Community Health Centres
By Stephanie Reed
Posted on December 13, 2021
Navigating any healthcare system in a new place can be challenging. Finding a family doctor to take on a new patient can sometimes involve year long waitlists! To ensure no one should have to put their physical or mental health on hold, Community Health Centres (CHC) are publicly funded organizations that serve as multi-purpose health centres focused on the community and its needs.
The first CHC in Canada was founded in Winnipeg in 1926. Today, there are more than 100 CHCs in the province of Ontario alone. The purpose is to eliminate the exclusivity that unfortunately seems to come with accessing healthcare.
These centres vary in names across the country; however, they all focus on providing programs surrounding illness prevention, social services, community resources, counselling, and more. While offering many different types of resources to communities, these centres also work to address the external reasons for poor health such as poverty, education, language barriers, and more.
The following are a few examples of CHCs across the country and some of the services and programs offered within their communities. Beyond this list, there are hundreds more across Canada, which can be accessed through the Canadian Association of Community Health Centres website.
TAIBU Community Health Centre
Located in Scarborough, Ont., this CHC was established specifically to serve the Black community across the Greater Toronto Area. This CHC offers programs such as education information on diabetes, counselling, a lower back pain management program, social clubs, youth groups, and more. This centre is located at the following address:
27 Tapscott Road, Unit #1
Toronto, ON M1B 4Y7
(416)-644-3536
info@taibuchc.ca
Saskatoon Community Clinic
There are two locations for this clinic in Saskatchewan. Members of the community can use the wide range of resources offered such as trauma counselling, early cancer tests, sexual and reproductive health resources, transgender health services, counselling for children dealing with grief, and more.
Downtown Clinic
455-2nd Avenue North
Saskatoon, SK S7K 2C2
(306)-652-0300
Westside Clinic
1528-20th Street West
Saskatoon, SK S7M 0Z6
(306)-664-4310
North End Community Health Care
Located in Halifax, N.S., this centre offers nutritional services, prenatal group classes, cooking classes, a walking social group, dental clinic, mental health services, and more. Additionally, offered through this centre is a program called “Good Food Box,” which arrives on the first Wednesday of every month with fruits and vegetables for healthy meal preparation at a cost of $7.00.
2131 Gottingen Street, 5th Floor
Halifax, NS B3K5Z7
902-420-0303
Women’s Health Clinic
This clinic located in Winnipeg is a female focused centre offering support and education to women in Manitoba. At this clinic, there are consultations and procedures for surgical and medical abortions, pregnancy care, eating disorder treatment, parenting and birthing classes, and counselling for women, transgender, queer, and non-binary people who are unable to pay for private counselling.
Located at:
419 Graham Avenue
Winnipeg MB R3C 0M3
204-947-1517
WHC@WOMENSHEALTHCLINIC.ORG
Two additional resources with zero to minimal fees are Friends in Action in Toronto, Ont. and Affordable Therapy Network which can be found across Canada.