The front door to the front line

It’s not hard for us to get a clear perspective on the quality of life for the underserved people in our city. All we have to do is look out the window. In the battle against the most difficult health and social care challenges in Canada, we are the front door to the front line.

There is no roadmap for the journey we are on. The bureaucratic challenges are often enormous. Problematic drug use is not glamorous , and our participants can sometimes be difficult to love. But we know that our work makes a real and lasting difference in the lives of the people we serve.

The vast majority of society will be fortunate enough to never need our services. So why should they care about what happens here? Because the problems that will ultimately hit society, always hit vulnerable populations first.

In dealing with the health care crisis, we are the first responders. The insights and solutions we discover here have the potential to transform the health care system and enhance the quality of people’s lives across Canada. We create community, and out of community comes stability, for our participants and for society at large. What we do to improve the lives of our participants today, we can do for the public tomorrow.

In the last year of Dr. Peter’s time on earth, he wrote a short piece on what life meant to him. There is no better way to finish this chapter in the story of the Dr. Peter Centre than with his words.

It’s an affirmation that inspires us every day with the vision and courage of the man who gave us our name, our purpose, and our spirit.

I accept and absorb all the strength of the earth to keep my body hard and strong.

I accept and absorb all the energy of the sun to keep my my mind sharp and bright.

I accept and absorb all life force of the oceans to cleanse my body to bring me life. I accept and absorb all power of the wind to cleanse my spirit and bring me strength of purpose.

I accept and absorb all the mystery of the heavens because I’m a part of that vast unknown.

I believe God to be all these elements and the force that unites them. From these elements I have come, to these elements I will return, but the energy that is me will not be lost.