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Founding Voices

Fifty years later, their dreams for us continue to shape every life we touch.

Before there was a building, there was a belief: health begins with community, everyone deserves care with dignity, and ordinary people can create extraordinary change. The South Riverdale Community Health Centre was shaped not by one founder, but by many — community organizers, health care providers, volunteers, advocates, and champions who imagined a different kind of health care and worked together to make it real.

Editor’s note: This feature brings together reflections from multiple founders and early leaders of the South Riverdale Community Health Centre. It has been adapted from interviews and archival materials originally created for SRCHC’s 40 Years, 40 Faces project and edited for length, clarity, and continuity.

What inspired the dream of South Riverdale Community Health Centre?

Michael Rachlis

One of SRCHC’s first physicians and creators of its early model of care:

When I joined SRCHC in 1976, it was exactly where I wanted to be. South Riverdale had more than 30,000 residents but only two family doctors. Community members had organized, gathered evidence, and fought for something better. This wasn't simply about opening a clinic — it was about creating a healthier community and changing what health care could look like.

Michèle Harding

A community planner who helped secure SRCHC’s original funding:

The community had already spent years documenting the realities people were living with — poverty, pollution, inadequate access to primary care, and children whose health and learning were being affected by lead contamination. Our role was to turn that evidence into action. The dream was simple: everyone should have access to quality health care, and every community should have the power to improve its own health.

What made SRCHC different from the beginning?

Carol Kushner

An early Board member and lifelong advocate for community-based care:

SRCHC embraced a model that was truly community-based. Care wasn't built around individual practitioners — it was centred on the individuals needing care. Physicians, nurses, and other professionals worked together, sharing responsibility for care rather than working in isolation. That collaborative approach, which feels so relevant today, was remarkably forward-thinking 50 years ago.

Cathy Crowe

One of SRCHC’s earliest nurses and a lifelong social justice advocate:

Community health centres have always understood that health is about much more than medicine. Outreach, education, advocacy, and partnerships are just as important as appointments. SRCHC connected people not only to health care, but also to one another, creating relationships that strengthened the entire community.

Every dream needs champions.
Who helped build this one?

SRCHC was built by an extraordinary community.

Michèle Harding

Community organizer

SRCHC was built by an extraordinary community. Residents, faith leaders, volunteers, health professionals, and local champions all believed that change was possible. People cared deeply about their neighbours and their children, and they were willing to organize, advocate, and persist until that vision became reality.

Remembering Jim Renwick


A political champion:

When provincial funding for the fledgling centre was repeatedly threatened, Riverdale MPP Jim Renwick became one of its strongest allies. Whether defending SRCHC at Queen's Park or persistently pressing government officials until funding was secured, he helped ensure that the community's vision would survive. His legacy continues today in the Jim Renwick Room, where generations of community members have gathered to learn, celebrate and connect.

Remembering Sheila and George Cram


Community stewards:

As founding Board members and lifelong advocates for social justice, Sheila and George believed community health meant listening first and responding to what people truly needed. Sheila brought a nurse's compassion and deep commitment to community service, while George's thoughtful leadership, financial stewardship and lifelong advocacy for refugees and newcomers helped keep SRCHC grounded in its values of justice, accountability, and inclusion.

What are you most proud of?

Michael Rachlis


We didn't just provide care — we helped change systems. SRCHC became one of Ontario's pioneers in interprofessional primary care and played a leading role in organizing community health centres across the province. Working alongside residents to address lead pollution remains one of the most meaningful experiences of my career because together, we made the neighbourhood healthier for generations to come.

We didn't just provide care — we helped change systems.

SRCHC never lost sight of the bigger picture.

Cathy Crowe


What always impressed me was how SRCHC responded to the social and environmental causes of poor health, not just the symptoms. Whether advocating around pollution, supporting people experiencing poverty, or building outreach programs, SRCHC never lost sight of the bigger picture.

Ruth Gibson


Who helped carry the founders' vision forward for 25 years:

I watched SRCHC grow from a small clinic in an old police station into a much larger organization, but what stayed constant was its commitment to the community. Even as programs expanded and the organization evolved, the focus remained on providing the best possible care for local residents.

What has never changed?

Carol Kushner:

The neighbourhood has changed in many ways, but its sense of community has endured. That's what has always made SRCHC special. It continues to bring people together and provide care that's rooted in respect, collaboration, and belonging.

Ruth Gibson:

Community health centres succeed because they never lose sight of who they exist to serve. Everything starts with the needs of local residents, and that's a model worth protecting and expanding.

As you imagine the next 50 years, what do you hope never changes?

The Founders' Shared Hope:


Communities will always evolve, and the health challenges of tomorrow won't be the same as those of 1976. But the principles that inspired SRCHC remain timeless: that health care should be accessible to everyone; that communities themselves hold the wisdom to shape healthier futures; and that lasting change happens when people come together with courage, compassion, and a willingness to dream beyond what seems possible.

Fifty years ago, that dream created a different kind of health care. Today, it continues to inspire every person who walks through SRCHC’s doors.

Interested in volunteering?

Volunteers play a vital role in supporting our programs and strengthening community connections. Whether helping at events, or assisting with programs at the Harmony Community Food Centre or our Seniors Active Living Centres, volunteers make a real difference in the lives of those we serve.

For more information, please contact [email protected]

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