History

Old SPRINT Door

SPRINT Senior Care was born SPRINT (Senior Peoples’ Resources in North Toronto). It began as a grassroots organization by Joe Brown and Les Davis, who were concerned about the lack of affordable housing for older people. With help from Paul Bedford, at the North Toronto Planning Office, they formed an organization called HINTS (Housing in North Toronto for Seniors). Along with POINT (People and Organizations in North Toronto) and City Councillor Anne Johnston, they advocated for affordable housing and produced a survey and report highlighting this as an important issue. Their hard work paid off and today we can attribute most, if not all, of the subsidized seniors’ housing in North Toronto to their efforts.

In 1981, in reaction to a report that there was a great need for supportive housing in North Toronto, POINT, along with Charlotte Maher, Freda Finley, Sally Perkins and Joan Osler and the help of volunteers, established SPRINT. Then, in 1983, under the leadership of its first Executive Director, Micki Bregman, and first Board Chair, Sally Perkins, SPRINT became incorporated, moved from St. Clement’s Church to St. George’s Church. Its first services were information and referral, counselling, friendly visiting, security checks, and transportation, with the expansion of counselling and case management the following year. Then, in 1985, with a budget of $127,103 and 174 clients, SPRINT moved to 641 Eglinton Avenue West.

Over the years, SPRINT grew and expanded its services to support a broader range of seniors’ and caregivers’ needs. This expansion included a move to its current location at 140 Merton Street in 1998, greater government funding, recognition as a United Way member agency, and the development of collaborative partnerships with key health care providers in the Toronto area, including, but not limited to, the Toronto Central Community Care Access Centre (now known as the TC LHIN), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, the Anne Johnston Health Station, and VHA Home HealthCare (VHA).

This growth has also included: an expanding workforce, especially personal support workers who are the frontline staff of the agency and who provide direct care to our clients, increased involvement by volunteers, and a new name, SPRINT Senior Care, and logo in 2013. We are proud to now serve over 4,000 clients every year. 

SPRINT Senior Care has been accredited by Accreditation Canada since 2008, and for our last three Accreditation on-site surveys in 2013, 2018, and 2023, received a perfect score and the highest accreditation decision of “Accredited with Exemplary Standing.”