Our History
OUR HISTORY:
2007 - 2008 BCSS launches a Comfort Bag Program. The cloth bag was designed for women having a mastectomy. It includes information for after surgery including a pillow for under the arm. The demand has been fantastic. In 2008-2009 we hope to expand this program to include chemo bags.
We lauched our new website with newsletter capabilities as well as e-commerce. Added life coaching programs and inspirational movie nights to our other successful programs.
2005 -2006 Leon Denbok of Denbok Landscaping and The Rotary Club of Burlington North, took the lead in building our Serenity Garden. The garden is a wonderful asset to our community offering hope, peace and serenity for anyone affected by Breast Cancer. The Grand Opening celebration was May 2006
Our programs continued to expand and grow as our premises have. We offered Holistic Therapies, Art Therapies, Exercise Programs, including a pamphlet incouraging survivors to develop their inner strength, journelling and nutritional programs.
2004 The Capital Campaign was conducted during 2004-2005 raising over $500,000.00. This included a $50,000.00 Grant from the Trillium Foundation for home improvements and to make the premises accessible. We renovated the garage into a meeting area, the basement was renovated for the wigs and prosthesis area, the kitchen was made into a meeting space for nutrional programs, the washroom was renovated to be accessible. It was a busy year building our premises. We continued to lobby the the Federal Goverment on providing a National Strategy for Breast Cancer. Attended the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Conference. Developed a policy manual for volunteers and staff. Initiated new holistic healing programs. Continued our initiative of Education of Breast Health.
2003 The official grand opening of the BCSS new location on Brant Street. Blair Lancaster was hired as Executive Director and Launched the Capital Campaign
Train the Trainer – Spring 2003. The goal of this program is to have our certified Mammacare Specialist train individuals from across Canada.
Loss and Beareament strategies were incorporated into our ongoing programs.
We offered two support groups each month and introduced a new support group to the Milton Community.
Attended the Support and Advocacy Conference and took part in the development of a Breast Cancer Charter of Rights.
We added Yoga and Inner Strength exercise programs.
2002
· BCSS got a new logo.
· BCSS changed its brochures.
· BCSS launched a new website.
· 3 staff members and 1 volunteer from BCSS attended the world conference on Breast Cancer in Victoria B.C.
· BCSS 1st annual Radical Ride
· BCSS started a new young women’s support group.
· BCSS added a new program: Art Therapy.
· A staff member participated in the Canadian Breast Cancer Network stakeholders meeting.
· BCSS presented with the community award for CIBC Run For The Cure.
· Clothing for Charity graciously donated a large amount of money towards the purchase of our new home.
· On November 20th BCSS moved into the home on Brant Street.
2001
· BCSS will be partnering with Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital to provide Breast Health Workshops for the public. Currently, the workshops are being held at the Burlington Art Centre.
· BCSS partnered with Clothing for Charity Ltd. and Sunoco Inc. to provide a clothing donation program and proceeds go to the Breast Health Fund of Canada. This fund was set up to provide financing for breast self-examination workshops.
· BCSS changed its status with the Canadian Breast Cancer Network from member to partner.
2000
· Moved into a new premises located in the Office Galleria of the Burlington Mall
· Received “The Bridge Over Troubled Water Quilt and displayed it in the back of our center.
· Received a grant from the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation to expand the Mammacheck breast self-examination program. The programs new title is Breast Health Workshops.
1999
· Name changed from Burlington Breast Cancer Support Services to Breast Cancer Support Services. (serving Halton/Hamilton-Wentworth)
1998
· Zonand BCSS amended the Mammacheck program to be suitable for young women. A pilot project was accepted into Burlington High Schools and will expand into all of Halton in the fall.
· An Ad Hoc Committee of the Board of Directors was established to review the various types of support available at BCSS through staff and volunteers.
· We celebrated our 10th Anniversary in the fall.
1997
· BCSS sponsorship of the Breast Cancer Self-Help in Ontario Project was completed under the management of Dr. Ross Gray.
· BCSS members attended the first Canada/US Breast Cancer Advocacy Conference, as well as the 1997 Preventative Oncology Seminar sponsored by the O.C.T.R.F. and a seminar entitled “Ethical Issues in Women’s Health: The delicate business of funding from drug companies”, sponsored by the Toronto Women’s Health Network, Institute for Feminist Legal Studies and DES Action Canada.
· BCSS’ sponsorship of The Network Project is completed. The Network (under the continued direction of Chris Sinding) was integrated, as planned with the Ontario Breast Cancer Support and Resource Centre (Willow) in Toronto.
· BCSS collaborated with the City of Burlington, Canadian Cancer Society and Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital in a Breast Health Awareness Forum.
1996
· BCSS collaborated with the Breast Cancer Information Exchange Project, AVON and Health Canada to produce the latest version of “What You Need to Know about Breast Cancer.” BCSS printed additional copies of the booklet, through funding received form the Hamilton Community Foundation.
