"It is not a case of one set of people giving something that another set receives; it is a pooling by all of us of the best we know how to share. It is a living and sharing of life."

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General Overview

> Download our general Alexandra Neighbourhood House brochure.

In 1892 the Alexandra Hospital for Women and Children was built at the corner of 7th and pine in Vancouver,. The area was swampy, wild and undeveloped, well  outside the core of the city, and from the beginning, there were problems with marauding bears. The trustees decided that it was an unsuitable location for pregnant women and small children, but a perfectly appropriate location for an orphanage.

The Orphanage was opened by members of  the Women’s Christian Temperance Union who had undertaken the care of three motherless children. Shortly after, others applied for care and the ladies saw the immediate need for a “Children’s Home” run under their own protective wing, and the former hospital building at 7th and Pine became available.

By 1914, 80 children were in residence and both the Orphanage and the city had changed. 7th and Pine was no longer in the bush and the children needed some relief from the Home. They were given a month at camp in Crescent Beach to rest, relax and gain heath and strength, and the results were so good that in 1916, the Board of Management purchased a permanent site there and established the “Alexandra Fresh Air Camp”.

By 1930, the Orphanage had joined the Vancouver Welfare Federation (now the United Way), and the Crescent Beach camp had become an important service for the needy who required much more than fresh air and sunshine. Symbolic of this thinking was the change in name in the 1940’s from the “Alexandra Fresh Air Camp” to “Camp Alexandra’. In the 1950’s the focus of camps began to shift as foster homes replaced orphanages and institutions began to consider alternative ways of dealing with marginalized members of society. Camp sessions were provided for delinquent youth, single mothers, seniors, adults with mental health needs, adults with developmental disabilities and families on restricted incomes.

Today, three of the five camping sessions provided are for adults with developmental disabilities and /or mental health needs, one camp is still provided for families on restricted incomes and in 2003, a camping session for teen and young mothers was added. All campers enjoy a change of routine, learn new skills and participate in a wide variety of social/recreational activities.

The Camp continued to operate in the summer for the next 30 years until the residents of Crescent Beach demonstrated a strong desire to have a neighbourhood center in their community. The Camp was an ideal location and in December 1972, once the buildings were winterized, Crescent Beach Community Services was established and a Board of Management began to plan for the provision of community services. Ongoing year-round funding was secured when in January 1974 CBCS was granted the status of a Neighbourhood House in the Neighbourhood Services Association, the evolution of the original Alexandra Orphanage. NSA is now the Association of Neighbourhood Houses of Greater Vancouver.

CBCS at Camp Alexandra quickly developed into  a viable social and recreational centre, serving not just the immediate neighbourhood, but all residents of the Semiahmoo Peninsula and beyond. The demand for social services has continued to increase proportionally with residential immigration, and upgrading of the facilities and expansion or programs and services (link to programs  is ongoing. As the community has grown, CBCS has also established satellite offices and programs in White Rock/South Surrey.

Today, Alexandra Neighbourhood House operates as a Neighbourhood House, a residential summer camp and an overnight retreat by the ocean. Programming, services and community events reflect the changing needs and interests of our rapidly growing community, providing stability, valuing diversity and promoting a sense of belonging and sharing.

We strive to develop harmonious relationships among community groups of different cultures, economic, religious and social characteristics. While we in no way promote the interests of any group of people over another, our mandate dictates that we respond to the needs of our community without prejudice, and irregardless of age, race, religion, cultural differences, gender, sexual orientation  or social standing.

Community development is involved in all aspects of program delivery and community service. By working with the entire family as well as the broader community we create a sense of community and provide all who come to the Neighbourhood House with a feeling of belonging.

Our challenge is to use our resources to provide stability in our community while valuing diversity in all forms, and promoting a sense of belonging and sharing.