Members of St. Stephen’s Anglican Church, at the corner of Atwater and Dorchester, notice that a growing number people with low incomes or struggling with homelessness are coming to the church for help. In June 1988, a few volunteers begin offering food, a listening ear and clothing. After a few months, St. Stephen’s Church allocates a small budget to continue this work, with additional financial support coming from local donations and the Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
Between September 1988 and April 1989, over 250 people visit the soup kitchen. The project is named “The Open Door”. A director is on site a few hours a day to provide lunch and other assistance. The services begin to develop and will continue to do so over the years.
The Open Door becomes a day centre, increasing and diversifying its services and approach. Services provided include food and clothing, washrooms, counselling, referral to professional mental health and addiction counsellors, and literacy and employment assistance.
The Open Door welcomes an increasing number of Inuit community members. The proximity of the Centre to Cabot Square welcomes an increasing number of people with mental health and substance abuse issues. Intoxicated people are not turned away from The Open Door, an inclusivity remains at the heart of our mission.
Additional services are provided:
Management of The Open Door is transferred to Emmaus Anglican Church in 2010
We celebrate our 25th anniversary!
An assistant director and an operations manager are hired. The team continues to grow to provide services aimed at social reintegration, including help with finding housing and employment.
The St. Stephen’s Anglican Church building is put up for sale. With the support of various municipal and government partners and an ONBL, The Open Door searches for a new location for the day centre.
The first participants in the new Residential Stability with Support program for Indigenous people, primarily Inuit, sign leases and move into subsidized apartments. The program is initially set up in partnership with CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, which assumes responsibility for the housing component of the project.
In the summer of 2023, The Open Door registers as a non-profit organization and changes its name to The Open Door Montréal. The organization is now legally and financially separate from Emmaus Anglican Church.
The Centre moves to the basement of Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette Church at 3535 Park Ave. in the Milton Park neighborhood, an area recognized as an outdoor gathering point for Inuit in Montreal.
Outreach worker positions are created to reach out to people experiencing homelessness in the neighborhood.
A dedicates art space is created for the Inuit community to provide easier access to tools and materials for soapstone carving.
The Open Door Montréal is granted CRA charitable status (71301 5485 RR0001).
In the context of COVID pandemic and at the request of the City of Montreal, TODM participates in measures to provide 24-hour shelter and services to people experiencing homelessness. The Centre becomes an overnight emegencty shelter, providing services 24/7, 365 days a year.
About half of the beds are reserved for Inuit community members.
With an increase in collaboration and growing partnerships, The Open Door Montréal tailors its intervention approaches and service delivery to meet the needs to the communities we serve. A focus on cultural safety, harm reduction and trauma-informed care are at the center of our vision moving forward.
As an Indigenous prioritizing organisation, 30 out of the 45 beds are now reserved for community members. Cultural activities and country food are now available on a weekly basis.
Programs and services are expanding with an unwavering commitment to cultural safety in a client-centered environment.