Timeline Stories - Mount Carmel Clinic

Opening of Sage House

Originally called Prostitutes and Other Women for Equal Rights (POWER), the house originally opened at 50 Argyle Street in February 1992. The program provided a safe space for women-identifying persons involved in survival sex work to access resources. The program was later renamed Sage House and moved to its current location in a house on Dufferin Street.

Establishment of Mount Carmel Clinic

Mount Carmel Clinic was created by the Jewish community to provide medical care to the growing number of Jewish Newcomers arriving in Canada from situations of political unrest and oppression in Eastern Europe. Many of these families were in poor health due to the conditions from which they fled, but had very little money to afford medical services. Mount Carmel Clinic was able to provide culturally safe and affordable medical care to these families.

The Future of Mount Carmel Clinic

The clinic is ever evolving and adapting to the needs of its community, staff, and operational needs. The organization has many short and long-term goals for the future, which include both programmatic and capital aims. Enhancement of the clinic’s physical space is ongoing, and new services and programs are being added on a regular basis.

Addition of Elder Services & Land-Based Teachings

A woman walks in a large prairie field with a grey sky behind. She is carrying a bundle of medicines and wearing a traditional Indigenous ribbon skirt.

Identifying a need for more Indigenous programming, Mount Carmel Clinic invited highly respected cultural leaders Elder Mae Louise Campbell and Mitch Bourbonniere to join its staff team. Their expertise has allowed the clinic to expand its offering of drop-in and program-based Indigenous cultural activities.

Purchase of 896 Main St

Mount Carmel Clinic was raise funds for the purchase of a new building directly adjacent to 888 Main St, with a significant contribution from the Mount Carmel Clinic Foundation. This building provides office and programming space for Wiisocotatiwin Assertive Community Treatment, and will be renovated in the future to suit the needs of the organization and the community.

Landscaping Project – Ongoing

The backyard of the Anne Ross Day Nursery building. It features several trees with autumn leaves, a paved walkway, and several play areas.

With help from the Mount Carmel Clinic Foundation, the clinic was able to focus on improving the exterior of its 886 Main Street location, beginning in 2018. This included significant landscaping along the east and south sides of the building, enhanced accessibility measures at the front entrance, and a large outdoor play area for the daycare.

Waiting Room Renovation

A well-lit clinic waiting room filled with padded blue chairs.

Further renovations were undertaken at 886 Main Street. The clinic was able to address some necessary structural changes to the waiting room skylight as well as modernize the waiting room area and purchase new furniture to create a more comfortable space for the community.

Establishment of Manito Ikwe Kagiikwe Mothering Project

The Mothering Project space. Light coloured wood lines the walls of the well-lit and bright space. A traditional star blanket hangs on the wall.

The Mothering Project was developed to provide enhanced supports for mothers who are pregnant or have young children, and who struggle with substance use. With help from the Mount Carmel Clinic Foundation, a new space dedicated to the program was renovated in 2016.

Modernization of Anne Ross Day Nursery

Interior of the Anne Ross Day Nursery. A brightly lit room with tiny, children's furniture, and a wall of windows looking out at the backyard play area.

It took another four years of fundraising to reach the goal of renovating the Anne Ross Day Nursery, located adjacent to the main clinic building. These renovations made the building fully accessible and allowed for an additional eight daycare spaces to be made available to the community.

Chiropractive Services & WISH Clinic

Several new services were made available at the clinic, including chiropractic services, and the student-run WISH clinic, a partnership with the University of Manitoba and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.