VANCOUVER, BC, July 31st, 2026 — A generous contribution from RBC Foundation will help make Foundry Vancouver-Downtown more accessible for every young person who walks through its doors. The $350,000 donation will fund the modernization of the existing elevator at Foundry’s new integrated youth services centre, transforming it into a fully accessible passenger elevator and ensuring all floors of the renovated heritage building can be accessed safely and independently.
By improving physical barriers and increasing accessibility throughout the building, the project will create a more welcoming and inclusive experience for young people ages 12 to 24, their families, staff, partners, and visitors. The new centre at 1220 Homer Street will replace Foundry’s original Vancouver location on Granville Street, which has been open for over a decade and has outgrown its capacity. It will also bring together Foundry’s provincial, research, virtual, and national collaboration teams, creating an innovation hub dedicated to youth mental health.
Contributing in accessible community spaces
Through the RBC Foundation Community Spaces Grant launched in 2024, RBC Foundation supports high-impact projects that helps improve accessibility in community buildings and public spaces, reflecting its commitment to creating more accessible and environmentally sustainable communities across Canada. By supporting Foundry Vancouver-Downtown, RBC Foundation is helping create a space where young people feel welcomed, valued, and empowered to seek care when they need it most.
“Across Canada, too many people still face physical barriers when trying to reach the support they need,” says Martin Thibodeau, Regional President, RBC in British Columbia. “Young people seeking mental health care should never encounter one of those barriers at the door. Through the RBC Foundation Community Spaces Grant, we invest in projects that make community spaces truly open to everyone. We are proud to support Foundry Vancouver-Downtown and to help ensure that every young person, family member, and visitor can walk through those doors freely and with dignity.”
Designed for youth, built for the future
At Foundry, our vision is to transform access to support for youth and families across BC. An important aspect of this includes creating spaces that reflect the needs and experiences of young people as an essential part of delivering care.
“Foundry was created to help remove barriers to care for young people,” says Dr. Steve Mathias, co-executive director of Foundry. “As we build our Foundry Vancouver-Downtown, accessibility must be part of every experience. This contribution from RBC Foundation helps create a welcoming and inclusive environment, ensuring more youth can connect with life-changing supports and feel a sense of belonging from the moment they arrive.”
Since opening North America’s first integrated youth services centre on Vancouver’s Granville Street in 2015, Foundry has helped thousands of young people access care and support during some of the most challenging moments of their lives. Built with the support of St. Paul’s Foundation donors, Foundry’s model brings mental health, substance use health, physical health, peer support, and work, education & community services together in one location. The new Foundry Vancouver-Downtown will build on that legacy, serving as the heart of Foundry’s future, a space co-designed with youth to reflect their needs, experiences, and aspirations.
“Foundry has always been powered by a community of donors who believe young people deserve access to compassionate, barrier-free care,” says Sheila Biggers, President and CEO of St. Paul’s Foundation. “RBC Foundation’s generosity brings us one step closer to creating a flagship space worthy of the youth we serve. This project represents the future of youth health and wellness in BC, and partnerships like this are helping turn that vision into reality.”
As St. Paul’s Foundation works to bring this youth-designed vision to life, support from community partners like RBC Foundation is helping create a brighter future for young people across BC.
To learn more and to donate, visit: www.helpstpauls.com/why-give/foundry/
About Foundry
Foundry offers free and confidential support for mental health, substance use health, physical and sexual healthcare, youth and family peer support and work & education support for BC youth aged 12-24 and their families/caregivers – no referrals or assessments required – both in-person at a local centre or virtually anywhere in BC.
Foundry Vancouver Downtown, Foundry Virtual BC and Foundry Central Office are operated by Providence Health Care (PHC).
As part of its provincial strategy to improve mental health and addictions care for young people, the Government of British Columbia provides one-time start-up funding to establish Foundry centres, and ongoing core funding for service delivery and operations. Foundry lead agencies may fundraise locally to cover any additional one-time costs depending on local needs and building requirements. Once centres are open, Foundry lead agencies may fundraise for programming that complements core services.
About St. Paul’s Foundation
St. Paul’s Foundation raises funds to support compassionate, inspired care at Providence Health Care, including St. Paul’s Hospital; Providence Living; and Foundry BC. Through fundraising and strategic partnerships, the Foundation plays a critical role in advancing capital projects, fostering groundbreaking research, and enhancing care for the people of British Columbia and beyond.
To learn more and to donate, visit: www.helpstpauls.com/why-give/foundry/
For media inquiries, please contact:
Stefanie Costales | Communications Lead scostales@foundrybc.ca