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.
In partnership with Island Health, Threshold Housing is offering youth a safe and supportive environment as they access a recovery-oriented and healing-focused program. As a second-stage recovery program, youth are typically entering the program from detox or treatment centres with a focus on the next stages of stabilizing and healing.
Threshold House is a co-ed home, where youth develop community and plan for their future with the support of Threshold staff. As with all THS homes, knowing that they can count on a roof over their heads and on a sense of caring community means that Threshold House youth can concentrate on finding work and finishing school.
Mitchell House is a home where male-identifying youth are given the chance to gain valuable skills and grow towards working or getting an education with the support of Threshold staff. Stability in knowing there’s a roof over their head means they can concentrate on the next steps toward independence.
Holly House is a home where female-identifying youth are able to escape intolerable living circumstances and unhealthy relationships. Here, they are able to get the care and support they need to succeed in work and school while moving towards a bright, independent adulthood.
With the help of our community, the Safe Housing for Youth (SHY) Program connects vulnerable youth with stable and affordable housing.
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 daughter. 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.
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.
McKenzie has lived in Victoria since 2013 after moving here from Alberta and is thankful to be a visitor on Coast Salish Land. She completed her Bachelor of Social Work at VIU in June 2019 and after completing her 4th Year practicum here at Threshold, McKenzie knew she wanted to continue working in a non-profit sector! Originally interested in pursuing a career in adoption, McKenzie discovered her passion for supporting at-risk youth to thrive in our marginalized society. She is excited for this incredible opportunity to work at Threshold alongside her amazing and supportive coworkers! Now that she has all this spare time that doesn’t involve studying, McKenzie is exploring new hobbies and re-discovering former interests such as swimming, reading, hanging out with friends, going to the beach, travelling, and re-learning piano. McKenzie loves to cuddle up with her cat, cook, drink lots of tea, and eat too much chocolate. McKenzie is planning to complete her Master’s Degree in a few years.
After seeking change from years in hospitality industry, Lindsay made the leap to transitional housing and youth care. As a intake coordinator, 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, exploring new parts of the world and all the delicious sausage rolls that they have to offer.
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.
Jesse graduated from CDI in 2016 with a Social Services Honours Diploma in Mental Health and Addictions. Jesse has previously worked as a Residential Support Worker, has experience working with individuals with Cognitive and Physical barriers and spent some time working in Hospital care facilities. Jesse is a strong advocate for Social Justice and Housing First. Jesse’s favorite things are spending time with his amazing wife and cats and riding fixed gear bikes!
Genevieve has a background in social work and social justice. She has been working and volunteering in the nonprofit sector in Calgary, Victoria, and Montreal for several years. Her favorite hobbies include hiking and backcountry camping, but she is happy doing anything that includes her two dogs! In the coming years, Genevieve would like to complete a combined Master’s and Juris Doctor degree at the University of Toronto.
Kelsea has been working with children and youth since she was one herself, in environments ranging from after school care and summer camps to ESL programs and boarding schools. She’s excited to bring her experience to an organization that has such a valuable impact on our community and its youth. Kelsea aims to create a caring, supportive environment for those she works with and is always willing to listen to peoples’ latest life updates. Outside of work, Kelsea can be found taking bike rides, caring for her plants, or spending time on one of Victoria’s amazing beaches.
Shona graduated from the University of Victoria in 2019 with a Bachelor of Social Work and a Criminal Justice Diploma from Camosun College. Shona is passionate about advocating for youth’s voices to be amplified. Shona is thrilled to be a part of the new Supportive Recovery Program where youth are “met where they are at” and given an opportunity to recover and heal at their own pace. When not at work, you can find Shona exploring the beautiful west coast, reading, or listening to a true crime podcast.
Originally from Calgary AB, Maddie moved to Victoria in 2017 to begin her Social Work degree at University of Victoria. After graduating in 2019, Maddie decided to make her permanent home in Victoria, and began supporting youth with substance use issues at another non profit. Maddie is consistently impressed by the hope and resiliency that the youth she works with present, and hopes to continue working in this field in the years to come. Maddie takes a harm reduction approach to most things in life, and values open-mindedness, authenticity, and honesty. In her free time, Maddie loves camping trips with her partner & friends, swimming in any body of water (weather permitting) and watching bad tv with her roommates beloved cat.
