saw the expansion of Our Harbour to ten apartments from eight. This was made possible by two grants: the Reaching Home (RH) COVID-19 Fourth Wave and the Canadian Health and Social Service Network’s (CHSSN) Canadian Mental Health Initiative. The additional apartments were challenging to locate in what was an increasingly expensive real estate market. The new apartments were not on the same street as the first eight Our Harbour apartments but were in the same building close to transport and services.
In March 2023, following the Our Harbour Strategic Planning Retreat, the Board took the decision not to renew the leases of two of our oldest apartments. Two alternative apartments were located in Greenfield Park. We believe that the two neighboring apartments, albeit away from the core location of most Our Harbour apartments, will work together as a satellite, with residents providing mutual support. These new apartments are close to public transportation, services, a major grocery chain, pharmacy, and thrift store … a short walk from a library, a large green space, and an independent coffee shop.
As we move beyond our 20th Anniversary year, we look forward to continuing to serve our community with caring and devotion.
Since the beginning, the amount of happiness I have received from my involvement in Our Harbour is huge compared with the time and energy I have expended. I have made many good friends. I have seen residents arrive at an apartment without the energy to carry on a conversation and within a few months turn into outgoing, smiling chatty people who are indistinguishable from the rest of us.
Our Harbour is by far the most satisfying enterprise I have ever been involved with. I love being able to drop by the apartments and feel welcomed into a real home and I am constantly overwhelmed by the amount of appreciation I receive.
My grandmother had me doing volunteer work when I was five years old and I have been doing it ever since. If you are looking for a way to get involved, make a difference and feel good, consider joining the Our Harbour volunteer team. You will be glad you did!
Catherine Gillbert, Past President and Co-Founder
