The Harbour
The Harbour
- The Need
- Our Focus - Young Adult (18+)
- Our Treatment Program
- The Harbour Facility
- Our Staff / Resources
- Continuing Care
- Chapter Development
EDFC - The Charity
- Leadership
- Boards Of Directors
- Filling The Gap with Early Treatment
- Authorization
- Vision
How to Help
- Donations
- Sponsorships
The Harbour
The Harbour
- The Need
- Our Focus - Young Adult (18+)
- Our Treatment Program
- The Harbour Facility
- Our Staff / Resources
- Continuing Care
- Chapter Development
EDFC - The Charity
- Leadership
- Boards Of Directors
- Filling The Gap with Early Treatment
- Authorization
- Vision
How to Help
- Donations
- Sponsorships
History & Background
Journey to The Harbour
The Eating Disorders Foundation of Canada (EDFC) is a charity registered in 1997 as a national charity for the purposes of supporting education, research and the treatment of eating disorders.
Authorized to provide Treatment
In 2014 EDFC obtained the approval of the Charities Directorate of Canada Revenue Agency through its Articles of Continuance to “provide treatment to individuals who are suffering from eating disorders by establishing and maintaining transition houses and treatment facilities where these individuals cannot otherwise be treated at regular hospitals”.
Efforts to Provide Treatment
The Journey to provide treatment has been long and challenging. It included efforts to purchase a residential facility in London and the leasing of a home in Barrie Ontario for a residential transition program to end the merry-go-round of hospital readmissions faced by many without the tools to manage their disorder.
The social distance requirements in response to the Covid-19 pandemic not only ended our initiative but also increases the numbers of young adults in need of treatment and support.
Setbacks have made EDFC even more determined and focused to address the healthcare gap impacting young adults. In November 2024, EDFC launched The Harbour, a day treatment program in London Ontario along the lines proposed for the transition house but now offered over several months in a day clinic at a purpose-built
The Harbour
In late 2024, EDFC opened The Harbour, a treatment centre for students and young adults. It operates with a multidisciplinary, trauma-informed and community-based approach that allows for a holistic circle of care. When adolescents are aging out of pediatric care they are now faced with seeking care where fewer resources are available.
Post-secondary students in particular are in unfamiliar food environments, novel social situations often with less familial support and surveillance. They are also experiencing new academic stresses and changes in proximity and accessibility to healthcare services.
The Harbour is operated on the financial
basis of a shared-cost model with the cost to
the patient significantly subsidized by the
Eating Disorders Foundation of Canada with
contributions it gratefully receives from
its .individual donors, sponsors and grants
The Harbour in London will be operated and managed as a pilot project to demonstrate a comprehensive model of care. EDFC has the goal of transferring its knowledge as piloted in London by establishing Chapters in other communities using its established treatment protocols, operating systems, designs, patient assessments and placement in research programs. Local Chapters of The Harbour would operate as separate non-profit organizations with its own board of directors and local financial supports with the benefit of a licensed package of services from EDFC to efficiently move forward.
Each new non-profit Chapter would readily become operational by using an established service model, saving years of individual efforts to develop a separate approach to addressing eating disorders. Best of all, those in need would more quickly have a place to receive treatment and regular support.
A Chapter’s financial operations would be based on charitable donations, corporate sponsorships, local fundraising, co-payment agreements with individual patients, available health insurance, government grants and other supports. While we are not in a position to offer individual chapters financial support, our licensed model will provide significant savings by learning from EDFC’s years of development work in creating its innovative model of care and operating experience.
Through regularly scheduled online conferences with The Harbour-London and affiliated Chapters, advances, successes and challenges would be shared and discussed for the benefit al all.
A network of Chapters working together will expand opportunities for operating grants from governments, broader support from Canadian corporations, other institutions, and individuals touched by a challenging eating disorder in their families.
To learn more about the possibility of opening a local Chapter of The Harbour in your community, please contact:
Dr. Robbie Campbell, President EDFC
robbie.campbell@edfc.ca
To learn more about the possibility of opening a local Chapter of The Harbour in your community, please contact.
