Mental illness and addiction affect one in four Canadians – including our friends, families and loved ones. People of all ages, occupations, income and education levels and backgrounds are affected. Substance use alone cost $40 billion each year in Canada. The human cost is incalculable.
Those who face mental illness and addiction deserve the same level of investment and quality of programming that we afford to other illnesses. Outdated facilities such as those at CAMH’s Queen Street site would not be tolerated for other hospital patients. CAMH’s hospital for the 21st Century will be more than bricks and mortar – it will become a tangible expression of the values of our civil society.
The CAMH redevelopment will transform the landscape of the Queen Street West neighbourhood. The new landscape will feature tree-lined streets running through the site, buildings of four to ten stories, public parks and open spaces, clinical care facilities, education and research centres, retail shops, restaurants and other neighbourhood amenities. It will play an important role in the renaissance of our city – bringing excitement, economic prosperity and employment to the Queen Street West neighbourhood.
CAMH is a global leader, uniquely qualified to achieve this transformation. Each year we treat over 20,000 people in Ontario, employ over 420 people at our research centre – that’s six times as many scientists, research fellows, graduate students and staff as the next largest operation in Canada – and receive almost four times as much extramural funding. We have seven endowed chairs and professorships and five prestigious Canada Research Chairs. We provide education to thousands of healthcare professionals. CAMH is a WHO-collaborating centre; a teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto and has pioneered many unique world-renowned programs.
