Construction company responsible for Calgary's new Central Library will build the Centre

The people who built Calgary's world-renowned Central Library will build its Centre for Child & Adolescent Mental Health.

Stuart Olson has been awarded the contract for construction management of this innovative facility, which will be located in Hounsfield Heights in northwest Calgary.

President and CEO David LeMay says his company is honoured to play such an important role in building a place that offers so much hope to kids and families in the community,

“We are committed to positively impacting the communities in which we operate and the lives we touch,” said LeMay.

“The Centre for Child & Adolescent Mental Health facility is a perfect example of a project that will do just that. Seeing the community come together and build something that will meaningfully touch the lives of so many families is something we will all be extremely proud of.”

Headquartered in Calgary, Stuart Olson is one of the largest construction services companies in Canada. Some of its recent projects include the Riddell Library & Learning Centre at Mount Royal University and the Central Library, which made BBC's list of top contemporary libraries in the world and the only Canadian project to make Architectural Digest's list of most anticipated buildings of 2018.

The project was completed on time and $10 million under budget, Mayor Naheed Nenshi said at the time of its opening in October 2018.

The Centre for Child & Adolescent Mental Health marks an important step forward in services for youth in our community.

The design has been informed by consultation with young people and families who need specialized support. Their insight helped shape the look and feel of the future 3200 m², three-storey facility, wholly dedicated to and purpose-built for them.

Construction will begin in the fall of 2019.

Why Calgary needs the Centre for Child & Adolescent Mental Health: Hudson's story

Hudson Brock's story is not his alone. It’s his mom’s story. It’s his dad’s story. It’s his sister’s, too.

When children experience mental health challenges, it affects the family. That’s why the Centre for Child & Adolescent Mental Health will be a resource not just for kids, but also for their parents and siblings.

You may recognize Hudson from the #BuildThemUp campaign to fund the centre – his face is on billboards and bus boards all over the city.

Hudson Brock

Hudson and his mom, Naomi, spoke openly about their family’s journey at the Calgary debut of CRESCENDO – something that would have terrified him before – to highlight the need for a facility like the Centre for Child & Adolescent Mental Health, which will make it easier for future generations to get the support they need. “I believe it’s important to share my story, to help other kids – and other families – who are struggling with mental health challenges,” he says.

Hudson was diagnosed with absence epilepsy at a young age. He would experience hundreds of absence seizures in a day, although many of them were almost imperceptible. It terrified his mother.

“It was awful thinking that all of this had been going on inside our son’s head and we hadn’t known or understood the full extent of what he was experiencing,” Naomi says. “Fortunately, we were under the thorough and compassionate care of a wonderful pediatric neurologist, who helped get these seizures under control.”

Not long after, Hudson began to develop tics, “little twitches or urges that were downright uncomfortable,” he says. "It would take every bit of my strength to resist them, just so I wouldn’t look funny to other kids.”

Hudson was eventually diagnosed with Tourette syndrome. At the same time, he developed obsessive compulsive disorder, debilitating anxiety and multiple phobias.

“Our sweet, smart and beautiful little boy was being tormented by dark, disturbing thoughts and fears,” Naomi recalls. “He was so desperate to escape what was happening in his mind that he would pound his fists into his head to try and stop it. It was heartbreaking to watch him suffer – to watch our own son physically harm himself to try and escape the torture and yet, my husband Ryan and I felt utterly helpless. Hudson began to shut down – we all did.”

Hudson stopped going outside to play. He was scared to be away from his mom and dad, his appetite disappeared, and he began to lose weight.

“I was scared to shower with the curtain closed because I was convinced there were bugs behind there and it was terrifying. I couldn’t even sleep because I believed there were tarantulas in my bed that would get me the second I shut my eyes.”

To Hudson, the creatures were very real. For his mom and dad, it was a different kind of nightmare.

“I remember nights we would stay awake, staring at Hudson and wondering what to do. As exhausted as we were, we couldn’t rest, knowing our boy was being tortured by what was going on in his own head. The stress, the lack of sleep – it wears on you.”

Hudson was admitted to the mental health unit at Alberta Children’s Hospital. Leaving him there, says Naomi, was one of the hardest things she and Ryan ever had to do.

Looking back now, it was their best decision.

“Both Hudson and our family have received so much support at the Alberta Children’s Hospital and we were fortunate to meet the right people to help our son overcome many of his challenges and learn to cope with the rest." — Naomi Brock

During his stay, Hudson was able to participate in a research study using non-invasive brain stimulation as a possible treatment for kids with Tourettes. “It really helped with my tics and I felt proud knowing that I was going to be helping other kids like me,” he says.

Naomi says the experience opened her eyes to the world of research, an unsung hero in the development of new treatments and therapies. The Centre for Child & Adolescent Mental Health will be a hub for pediatric research to inform better treatments for children with a range of mental health challenges.

Hudson is doing well now. He’s an actor, and he’s performed on stage in front of thousands of people. He recently spoke at CRESCENDO in front of nearly 1000 people. “It’s pretty cool to think how far I’ve come,” he says.

The Centre for Child & Adolescent Mental Health will provide a suite of services for kids and families experiencing challenges. It will provide the kind of care children need, when they need it, and that’s why the Brocks are so excited for the new Centre.

“It is our hope that for everyone facing a mental health challenge, they receive the help they need when they need it and that they, too, will have very bright futures," says Naomi.

The Centre is relying on support from the community to fund construction and support vital programming. Stay tuned to this blog for more ways to help #BuildThemUp.

RBC Race for the Kids to support Calgary centre for child mental health

Lace up, Calgary. RBC Race for the Kids is back and this year it will help #BuildThemUp by supporting the new Centre for Child & Adolescent Mental Health.

The RBC Race for the Kids is a fantastic, fun-filled family adventure happening September 22 at Heritage Park, and we are excited that proceeds from this year’s event will fund the new centre. Albertans have already shown incredible support for the centre and we want to keep the momentum going!

Step 1: Enlist your squad

It could be your family, your besties, or people you work with. Runners, walkers, all ages and abilities are welcome. You don’t need to be athletic, just excited to help build the centre. Did you participate last year? Gather up the same crew, invite new people to the team and do it again. Sign up here by June 30 and save on registration with early bird pricing!

Step 2: Share your journey, ask for support

Once you sign up, reach out to your family, friends, and colleagues and ask them to show support. With one in five children and teenagers struggling with conditions such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders and schizophrenia, the demand for services is higher than our health system can accommodate. Every dollar you raise will help build a facility that will be wholly dedicated to serving children, adolescents and families in need of mental health care.

Step 3: Have fun!

This is going to be an amazing day - it’s a beautiful course, there will be mascots and face painters and pancakes and so much more to enjoy! Remember, your parking is free with registration, and so is all-day access to Heritage Park.

We can’t wait to see you there, Calgary!