News

Originally Posted on https://www.camh.ca/en/camh-news-and-stories/secure-care-and-recovery-building
TORONTO, October 24, 2024 – The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is proud to announce the new Waverley House Secure Care & Recovery Building, named in recognition of historic support totaling $203 million from Bruce McKean and the Waverley House Foundation.

This life-changing support of CAMH Foundation marks the largest cumulative gift to mental health in Canadian history.

Currently under construction at CAMH’s Queen Street West site, the Waverley House Secure Care & Recovery Building is part of the fourth and final phase of the hospital’s 25-year redevelopment plan. It will replace and modernize CAMH’s existing forensic psychiatric facilities for patients with mental illness who have come in contact with the law, better supporting patients in their recovery and enhancing community safety.

We are deeply grateful for the remarkable generosity of Bruce McKean and the Waverley House Foundation,” said Sarah Downey, President & CEO, CAMH. “Bruce’s support is helping us redefine mental health care for patients living with complex illnesses and provide a haven where some of the hospital’s most vulnerable patients can recover with dignity.”

The 758,000-square-foot building will accommodate 214 inpatient beds plus a 20-bed swing unit to be used as a provincial resource, outpatient clinics for patients living in the community, recovery-based therapeutic spaces, Ontario Review Board Hearing Rooms and secure outdoor spaces. Construction began in March 2024 and is expected to be completed in 2029.

Philanthropist Bruce McKean established the Waverley House Foundation in 2017 to support high-impact research initiatives that help to identify and treat mental illnesses. Through a combination of personal philanthropy and contributions from the Waverley House Foundation, McKean’s cumulative giving to CAMH includes:

$100 million donated in 2018 that went towards creating the CAMH Discovery Fund, investing in research by early and mid-career scientists and researchers to discover the causes and cures of mental illness.
Since then, $100 million donated towards the fourth phase in the redevelopment of the CAMH campus, that includes two new buildings on our Queen Street site: the Waverley House Secure Care & Recovery Building and the Temerty Discovery Centre.
$3 million towards CAMH’s Research Chair in Forensic Psychiatry, to deepen global understanding of a historically understudied and underfunded area of mental health, leading to better outcomes.
“We are honoured that Bruce and the Waverley House Foundation believe so strongly in CAMH that they would provide us with this historic level of support. It sets a new watermark for mental health in our country and will inspire our donors, patients and our staff for many years to come,” said Deborah Gillis, President & CEO, CAMH Foundation.

McKean’s experiences with family members and close friends who have lived with mental health challenges have inspired him to support mental health research and care at CAMH and other hospitals.

“I’ve seen firsthand how the care provided at CAMH can help patients live better lives with their illnesses,” said McKean. “I hope that my story and the contributions that we have made will inspire and influence others who see the same challenges that I see and the same challenges that society at large is increasingly seeing. It’s necessary. It’s important. By attaching Waverley House’s name to CAMH, we will raise awareness and inspire others to join the movement for better mental health.”

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About CAMH
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada’s largest mental health teaching hospital and one of the world’s leading research centres in its field. CAMH is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto and is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Centre.

For more information, please contact:

CAMH Media Relations
media@camh.ca