Dr. Robbie Campbell, President EDFC
Chapter Development
A better way to support students and young adults with eating disorders
The Harbour: A Scalable Model of Care
The Harbour in London provides treatment and support for underserved young adults while serving as a demonstration site for EDFC’s model of care. Following the London pilot launched in late 2024, EDFC plans to expand this approach by establishing local Chapters in communities across Canada.
Each Chapter will operate as an independent non-profit, supported by a licensed service package from EDFC that includes proven treatment protocols, operating systems, and brand standards. Chapters collaborate nationally, follow a Licensing Agreement, and are supported through donations, co-payments, sponsors or insurers, and government grants accelerating access to care and strengthening opportunities for partnerships and funding.
To learn more about the possibility of opening a local Chapter of The Harbour in your community, please contact:
Dr. Robbie Campbell, President EDFC and CMO of The Harbour
National Initiative for Eating Disorders (NIED)
NIED is the national voice for Canadians affected by eating disorders, supporting families, caregivers, individuals, and practitioners through education, prevention, and improved treatment practices.
Resource Links are found at NIED.ca
Eating Disorders Association of Canada (EDAC-ATAC)
EDAC-ATAC is a national association of professionals dedicated to improving care for individuals affected by eating disorders across Canada.
For more information visit https://www.edac-atac.ca/
As well as addressing the needs of an underserved young adult population with treatment and support, The Harbour in London will be operated and managed as a demonstration project for its comprehensive model of care. EDFC has the goal of transferring its knowledge as piloted in London since late 2024, by establishing Chapters in other communities using its established program, operating systems, treatment protocols, brand, premises design, etc. Local Chapters of The Harbour would operate as separate non-profit organizations with its own board of directors and local financial supports with the benefit of a licensed package of services from EDFC to efficiently move forward.
Each new non-profit Chapter would readily become operational by using EDFC’s innovative and established service model, saving years of individual efforts to develop a separate approach to addressing eating disorders. Best of all, those in need would more quickly have a place to receive an established program of treatment and support. Through regularly scheduled online conferences with The Harbour-London and other Chapters, advances, successes and challenges would be shared and discussed for the benefit al all.
Each Chapter of The Harbour would be operated locally according to standards established in a Licensing Agreement. A Chapter’s operation would be based on three financial pillars, namely: charitable donations, co-payment agreements with individual patients, sponsors and/or insurers, government grants and other supports. While we are not in a position to offer individual chapters financial support immediately, our licensed model will provide significant savings by learning from EDFC’s years of development work in creating its innovative model of care and operating experience. Chapter Agreements would transfer the social enterprise model, patient assessment protocols, operational systems and participation in research programs.
It should not be overlooked that as a network of Chapters, working together rather than in individual silos, will increase our opportunities for our joint support from Canadian corporations, operating grants from provincial and the federal governments, other institutions, and high-wealth individuals touched by a challenging eating disorder in their families.
To learn more about the possibility of opening a local Chapter of The Harbour in your community, please contact:
Dr. Robbie Campbell, President EDFC and CMO of The Harbour
robbie.campbell@edfc.ca
National Initiative for Eating Disorders (NIED)
NIED is the voice for Canadian families, caregivers, and individuals who are affected by eating disorders and other co-morbid and concurrent diagnoses. They help caregivers, patients, and practitioners fill gaps in care through education and by highlighting better practices in prevention, health promotion, and treatment.
Resource Links are found at NIED.ca
Eating Disorders Association of Canada (EDAC-ATAC)
EDAC-ATAC is a Canadian organization of professionals in the field of eating disorders and related areas. The mandate of EDAC-ATAC is to best serve the needs of those whose lives are impacted by eating disorders.
The EDAC-ATAC welcome new members to this Canadian association of eating disorder professionals. Members have the opportunity to be part of a growing organization dedicated to improving care for individuals with eating disorders across Canada.
For more information visit https://www.edac-atac.ca/
Mon–Thu: 7:30am – 7:30pm
Friday: 8:00am – 4:30pm
- The Need
- Our Focus - Young Adult (18+)
- Our Treatment Program
- The Harbour Facility
- Our Staff / Resources
- Chapter Development
- Leadership
- Boards Of Directors
- Filling The Gap with Early Treatment
- Authorization
- Vision
- Donations
- Sponsorships