Education Partnerships and temporary emergency housing for the individuals and families of LAW ENFORCEMENT, EMERGENCY MEDICAL/FIRE SERVICES, 911 DISPATCH, VETERANS AND MILITARY PERSONNEL

Our Peace Officers, Fire Fighters, Emergency Medical Services, 911 Dispatch and Military Personnel face frustrating and devastating situations on the work front and then find themselves working hard to find a balanced life perspective on the home front.
The not for profit registered charity was founded in 1997 by a group of Calgary and Edmonton Police Officers who felt there was a gap between the professional life and the transition to the home front. There was a period within a year of several suicides within policing in Alberta and discovery of situations where First Responders were having difficulties in coming home because of the stresses they were carrying from work.
The sights, sounds, carnage and trauma have a way of building up within the human mind that is difficult to shake off. Sleeping in their vehicles and couch surfing at a buddies basement became a disturbing trend. Over the years, the membership that represent Police, Fire, EMS, 911 Dispatch and Military have developed different types of Peer Support resources and instruction to better assist ways of coping to the challenges of the profession.
A significant resource of Legacy Place Society is the CONFIDENTIAL home away from home that supports First Responders and Military Personnel individually or as a family in providing accommodations during times of family crisis within marriages or for medical attention (Counselling, cancer, occupational stress injury, post traumatic stress, surgery, etc).
Since opening the doors in 2001, we have received over 40,000 nightly stays between the 3 locations (Calgary 2001, Edmonton 2004 and Red Deer in 2010). Military Personnel were added in 2010 simply due to lack of available resources for them and because of the cross over of professions once the military career has retired. Our audience consists of currently serving First Responder and Military Personnel and those who are retired veterans of these professions.
Our First Responders are human too. At the end of their shift and it’s time to go home, it’s quite difficult to disengage from the day’s events. Communication, adjusting to family routine and coping behaviors can be challenging within themselves of within the family.
The charity currently owns the Legacy Place houses in Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer.
Our education partnerships include opportunities to contract professional personnel to offer workshops and conferences on reducing the stigma, bringing awareness and incorporating behavior health initiatives to mental health, suicide, addiction, sleep, family relationships.
Matthew Says Thank-You...
My name is Matthew Barber I’m a 28 year old husband and also a father of two, I was also known as Master Corporal Barber Formally.
I deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 as part of the Canadian forces Battle Group. For 5 years I carried issues that made living a normal life impossible so I ran away from Hamilton Ontario and move to Forest Grove British Colombia, like my 3 year old son hiding from monsters under blankets, I hid in a remote part of BC hoping to hide from my problems.
Like everything else it catches up to you and in Nov of last year I attempted to end my life. I just couldn’t stand anymore and was formally diagnosed with PTSD.
Only with great support from my wife was I able to contact veterans affairs and get set up with Care West OSI Clinic in Calgary. Being out of work I needed a place to stay while I underwent my therapy for a week at a time. For the first few weeks I stayed with family and it caused more of problem then help with no money and relying on the Royal Canadian Legion for my transport to and from BC I was in a bad situation.
Until I was set up with the Legacy Place in Calgary for $15 a night you get to stay in a beautiful clean house with you’re own room. I'm aware that there are also Legacy Place Houses in Edmonton and Red Deer.
This last week in therapy staying at the house has been the best for me and feel my life starting to improve for the first time in a long time.
Matthew Barber