About us
Our Mission
We are driven to provide integrated support for women as they move forward in their own journey.
Our Vision
We are building an inclusive community that empowers women to grow and thrive.
Our Values
- We respect and value every voice.
- We lead with empathy & compassion.
- We champion inclusion.
- We’re always adapting.
- We advocate for all women.
Who We Are
Street Haven at the Crossroads offers women experiencing or at risk of homelessness a pathway to safety, stability, and personal empowerment. Through emergency shelter, supportive housing, addiction recovery programs, and skills training, they deliver integrated, compassionate services that help women rebuild their lives with dignity and hope.
Our History
2020s (Present)
Street Haven expanded during COVID, opened a hotel-based shelter, launched housing stabilization, and added trauma-informed psychotherapy and outreach. New provincial funding supported transitional housing. In 2025, Street Haven celebrates 60 years and purchases 93 Pembroke Street to deepen its historic downtown presence.
2010s
Street Haven maintained core programs and restructured its Learning Centre in 2019 into a Training Services program, focused on digital literacy, life skills, and employment readiness. This initiative reinforced confidence-building and pathways to education and employment for women facing systemic barriers.
2000s
Street Haven strengthened governance and policy frameworks. In 2006, founder Peggy Walpole passed away after 41 years of leadership. Her legacy shaped continued service expansion and strategic planning to support low-barrier programs for women recovering from trauma, homelessness, and addiction.
1990s
Street Haven expanded housing, acquired 91 Pembroke, and adopted a trauma-informed case management model in 1992. It strengthened continuity across services and improved individualized care. The Learning Centre moved to 67 Adelaide in 1997, offering basic literacy and skills training for women.
1980s
Walpole received the Order of Canada in 1980. Street Haven expanded housing, launched the Learning Centre in 1988, and relocated Grant House to Toronto. In 1989, it secured a 40-year lease at 607 St. Clair West to provide supportive housing for women.
1970s
Street Haven adopted a multi-service model and partnered with Correctional Services. In 1976, it opened Canada’s first women-specific residential addiction program, Grant House, named after Judith Grant. Walpole was recognized provincially for her leadership, including a medal of good citizenship in 1974.
1960s
Street Haven was founded in 1965 by nurse Peggy Walpole, who opened Toronto’s first emergency women’s shelter from her home. Her leadership established a multi-faith board and expanded services to 87 Pembroke, creating Canada’s first women-centred multi-service housing and recovery agency.
Our Founder
Peggy Ann Walpole worked as a nurse in the Emergency Room of St. Michael’s Hospital in the 1950’s. There she encountered many women who suffered from the debilitating effects of life on the street; violence, isolation, poverty and poor health. Peggy Ann was frustrated, knowing that once these women were treated and discharged, most had nowhere safe to go.
And so Peggy Ann founded Street Haven at the Crossroads in 1965, a drop-in centre where women could have a cup of coffee and access assistance, without judgement.
Next, she bought a stately old mansion on Pembroke Street and opened the first Emergency Shelter for homeless women in Toronto. Over the years, Peggy Ann added supportive housing, residential and community addiction treatment and a learning centre to Street Haven`s roster of life-saving services.
Peggy Ann devoted her life to our community’s most vulnerable women. She was awarded the Ontario Good Citizenship Medal and was appointed a member of the Order of Canada. Peggy Ann Walpole died in 2006 but her legacy lives in the work we do at Street Haven, every day.
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