A transformative anonymous donation of $13.8 million has secured a permanent and vastly expanded home for Foundry Vancouver, a critical hub providing free mental health and wellness services to young people across the city.
A Monumental Gift for Youth Wellness
The "once-in-a-lifetime" gift enabled the purchase of a building in Vancouver's Yaletown neighbourhood, a converted chocolate factory located at 1220 Homer Street. This new facility will double the capacity of the existing Foundry Vancouver location, which had outgrown its space on Granville Street. Dr. Steve Mathias, executive director at Foundry, called the development "monumental" for the future of youth care in the city.
The new centre is scheduled to open its doors in November 2026. It will significantly expand Foundry's integrated model of care, which brings mental health services, substance use health support, peer counselling, and physical and sexual health care all under one roof. The larger space will also allow for an expanded research department.
Low-Barrier, Life-Changing Support
Foundry provides free and confidential support to youth aged 12 to 24, with no referral required. This low-barrier model is essential for early intervention. The network is supported by the federal and provincial governments, Providence Health Care, and the St. Paul’s Foundation.
Amanda Horne, now a peer support worker at Foundry, understands the impact firsthand. She first accessed Foundry's services as a youth struggling with bipolar disorder and experiencing homelessness. "The system can be confusing if you have to go to multiple places, or if you don't have a family doctor or stable housing," Horne explained. Foundry's wraparound approach provided a single, welcoming point of access that made seeking help less daunting.
Meeting a Growing Need
The expansion addresses a surging demand for youth mental health services. In the 2024-25 period alone, more than 17,000 youth accessed supports through Foundry centres across British Columbia, accounting for over 83,000 visits. The Vancouver location served at least 1,000 of those young clients.
Dr. Mathias emphasizes the importance of creating de-stigmatizing spaces where youth can "test the waters with counselling." The new facility on Homer Street will provide the physical space needed for this vital work, offering a lifeline to thousands more young Vancouverites like Amanda Horne, for whom connection and early support made all the difference.
