This history of Perram House has been shaped by foresight and perseverance. Among the pioneers of hospices in Ontario, and perhaps in all of Canada, Anne Norris, founded White Light Hospice Foundation in 1988, began operating a visiting hospice out of shared office space at 597 Jarvis Street from 1993 - 1996. In 1996 when the Princess Margaret (PMH)/Wellesley Hospitals were shut down, and relocated to University Avenue, Anne negotiated with the Chief Executive Officer of the Princess Margaret Hospital to rent #4 Wellesley Place, the nursing office of PMH in earlier times and to do so for a nominal charge. In 1997, Anne and her board of directors upgraded the space and began offering services of palliative care to the homeless.

Prior to its ownership by the Ontario Cancer Institute in 1968, #4 Wellesley Place was owned by The Sisters of Service of Canada, the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, several private owners among them its original owner in 1878, Mary Ann Perram, (widow) mother of 5 children.

In 2001, the Ontario Government sold to a private developer the house and the block of property on which the #4 is located. At this time the rent paid by White Light suddenly increased 6 - fold thereby placing significant financial stress on the operation of the hospice.

In September 2003, after many years of struggling to maintain and operate the hospice, Anne Norris retired along with most members of her board of directors. During the period from opening the hospice to Anne Norris’ retirement in 2003, she fought for the rights of hospices with governments at all levels. She did whatever was necessary to ensure the hospice could operate to deliver palliative care to the homeless.

In 2003 Frank McCrea was introduced to White Light Hospice through his late wife Jean McCrea. Following Jean’s death the McCrea Family began its support of the hospice in an effort to continue the volunteer support previously initiated and provided by Jean. With the resignation of Anne Norris, Frank McCrea’s support increased further to the extent that he took on responsibility for the Hospice and its programs.

New members were recruited for the Board of Directors. The new team launched fund raising efforts and initiated the development of an overall strategy. The building which houses the program was secured and made available to the hospice on a long-term rental basis. The much-needed renovations to the physical structure were undertaken.

In late 2003 Mary Ellen Hopgood volunteered her services and became Executive Director. Making a major commitment in time and effort Mary Ellen took on the responsibilities of day to day leadership for the redevelopment of Perram House. Under Mary Ellen’s leadership, the hospice undertook an aggressive program of outreach and program rejuvenation. A commission of operational research was undertaken by students of Ryerson University’s Business Consulting Service. Further assistance was received from students attending Osgoode Hall, University of Toronto Law Schools and Rotman School of Management. She was also instrumental in securing funding from various organizations in support of the efforts to complete extensive interior renovations including significant funding from The Ontario Trillium Foundation which was matched by a private donor.

A critical step in the redevelopment of the Residential Hospice program was the re-branding of the facility from the White Light Hospice to Perram House. Significantly the re-branding was reflective of the ongoing change. Capitalizing upon the fact that the building itself was designated as an historic landmark, the board of directors renamed the hospice “Perram House”, with the objective of removing the word “Hospice” from the name while at the same time enabling the building to be signed and referenceable within the community as a named place. This name not only differentiates the facility’s original owner, Mary Ann Perram, but also recognizes the hospice’s restoration both physically and operationally inclusive of the inherent spirit of compassionate care pioneered by its mentors.

In the Fall of 2006, the Provincial Government announced funding for salaries of care givers in Residential Hospices through its End of Life Strategy. The funding, specifically for personal support and nursing services, is flowed to Perram House through the Toronto Community Care Access Centre (CCAC). Additionally, the Toronto CCAC also provides case management and other support services to Perram House residents. This funding has enhanced Perram House’s financial capacity which previously relied totally on fundraising and private donations and enabled the accelerated opening of the Hospice.

As we move into 2007, the future of the hospice has never been brighter. We enjoy the stability of a long-term lease, a fully renovated and customized facility which includes off street parking and a shaded garden area. As an organization, the hospice has successful established relationships with all industry associations; income from fundraising activities has increased and stabilized; internal office procedures have been reviewed and upgraded. Our volunteer program has an active training agenda and the overall program has earned preeminence in the community. The hiring of medical and nursing staff with expertise in palliative care has brought the hospice into an unprecedented realm of excellence.

Functioning as a model of private / public partnership for the delivery of health care on a not for profit basis, our undertaking is to provide all people, regardless of wealth or social status, a warm home with optimum healthcare in their final days. Clearly, the community is indebted to those individuals in our history whose vision and perseverance have created this idyllic setting to be “the premier provider of services to those affected by life threatening illness.”