Ontario Expands Youth Mental Health Network with New Cambridge Wellness Hub
Province adds 10 new centres to make mental health and addiction support more accessible for youth
CAMBRIDGE — The Ontario government has opened a new Youth Wellness Hub in Cambridge, part of its growing network of centres designed to make it easier for young people to access mental health and addiction support close to home.
The Cambridge Youth Wellness Hub is one of 10 new hubs being added to the province’s existing network of 24, bringing the total number of sites to 32 across Ontario. The initiative is part of the government’s plan to build a connected and convenient health-care system for youth and families.
Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones said the expansion is about ensuring access to high-quality care where it’s needed most.
“As part of our record investments to expand Youth Wellness Hubs across Ontario and support communities with the care they need, the opening of the Cambridge Youth Wellness Hub ensures young people have access to high-quality mental health and addictions services, closer to home, in a space designed just for them,” said Jones.
The new hub offers free, walk-in services for youth aged 12 to 25, including mental health and substance use support, primary care, peer support, skill-building programs, and social services. Recent renovations have expanded the facility to include a nurse practitioner’s office, new group spaces, and an enhanced kitchen for nutrition programs.
The project was co-designed by Langs Community Health Centre in collaboration with the Cambridge Youth Advisory Council to ensure programs reflect community needs. The hub is located within Langs’ Community Health Centre, which also features a gymnasium, walking track, courtyard, and community kitchen. More than 25 community partners are co-located at the site to provide integrated services under one roof.
Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Vijay Thanigasalam said the expansion strengthens Ontario’s mental health system.
“By expanding this network, we’re strengthening Ontario’s mental health and addictions system and making it easier for youth to get convenient, integrated care in a safe, welcoming space that meets their needs,” said Thanigasalam.
The opening of the Cambridge hub supports Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the province’s broader strategy to modernize Ontario’s health-care system and connect people to more local services.
A Growing Provincial Network
The Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario program has connected nearly 78,000 youth and their families to services since 2019, accounting for more than 367,000 visits across the province. Over the past year alone, more than 28,000 young people made 134,907 visits to hub locations.
Ontario is investing $8.3 million over three years to expand the program, with new hubs now open or in progress in Port Hope, Thunder Bay, Oxford County, Vaughan, Brampton, Akwesasne, Bancroft, Cambridge, Dufferin County, and Durham/Ajax.
This is part of the government’s $3.8 billion, 10-year investment under the Roadmap to Wellness, which aims to fill gaps in mental health and addictions care, create new services, and expand existing programs across the province.
Local leaders celebrated the Cambridge launch as a major step for youth well-being.
“The opening of this youth wellness hub means young people in Cambridge will now have a welcoming, one-stop space where they can access mental health supports, primary care, employment and life-skills services when they need them,” said Brian Riddell, MPP for Cambridge.
Integrated Care, Close to Home
The Cambridge hub brings together a full range of services under one roof — from counselling and crisis intervention to employment programs, housing support, and life-skills training.
Carole-Anne Chiasson, Executive Director of Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario, said the collaboration between the province, Langs, and community partners has created a model for youth-centred care.
“Here, young people will find a full range of integrated supports — mental health, substance use care, primary care, housing, employment, recreation, and more — under one roof,” Chiasson said.
Jessica Pacheco, Program Lead and Mental Health Clinician at YWHO Cambridge, added that the hub will help reduce barriers for youth.
“Our programs and services create a safe space where youth can connect, collaborate, grow and feel supported,” said Pacheco.
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