When Life Gets Complicated,
We Show Up
About The Alex Community Health Centre
At The Alex, our work begins where life is most uncertain. In moments shaped by illness, hunger, trauma, or unstable housing, we meet people where they are and walk alongside them toward health, home, and hope through barrier-free, team-based care.
Our History
We were founded in Inglewood, Calgary, in 1973 on a simple but radical idea: everyone deserves care that sees the whole person, not just the crisis.
We were the very first community health centre in the city to offer the type of support we do. And as our city has grown, so have we. We’re now proud to be the largest centre of our kind in Canada.
In the beginning, we were named after our original home in a local sandstone schoolhouse. But in the decades since, we’ve chosen to embrace the ancient Greek meaning of our name ‘Alex’ – a defender of humanity.
A Legacy of Firsts
The Alex was granted charitable status. As a recognized non-profit, funding and grant opportunities became available, encouraging a future of growth and expansion.
1973
The Community Health Bus was launched, the first of its kind in western Canada.
The Seniors Health Clinic officially opened its doors, providing comprehensive outreach and medical support for low-income seniors.
2001
Pathways to Housing was launched. Based on the Housing First model, this program places individuals into homes first, and then provides the necessary supports to work on the issues contributing to them being chronically unhoused.
The Youth Health Clinic opened its doors in October, providing medical and social supports for youth aged 12-24.
2008
HomeBase officially began admitting clients. This comprehensive housing program connects Calgary’s homeless with resources and supports to help them stay housed, breaking the cycle of poverty and housing instability.
2010
The Youth Health Bus was launched in January. The first of its kind in Canada, the bus visits high schools around Calgary, bringing mobile health care to at-risk youth.
Abbeydale Place is a low-barrier, recovery-oriented supportive housing program offering 24/7 on-site supports, full meals, and congregate living for 20 participants, focused on health, recovery, and daily living stability.
2012
The Alex Dental Health Bus officially joined our Mobile Health Fleet in January, partnering with local schools and youth-serving organizations in Calgary.
The mobile buses served as first responders during the flood of 2013, deploying our teams to emergency evacuation centres.
2013
We celebrated the official grand opening of The Alex Community Food Centre in Forest Lawn with a vine-cutting ceremony on Neighbour Day.
The Alex brought our community, youth and housing programs all under one roof in our new Community Health Centre in SE Calgary.
The Prelude is a low-barrier, recovery-oriented supportive housing program providing 24/7 on-site supports in 22 individual bachelor units, helping participants build stability through health care, recovery planning, and life-skills development.
2017
As an essential service, The Alex stayed in operation throughout the pandemic, and launched our Rapid Access Addiction Medicine program as well as our Assisted Self Isolation Site.
2020
Established in 2021, the Street Team delivers frontline outreach, meeting people where they are with urgent health care, basic needs support, and pathways to housing and stability.
2021
The Mobile Care Clinic delivers flexible, low-barrier medical care and supports, reaching people who face challenges accessing traditional healthcare by navigating crowded urban spaces and meeting individuals.
Launched in 2022, PAO provides intensive, team-based mental health and addiction support for individuals with complex needs, helping clients achieve stability through consistent, community-centered care.
2022
The Alex purchased our main site building, putting down permanent roots in our community and allowing us to be sustainable in the long term.
2025
The Alex For All
The Alex is, was, and always will be for all people of all ethnicities, cultural identities, backgrounds, and gender expressions. We acknowledge we have the privilege of living and working on the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region in southern Alberta. And we extend the hand of friendship to every person and community we co-exist with, today and tomorrow.
About The Alex Community Health Centre
Insights From Real Life
What we do is complicated. Our blogs give authentic insight into our activities and planning, how we’re engaging with the world around us, and the thoughts and experiences of our team on wider social issues.
