Agency History

A little history

Back in the 1960s, northern Etobicoke was rapidly changing from a rural area to a suburb. In the space of just a few years thousands of new inexpensive houses became home to young working class families. A number of subsidized housing developments were also constructed in the area during the same period.

However, planning officials did not consider the social support services that these new families would need. Today, our nursery schools, social clubs, public transportation and voluntary helping agencies are taken for granted. Thirty years ago services like these were almost non-existent.

Starting an information directory...

Recognizing they could not do everything all at once, a group of concerned residents decided to start a Community Information Directory . They envisioned this service as a central point of access for families and individuals in need of help. They also planned to track callers requests and develop services in response to community needs.

In April 1971, an office opened in donated space at Albion Mall, with trained volunteers answering inquiries from the public. A month later Ernestine van Marle was hired as the Co-ordinator. The first secure funding came about in 1976 , after the volunteer Board of Directors successfully applied for United Way agency membership.

Becoming more than an information directory...

Right from the beginning callers inquiries indicated a need for a legal service. This prompted the agency to develop its first partnership, and as a result Ontario Legal Aid began providing services from the office in Albion Mall. (This service grew to become an independent organization in 1993: Rexdale Community Legal Clinic.) Over the years, a number of other services were set up in response to the changing needs of the community — services such as Crisis Intervention, Pension Advocacy, Settlement Assistance, Income Tax Form Filling, Housing Help and a Summer Day Camp.

In 1998, the agency began to build a Boys & Girls Club, with the assistance of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, to meet the needs of the large number of children living in the area. Financial support is received from a number of sources: United Way of Greater Toronto, Government of Canada, Government of Ontario, City of Toronto, CHUM Christmas Wish Foundation, and the Toronto Star Fresh Air Fund.

Finding a new name..

To reflect the growth and the diversity of the services being offered, as well as the long-time location in Albion Centre, the name of the agency was changed in 1998, to Albion Neighbourhood Services