Introducing The Summit: Marian & Jim Sinneave Centre for Youth Resilience

Introducing The Summit: Marian & Jim Sinneave Centre for Youth Resilience

The Summit: Marian & Jim Sinneave Centre for Youth Resilience

Calgary’s first dedicated centre for child and adolescent mental health will be called The Summit: Marian & Jim Sinneave Centre for Youth Resilience — honouring the lead donors for the new facility while reflecting valuable sentiments from the community.

“We are so delighted the Sinneaves were open to letting the centre bear their name,” says Saifa Koonar, President and CEO of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation. “While their initial desire to remain anonymous with their transformational gift speaks to their humility, we’re honoured that they agreed to let us celebrate their unprecedented generosity in this way.”

Marian Sinneave and her late husband Jim’s legacy is their commitment to community well-being by supporting organizations like the Alberta Children’s Hospital.

“With thoughtful intent and compassion, it was important to Marian that this gift be truly transformational,” says Eva Friesen, President & CEO, Calgary Foundation, who helped facilitate the donation. “By undertaking research and providing crucial new services, the Summit will greatly impact the lives of young people in urgent need of mental health care.”

“We are incredibly grateful for the support from the Sinneaves and our entire community. It shows how much mental health and this centre touch all of our hearts,” says Steph Hancock, a member of the centre’s Youth Advisory Council. The Youth and Family Advisory Councils, young people with lived experience, Alberta Health Services staff and the public participated in an engagement exercise earlier this year that shaped the other meaningful parts of the centre’s new name. “We thought it was important that the name of the centre feel welcoming to encourage young people to get the support they need,” says Hancock. “The word ‘summit’ reflects the journey and challenge of navigating mental health. Adding ‘resilience’ also creates a sense of hope for young people, that whatever they are facing can be overcome.”

Construction on the centre is expected to wrap up by the end of the year with doors opening in early 2023. The Summit will provide three new services for kids, teens and their families through the Owerko Family Walk In Services, on-site intensive therapy and the Ptarmigan Day Hospital. In partnership with Alberta Health Services and the University of Calgary, it will also be one of the most research-intensive community-based mental health facilities for young people in Canada.

To learn how you can support mental health initiatives for children, teens and young adults, please visit buildthemup.ca.

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