The History of Telecare

The Telecare model for a crisis intervention telephone ministry originated in Sydney, Australia in 1963. The Rev. Alan Walker of Sydney's Central Methodist Mission saw a need for such a service and founded the "Life Line". The LifeLine centre in Sydney was opened on March 16, 1963, after more than a year of preparation, with the city-wide announcement that "help is as close as the telephone".

The first LifeLine related service in Canada was founded in Sudbury, Ontario on October 4, 1965, by the Rev. D. Bruce MacDougall of St. Peter's United Church.

The Telecare Centre in Sudbury is the oldest 24-hour-a-day telephone ministry in continuous service in North America. It was originally known as LifeLine but the name was changed to Telecare in 1970.

Today, in Canada, there are 8 centres in operation, waiting to take calls from people in need of someone to listen to them.