Commemorative photo book celebrates 50+ Years of Lansdowne, in print fundraiser and free online
- Lansdowne Children's Centre
- Apr 14
- 3 min read
A 76-page collection of photos and stories celebrating community members serving children and youth for over five-decades.
In 2024, Lansdowne Children’s Centre celebrated its 50th anniversary and now shares a keepsake to help honour the stories and memories of so many contributors to its history.
The year kicked off with an announcement by Minister of Children, Community and
Social Services Michael Parsa and Brantford-Brant MPP Will Bouma that the Ontario
government would be constructing a brand-new facility for Lansdowne Chldren's Centre in Brantford. Other notable happenings throughout the year included an open house, an anniversary gala, and the release of a 50th anniversary photo book memento.
The book, created in collaboration with Blueprint Agencies in Paris, is available in hard copy for a cost of $35 payable to Lansdowne Children's Centre Foundation, and is also available online as a digital flipbook, free to the public. Print copies can be ordered online through the Lansdowne website, or at reception at 39 Mount Pleasant St., Brantford.
The book covers the formation of the Brant County Cerebral Palsy Parents’ Council in
the early 1950s, which eventually found its home in the Terrace Pavilion at Brantford
General Hospital as the Rotary Club of Brantford Crippled Children’s Centre and the
Brant County Cerebral Palsy Centre in 1960.
Evelyn Chandler took over administration of the centre’s education and therapy
programs in 1970, and she began to advocate for integration, so that the children in the
program could be part of the same school system as their peers.
The centre was moved into a wing of Lansdowne Public School and started operating
there in September 1973; on April 16, 1974, it officially received the name Lansdowne
Children’s Centre.
The book also details the decades of Lansdowne’s history up to present day,
highlighting the children and youth of Lansdowne, their families, the community
members and organizations that have offered their support and more, utilizing
Lansdowne’s own historical records and staff contributions, as well as the archives of
local publications the Brantford Expositor, Brant News and Paris Star.
Copies of the book are available for purchase for $35 each, with proceeds going to
support the Lansdowne Children’s Centre Foundation.
As Lansdowne’s own gift to the community, a free version of the book has been made
available to view online (click here). The digital version includes links to supplemental materials, including videos from different moments in the centre’s history.
As Lansdowne’s families, staff and supporters prepare to enter the centre’s next major
season with the construction of a new facility, we also offer our sincere thanks to
everyone who has helped us along the way, and honour the legacy of those who paved
the path we now walk into the future.
In June 2024, Lansdowne Children's Centre shared this video montage to celebrate its 50th anniversary at their annual general meeting. The video compilation created in collaboration with 208media features exclusive images not seen in decades, including the opening of the CP Centre (1955), a cable TV feature (1981) and the dedication of the Joanne Renahan Children's Courtyard (1999).
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