Macayla is a Cantonese settler born and raised on Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ Territories, recently known as Victoria, BC. Macayla started at Threshold as a Youth Mentor over three years ago and is excited to now be the in-house counsellor! They believe it is an incredible honour to hold space for and witness someone and their story. Macayla holds a BA in Psychology and Indigenous Studies, Diploma in Intercultural Education, and MA in Counselling Psychology. In addition to being a counsellor, Macayla is also a textile artist, community organizer, advocate, and friend.
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.
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.
Andrew Reeve was born and raised in Victoria. He is the Director of Communications & Government Relations for the Trust for Sustainable Development and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Victoria, having studied Political Science and History. He has been involved with many organizations including Amalgamation Yes, Open Victoria, and was a Senior Fellow at the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee. Reeve served as the President of the Liberal Party of Canada in Victoria for two years and as a Liberal Campaign Manager in Cowichan-Malahat-Langford during the 2015 federal election. Aside from politics and the community, he is an avid writer, Canucks fan, movie-buff, and a life-long skier.
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.
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.
Noraye Fjeldstad is an executive administrative professional with over 16 years of experience in her field. Noraye’s career path has provided a variety of environments including crown corporations, provincial government, municipal government, and currently a pension fund manager for British Columbia’s public sector employees. Outside of work, Noraye enjoys exploring the lesser-known areas of Greater Victoria on her road-bike, challenging herself at the gym or on many of the surrounding hiking trails, and photographing the landscapes and scenery of the island. Noraye was born and raised in Victoria, BC and takes pride in giving back to her community, both through her career and personal pursuits.
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.
Rachel Perkins is Métis of Scottish, Cree and Coast Salish descent. She is a citizen of the Métis Nation of British Columbia and an active member of the Métis Nation of Greater Victoria. Her family has lived on beautiful Lekwungen territory since before Fort Victoria was built; her grandmothers rooted on this land since time immemorial. Educated at UVIC, RRU and UBC, Rachel’s professional career has led her from accounting and tourism in the private sector, to Indigenous entrepreneurship and small business in the public sector. She currently works in Indigenous language and culture revitalization throughout BC. Her passion and advocacy for Indigenous youth led her to the Board of Threshold Housing, to ensure they have a voice and are included in every aspect of THS’s plans, policies and programs.
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.
Guy has spent 35 years working in Ottawa in the Child Welfare and Youth Justice Fields, and teaching at Algonquin College in the Police Foundations Program. In Child Welfare, Guy worked for the Children’s Aid Society as a youth worker, a principal Child Abuse Investigative Social Worker and a program supervisor for youth and transitional residences. In Youth Justice, Guy worked one on one with high risk criminally involved young persons at the Easter Ontario Youth Justice Agency and later became Executive Director. While working in Youth Justice, Guy accepted a part-time teaching position at Algonquin College. Finally, Guy is a trained mediator / facilitator and enjoy volunteering with Restorative Justice Victoria. Guy has a BA in Psychology from Ottawa University and an incomplete MA in Pastoral Counselling from St-Paul’s University, in Ottawa. While studying at UofO, Guy played with the GEE-GEEs football team and won the Vanier Cup. His 1975 team was also inducted in the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame. Guy has been enjoying his retirement since 2009.
Don is a social worker retired from private practise in the Employment Assistance field. Prior to opening his own practise he was employed by the South Vancouver Island Counselling and Assessment Service in Duncan, was a partner in Kelly Luttmer and Associates in Calgary, Vice-President for Children’s Services for Catholic Charities in Edmonton, and Executive Director of the Family Service Association in Edmonton. Don has served on many boards in Victoria, British Columbia and Alberta and Nationally. He was awarded an Order of Canada in 2008 for his extensive volunteer activity. Don’s interests are in social justice, housing, and interconnectedness of social services. He is a member of Lutheran Church of the Cross, Our Place Society and the Shelbourne Community Kitchen. He and his wife (Dr. Janet Storch) have lived in Victoria for over 20 years. They have 3 adult children and 4 grandchildren.
Lynne Tang has lived in Victoria on and off for over 23 years, having first 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 the 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 puppy.
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.
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.