· BCSS was awarded an additional year of funding for the Network Project.
· Establishment of the Oakville Chapter to provide monthly support meetings in Oakville was made possible by funding from The Community Foundation of Oakville.
· BCSS sponsored the successful application for funding from Health Promotion and Programs Branch, Ontario Region, Health Canada, for “Breast Cancer Self-Help in Ontario: A research Study.” Dr. Ross Gray, Psychologist at the Toronto Sunnybrook Regional Cancer Centre, managed the study.
· For the third consecutive year, Zonta Club 1 won the Zonta International Area Recognition Award for their district for the Mammacheck program, which is a joint program of Zonta Club of Burlington 1 and BCSS.
1995
· BCSS, through funding received from the Trillium Foundation, hired a consultant for Board development and training for the Development committee.
· BCSS established a circle of patrons from within our community.
· BCSS held its first memorial service to honor the lives of members who have passed away.
· BCSS members attended the National Breast Cancer Coalition Advocacy Conference in Washington in May.
· BCSS members participated in regional consultation meetings for the newly formed Canadian Breast Cancer Network.
· BCSS established a list of trained Telephone Peer Support Volunteers who provide support of a specific nature.
· The Marta McGannon Memorial Fund was established to celebrate and remember the life of Marta McGannon and her dedication to outreach and education activities. Funds raised through an annual golf tournament are used to support outreach and education for our members and the community.
1994
· BCSS made a successful proposal to Health and Welfare Canada to establish Ontario’s Breast Cancer Support and Resource Center now known as Willow.
· BCSS was established on the Halton Regional Access System, to contribute to a computer network of information.
· BCSS moved to a larger donated space at the Burlington Mall and held an Open House in October 1994.
· BCSS launched its first annual Christmas card, funded by the Canadian Airlines Employee’s Charitable Foundation.
· BCSS initiated a Research and Advocacy working group.
· BCSS welcomed the Minister of Health, Diane Marla, to the office. She announced an $80,000 grant to establish a program to evaluate self-help programs. Toronto Bayview Regional Cancer Centre and Sunnybrook Health Science Centre managed this evaluation.
· BCSS sent members for the first time to attend Program LEAD (Leadership Education and Advocacy Development) in California. As a result of this program one of our members was asked to be a member of a review committee for the U.S. Department of Defense, Medical Research Department.
1993
· BCSS was awarded $218,000 from the Health Promotion Branch of Health and Welfare Canada (covering four years) to establish the Breast Cancer Support Network of Ontario Project.
· BCSS produced 10,000 additional copies of the booklet, “What You Need To Know About Breast Cancer”
· BCSS, in cooperation with the Zonta Club of Burlington 1, established “Mammacheck”, a program to teach women breast self-examination.
· BCSS played a significant role in the development of the first National Forum on Breast Cancer.
· The Hamilton Chapter of BCSS was established with monthly support meetings being held at St. Joseph’s Health Clinic in the Community Health Centre.
· The Trillium Foundation awarded a grant to BCSS to help develop our self-sustaining financial independence.
· The Board began a process of organizational development.
1992
· BCSS helped launch Breast Cancer Action Ottawa, and the “Write Now” Campaign, which saw 20 000 letters sent to MP’s asking them to support new federal government programs for breast cancer.
· Cambridge Leaseholds donated office space to the growing group at the Burlington Mall. This allowed the group to offer various services to the community.
· An Executive Director was hired.
· BCSS was awarded a $50,000 grant from the Ontario Ministry of Health for the purpose of “enhancing access to information related to coping with breast cancer.”
· BCSS received Gerda Hnatyshyn, wife of Canada’s then Governor General, at the new office in June. BCSS received a visit from Ontario’s Minster of Health, Frances Lankin, who met the Board of Directors.
1991
· BCSS published the information booklet “What you Need to Know About Breast Cancer” funded by the Hamilton Foundation. In 1992 this booklet was referred to in the federal government report on Breast Cancer – Unanswered Questions as an excellent and comprehensive model of information.
1990
· BCSS sponsored the Halton Women’s Health Project, funded by Ontario Ministry of Health, Health Promotion Branch. This project was designed to teach breast self-examination (BSE) and breast health to Halton area women.
1989
· A year later, BCSS became incorporated and received charitable status as well. The first donation received was from the Junior League of Hamilton/Burlington - $200.00.
· In April 1989 BCSS members attended the Y-ME Conference in Chicago. Thereafter, the BCSS group was modeled on Y-ME’s self help for breast cancer.
1988
· Pat Kelly and Barb Sullivan founded BCSS in 1988. Both had been treated for breast cancer and felt the need to meet with other women survivors, with whom they could share information. With six women, they formed a support group and held meetings at Barb’s home. By April 1988, the group had grown to twenty and had moved the meetings to larger quarters at the Burlington YMCA.
