History
A Story of Hope Since 1958
One pastor's decision to help seven teenagers grew into a global movement that has transformed thousands of lives—and continues to bring hope to people across Canada today.
The Beginning
In 1958, the streets of New York City were ruled by gang violence where drug addiction and youth crime were out of control. After seeing an article in Life Magazine about seven teenagers on trial for murder, a young pastor from Pennsylvania, David Wilkerson, felt God prompting him to “help the boys in the magazine”.
In the memoir of David Wilkerson's life titled The Cross and the Switchblade, a gang leader, Nicky Cruz confronts David, threatening to kill him, to which Wilkerson replied:
"Yeah, you could do that. You could cut me up into a thousand pieces and lay them in the street, and every piece will still love you."
Later that year, David Wilkerson started Teen Challenge – A program that offered faith-based rehabilitation, discipleship, and community not only to get young people off the streets, but to give hope for a transformed future.
The Teen Challenge program became a movement with distinct centres being established across the USA, Canada, and around the world by local leaders who caught the vision and saw the impact that faith and rehabilitation has when motivated by a profound love.
Teen Challenge Comes to Canada
In 1973, George Glover founded Teen Challenge Canada which took the form of a Coffee House located in Hamilton, Ontario. This first centre offered counselling services, Christian fellowship, coffee and live music.
In 1985, an 18-bed recovery program was opened in Hamilton relocated to London with the purchase of a nursing home on 46 acres of land. The program expanded and the property converted to a recovery centre that is open today as our Ontario Men’s Centre with 59 beds available.
George Glover was instrumental in establishing Teen Challenge Canada, serving as National Director for nearly 40 years.
1973
Coffee House ministry begins
1985
18-bed Recovery Program opens
Growth
New centres open across Canada
Today
8 Centres
218 Beds
Thousands of lives changed
Part of a Global Movement
Teen Challenge has grown from one ministry in New York City into a worldwide network bringing hope and freedom from addiction through Christ-centred recovery.
Each centre serves its local community with a similar mandate at the heart of it all:
- Christ-centred recovery
- Long-term, live-in substance addiction rehabilitation programs
- Holistic healing
- Community reintegration
The Story Continues
For more than fifty years, Teen Challenge Canada has witnessed lives transformed through faith, community, and compassionate care.
The next chapter is still being written.
Whether you're looking for help, hoping to volunteer, or wanting to support someone else's recovery journey, we'd love for you to be part of the story.
Teen Challenge Canada Timeline
1973
Coffee House in Hamilton
1991
Ontario Men’s Centre
2004
Alberta Men’s Centre
2005
Saskatchewan Men’s Centre
2006
Atlantic Men’s Centre
2008
Ontario Women’s Centre
2019
2021
Eastern Ontario Men’s Centre
2023
