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Christie Ossington Neighbourhood Centre is a multi-service agency providing free programming for five key participant groups in Toronto's West End; children, youth, homeless women, homeless men and marginalized adults. Participants in CONC programs are new to Canada, learning English, members of families supported by a sole parent, survivors of abuse and people fleeing abuse, people with mental health and physical health challenges, people struggling with addictions, underhoused and homeless people, members of marginalized groups and people dealing with a myriad of other challenges that leave them vulnerable to oppression, abuse, poor health, financial distress, unsafe working and living conditions, isolation and a poor quality of life. Each programming area operates year-round in the Christie Ossington Community through the support of local businesses, residents, schools and other social service agencies to provide essential support and opportunities for over 16,000 vulnerable people each year

CONC Programs take place at 3 fixed sites and 1 moving site (The CONC Outreach Van). To see each site on a map, click the appropriate name;

CONC South Site, 854 Bloor Street West

CONC North Site, 973 Lansdowne Avenue

Christie Pits Park & Alex Duff Recreation Centre, 779 Crawford Street

The Nook Children’s Program provides after school, summer, suspension help and special events programming for approximately 1,300 children each year from local low-income families who are often also new to Canada, learning English, supported by a sole parent, members of a marginalized group or experiencing crisis. Nook programming has a particularly strong emphasis on community arts, weaving visual arts, music and theatre into daily opportunities for high needs children in the Christie Ossington community.

LOFT Youth Centre for Social Enterprise and Innovation provides counseling, job search assistance, skill-building workshops, arts and recreation activities and civic engagement opportunities for approximately 4,500 youth in the Christie Ossington community each year. LOFT programming emphasizes “life, opportunity, food and technology”, supporting youth entrepreneurship, education and the pursuit of healthy, positive paths to success. Please visit www.loftycsei.org for more information on our 3 Social Enterprises.

The Women’s Hostel Program provides overnight shelter and supports the well-being of women in the Christie Ossington community who are homeless, street-oriented, ill, fleeing unsafe situations and facing mental health issues, addictions, unemployment and other barriers to maintaining adequate housing. The Women’s Hostel provides assistance to an average of 15 women per night, every night of the year.

The Men’s Hostel Program provides overnight shelter and supports the well-being of men in the Christie Ossington community who are homeless, street-oriented, ill and facing mental health issues, addictions, unemployment and other barriers to maintaining adequate housing. The Men’s Hostel provides assistance to an average of 45 men per night, every night of the year.

The Men’s Transitional Housing Program provides self-contained, single-unit tenancy for 20 men at a time who are moving towards self-sustainability and long-term housing solutions. Four tenants successfully moved out into long-term housing last year and the program looks forward to facilitating further successful transitions in the years to come.

The Drop-In & Food Access Program provides healthy meals, phone, fax and internet access, informative and skill-based workshops, shower and laundry facilities and personal support for approximately 4,500 people each year in the Christie Ossington community. The Drop-In Program is also the first point of access for over 700 volunteers each year, many of whom are new to Canada, learning English and seeking accessible community connections. 

The Street Outreach Program provides essential transportation for homeless people in collaboration with The City of Toronto, Street Helpline and other downtown social service agencies to increase shelter and housing opportunities. The Street Outreach Team assists over 1,000 homeless Christie Ossington community members each year.