We open doors for youth and prevent adult homelessness. We serve at-risk youth experiencing homelessness, aging out of care, or fleeing violence in the home. Young adults who need a place to call home and people who believe in them. We offer safe housing, community and support to help youth make healthy choices and shift toward a brighter future.

OUR VISION A community where all youth thrive.

OUR MISSION Threshold Housing Society works to prevent adult homelessness by providing safe housing, support services, and community to at-risk youth.

 

Our Team

Colin Tessier

Executive Director

Colin has a deep-rooted drive for helping people on the margins of our society. Colin has spent his career in the non-profit sector, focusing primarily in the areas of housing, homelessness, and food security. For the past 12+ years Colin has held senior leadership roles in organizations in Calgary and Victoria, including as the Executive Director of the Mustard Seed here in Victoria. Enjoying the ability to add value to the mission of other non-profit organizations, Colin has also worked frequently as a consultant supporting executives and Boards of Directors on projects that include organizational restructuring, strategic planning, and capacity building. He will often share that his first love professionally is housing, as this is where he has seen the greatest ability to impact peoples lives toward brighter futures. For Colin, there are few things in life more inspiring than seeing someone find a safe home, where they can heal and grow after having come from experiences of trauma and homelessness. Colin is passionate about organizational leadership, creating healthy cultures, and highly effective teams. Following this passion led him to Royal Roads University where he graduated with a Master of Arts in Leadership.
In his spare time Colin loves exploring the city and Island with his wife and young daughters. The family loves hanging out at the beach, camping, or enjoying long walks surrounded by the beauty that is Vancouver Island. Colin can also be found golfing, reading, or relaxing at a coffee shop.

Angela McNulty-Buell

Director of Housing and Support Services

Angela has spent 30 years working within the non-profit social service sector, with a focus on housing, support programs, strategic growth and vulnerable leadership. She began her career working within the health care and family welfare system in Ontario supporting youth in care along with refugee families entering Canada. Since moving to Victoria in 1999, Angela has held various leadership roles within the youth and adult serving sectors, most recently as a private consultant working with non-profits in the shelter and housing sector. Before that, Angela was the Director of Support Services with Pacifica Housing Advisory Association.

Angela is a passionate advocate – with social justice as a primary focus in decision making. She believes in building strong teams and works diligently to foster an environment of taking care of those who take care of the people we support. In her spare time, she is the proud mom of 3 daughters and 3 fur babies. She and her partner also love sailing and spending as much time as possible on the water.

Tim Lamb

Director of Finance and Administration

Tim is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and brings with him over 20 years in a senior management role. Tim has extensive experience with accounting, corporate finance, forecasting/budgeting, internal controls, audit, and treasury. As an active member of management teams, Tim has been successful linking finance with operations to improve productivity, relationships and bottom line results.

Shannon Whissell

Director of Development

Shannon is passionate about people, communities, and connections. Shannon has an Interdisciplinary Master of Arts degree, but after a brief time teaching post-secondary writing and communications, she wanted to do more in her community. She has since spent more than a decade working in the non-profit sector, supporting mission-based projects and telling the stories of how lives are changed through her colleagues’ work. Shannon has lived in Victoria for 20 years and is still amazed at the cherry blossoms in spring, the ocean spray during a storm, and how much a Garry Oak acorn hurts when it bonks you on the head. Shannon delights in every minute she gets to spend with her grandson, especially being reminded how exciting and interesting the world is.

Jason Walsh

Housing Manager

Jason has 20 years’ experience working with youth, adults and families through non-profits in Canada. B.A. in Child and Youth Care, Diploma in Community Support Work. Specializing in Mental Health and disabilities. Jason has a passion working with youth who have no advocates, supporting them to find their own voice. Free time is spent with his wife and 6 year old daughter. Jason enjoys playing hockey and curling, and is rarely seen without a cup of coffee.

Kacie Stirrett

Manager of Supportive Recovery Program

Kacie has been working in supportive roles for the last 13 years. She has a wide range of experience, from youth corrections to child protection, with a lot in between. Kacie has held a few different roles within THS and is currently the Program Manager for Threshold’s Supportive Recovery Program. Kacie has gratefully resided on Coast Salish land for the last 7 years. When she’s not working, Kacie can be found rescuing animals and bringing them home with (or without her spouses approval) and reading books.

Karli Cole

Manager of Youth Supportive Housing

Gratefully raised on Cowichan tribes and WSÁNEC peoples lands, I attended VIU and I started my social services career as a community outreach worker in the DTES and lower mainland. This experience informed my commitment to trauma-informed, person-centred, harm reduction focused support work. My management career began with supporting a growing home share program in Vancouver and the lower mainland. Upon returning to Songhees and the Esquimalt Nations land, I have managed employment programs, community programs and the Housing Access Team (HAT) at JHS of Victoria. I am excited and grateful to be working at Threshold! I thoroughly enjoy being on the island with my family and friends, and enjoying the scenery, lakes, oceans, hikes, farmers markets, and quiet spots to read a good book.

Lindsay Mitchell-Stirrett

Manager of Intake and Data Coordination

After seeking change from years in hospitality industry, Lindsay made the leap to transitional housing and youth care. As Manager of Intake, Lindsay strives to create a space where all youth that pass through our doors feel like they have a safe space where they are accepted and that they can call home. When not working, Lindsay can be found singing songs, playing tiny guitars on tiny beaches, and exploring new parts of the world and all the delicious sausage rolls that they have to offer.

