Access Alliance’s journey of 35 years
On October 17th, 1988, Ontario’s Ministry of Health announced significant funding to formally establish Access Alliance as a community health centre, giving us the official mandate and resources to provide health promotion and primary health care services to four priority communities. The following year, in 1989, a new community-based and community-governed health centre was born, the result of years of collaborative health-related volunteer work by committed professionals from the Korean, Portuguese, Vietnamese, and Spanish-speaking communities in Toronto.
Over the last three-and-a-half decades, Access Alliance has expanded its services, locations, staff, clients, and the communities we serve. While we have seen people and programs come and go, our commitment to innovations that best serve our newcomer clients has remained consistent. Through strategic partnerships and our dedication to health equity, we have broadened our reach to serve all of Toronto’s diverse communities of newcomers. At the same time, we’ve grown our programs and services to address critical and emerging needs that relate to the social determinants of health. These include the racialization of poverty, an increase in exploitive employment, precarious immigration status, and the mass displacement of people in the world.
2024 marks the 35th anniversary of Access Alliance being formally established as a community health centre, with the theme “A Celebration of Firsts.” This theme honours our founders’ spirit by highlighting 12 groundbreaking initiatives—12 “Firsts” that Access Alliance initiated over the past 35 years, each still making a lasting impact on Toronto’s newcomer communities. From innovating the spaces where we serve clients, like the Hotel Clinic, to transforming service recipients into service partners through initiatives like Peer Workers, and advocating for systemic changes like OHIP for All Babies, these “Firsts” stand as a testament to our dedication to innovation and responsiveness to evolving community needs.
As you journey through 2025 with the Calendar, each month will take you on a reflective walk down memory lane, showcasing the initiatives that have shaped Access Alliance into what it is today. The calendar’s visuals feature artwork and art-making scenes from our Expressive Arts program, one of our proudest “Firsts.” These vibrant pieces exemplify the transformative power of our programs. On the back of the Calendar, you’ll find the creators behind the art—our clients—who have found empowerment through these initiatives over the past two decades.
We are excited to continue this journey with you with renewed energy. With your involvement and collaboration, we’re ready to push boundaries, reimagine possibilities, and continue addressing the social determinants of health with fresh approaches. Together, we’ll create more future-facing “Firsts” that help our communities rise to new challenges and achieve health with dignity in the next 35 years.