History of WCHC

Our Story

The development of WCHC began in 1983. The St. Jacobs Village Association established a health committee to look at the need for local health services. The work of this group led to the formation of WCHC as a non-profit organization in 1985. WCHC submitted a funding proposal to the Ministry of Health in 1988. In 1989, the Ministry of Health approved funding for WCHC. Service delivery started in a downtown St. Jacobs location while the permanent health centre was under construction.

A successful fund-raising campaign started in the fall of 1989. In three years, a total of $350,000 was raised. These funds helped WCHC build additional space that the Ministry of Health would not fund. That community-funded space was built for a pharmacy, dental office, and other tenants. On December 1, 1990, we officially opened the permanent health centre at 10 Parkside Drive, St. Jacobs.

 

Since first opening its doors in St. Jacobs, WCHC has seen many changes, including:

  • A 3300 square foot addition to the main health centre facility in 1995-96.
  • Becoming a midwifery services Transfer Payment Agency in 1999.
  • Construction of a second building at 9 Parkside Drive, St. Jacobs to provide more tenant service space in 2001-02.
  • Partnership with the Region of Waterloo to build an ambulance station on health centre property in 2002-03, to enhance access to emergency services for the rural townships.
  • Opening a Nurse Practitioner Office in Linwood at 3777 Ament Line in Linwood in 2003.
  • Opening a satellite health centre in the village of Wellesley in 2005.
  • Adding physiotherapy services to WCHC in 2008.
  • Partnerships with dozens of health and human services providers, groups and organizations to provide additional services and supports through health centre facilities and in outreach locations.
  • Completing the conversion of our client record system from paper, to electronic, at all service delivery sites by 2013.
  • An increase in staff – from 10 in 1990 to 60+ today – and involvement of 90+ volunteers in all aspects of WCHC’s work.