Why Redevelop?

Since its inception, CAMH has been at the forefront of a movement to eliminate the stigma and discrimination that keeps people from approaching mental illness and addiction problems just as they would any major physical illness.

A major driver of this movement has been CAMH’s leadership in the evolution of clinical care for mental illness and addiction away from the traditional model – one of protection and isolation – to a recovery model that is focused on community reintegration.

With this evolution CAMH embarked on one of the most ambitious redevelopment projects in Canada. What began in 1850 as the Queen Street West “Provincial Lunatic Asylum” is being radically transformed over the next 10 years with a four-fold mission to:

• Deliver a new model of care providing a healthy environment that promotes recovery;
• Integrate the best and brightest research, clinical, education, and policy experts in one campus;
• Contribute to community revitalization by opening up our site to an inclusive new nine-block neighbourhood;
• Shift societal attitudes by helping to eliminate stigma and discrimination.