Jasmine Campbell

Director of Development (on leave)

Jasmine was born and raised in Victoria, BC. She graduated from the University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Social Justice. Jasmine is passionate about advocating for social justice issues and for vulnerable youth! You can find Jasmine drinking coffee, trying a new recipe, or catching some sun.

Our Board

Alan Andrew

Chair

Dr. Alan Andrew is a Radiologist and Nuclear Medicine physician who lives and works in Victoria. He is also a clinical instructor at the UBC Faculty of Medicine and an examiner with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. On a professional level, Alan understands the direct link between stable youth housing and positive long term health outcomes. On a personal level, Alan and his wife Stephanie work to grow Victoria into a city which thrives economically and socially so that one day their two children chose to remain here to live and work themselves.

Sheila Beauchemin

Treasurer

Sheila Beauchemin is a management professional with over 30 years’ experience in the provincial public service and as an independent consultant. She has held positions with the Ministry of Finance, worked as a provincial treaty negotiator and facilitated meetings that achieve tangible, actionable results. Sheila holds degrees in economics and public administration. She believes that all youth should have a safe place to live and a community of people to guide them on their path to adulthood. Sheila lives in West Saanich, with her husband Chris, two adult daughters who come and go, and an assortment of animals both large and small.

Clayton Savage

Secretary

Clayton was an officer in the Royal Canadian Navy for 20 years, serving in a wide variety of roles in ships, as an instructor to junior officers, and with a scientific organization. This was followed by a second career as a business and technology consultant, specializing in data analytics. He has an MSc in management sciences. Clayton's focus on the board is to help THS achieve certification of internationally recognized standards that demonstrate the quality of services our society provides to youth. Clayton grew up in Winnipeg. He and his wife Evelyn have lived in Victoria since the mid-1990's, and they have three adult children. Clayton enjoys sailing, and learning to play piano.

Ruth Macintosh

Past-chair

Ruth MacIntosh has a certificate in the Community Support and Education Assistant program at Camosun College. Ruth has 30+ years of experience developing and implementing programs to meet the needs of individuals and groups through a trauma informed lens. Ruth has served on the epilepsy advisory committee at the Epilepsy and Parkinson’s Centre (now called Headway) and has been a board member of the James Bay Community Project and the Casa Maria Emergency Housing Society. Ruth comes to Threshold as the Chair of the board with extensive knowledge of the needs of at-risk youth in Greater Victoria.

Alison Campbell

Alison Campbell was born and raised in Vancouver, BC. She left to travel before she finished University. Alison spent over 6 years in England, after marrying there. When Alison returned to BC with her husband and daughter, they lived in the Fraser Valley, Terrace and Vanderhoof. While in the Valley, Alison had a son. Alison moved to Victoria in 1982 to attend the University of Victoria's Law School. Although she had no intention to remain on Vancouver Island, she fell in love with Victoria and chose to open a law practice here. Alison retired from that practice over 7 years ago. During her years in Victoria, she served on several boards, the last of which was Pacific Centre Family Services Association. Since retirement Alison has joined the Goward House Singers, a group that entertains seniors in assisted living and extended care facilities.

Helene Walker

Helene Walker is a retired civil engineer whose career began working on some of the biggest projects in the northern Alberta oil sands, at a time when there were few women in an engineering role. After she relocated to Victoria, she worked at UVic during seismic upgrades and then worked in project management at the Esquimalt Dockyards for a federal crown corporation.Wife to Barry and Mom to two adopted young adults - one from Eastern Europe, and the other a member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community - Helene has strong empathy for youth and the challenges they face in society.

Logan McMenamie

Logan is the retired Anglican Bishop for the Diocese now known as the Islands and the Inlets. He worked in a variety of engineering positions before entering Vancouver School of Theology; he holds a Masters of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry degrees from that institution. Logan is married to Marcia and enjoys their seven children and 17 grandchildren. Their grandchildren teach them about the joy and wonder in all God’s works! In 2015 he led the diocese on a sacred journey, walking 500 km from Alert Bay to Victoria. As he entered each community he gave an apology for the diocese role in Residential Schools, asking for permission to enter the land and to live well together. In this journey he has made a commitment to the process of truth and reconciliation. He continues to give invitations to examine what it mean to re-enter the land and dismantle colonial practices.

Lynne Tang

Lynne has lived in Victoria on and off for more than 23 years, having come to Vancouver Island to attend Law School at the University of Victoria after obtaining a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta. She has almost 20 years of experience working in the public sector, both provincially (Alberta and BC) and federally, in policy areas such as tax, policing, small business, local government and housing. As a mother to two boys, she understands that a stable supportive home is essential to their emotional and physical well being. She is humbled and excited by the opportunity to serve on the Board of Threshold Housing Society because of its commitment to helping youth thrive and make healthy choices through stable and safe housing and community support. Outside of work, she enjoys yoga, taking art classes, hiking and spending time with her three cats, two boys and one dog.

Salma Ihsan

Salma Ihsan is of Mexican and Pakistani descent and immigrated to Canada with her family when she was a child. She grew up on the lower mainland of B.C. and moved to Victoria to attend university. Salma graduated from the University of Victoria with a B.A. in Applied Linguistics. While studying, Salma volunteered, worked, and completed her teaching practicum at the Inter-Cultural Association of Victoria and became passionate about providing support to immigrant and refugee populations. Currently, Salma has shifted her focus and found passion in the field of Indigenous language revitalization. Salma’s involvement in the community led her to Threshold Housing and as a queer immigrant and woman of colour she hopes to advocate for those most marginalized and often looked over.

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