To provide compassionate community support to women and families facing an unexpected pregnancy so that they can thrive without seeing abortion as their only option.
Sadly, each year hundreds of women in Toronto find themselves alone with an unexpected pregnancy. Lacking material, family and community support many feel overwhelmed and believe they have no other option but to seek an abortion. The Pregnancy Care Centre exists so that women have other options. We provide practical help, emotional support and vital connections to long term care through churches and other community resources.
Our Free Services
With the support of our donors, we are able to provide an array of pregnancy services to individuals who are met with an unexpected pregnancy.
Please note that we are not a medical clinic and do not provide or assist in arranging for abortions.
Free Pregnancy Tests
Our free pregnancy tests are urine-based and are 99.5% accurate within 7 days of fertilization. Results are available immediately after the test.
Abortion Information
We provide information and help you sort through your thoughts, feelings and questions about abortion.
Post-Abortion Care
For those who are working through the difficult emotions that can be felt following abortion, we offer a safe place to grieve the loss and connect with others who have found help and hope.
Adoption Information
We share information about different type adoption options and answer questions and concerns about the adoption process.
Parenting Preparation
We offer a variety of individual and group sessions for prenatal education, budgeting, relationships and support in fulfilling your short and long term goals.
Community Connections
We offer connections to a strong base of community groups and volunteers throughout Toronto. Students can get connected to pregnancy support teams at some university campuses. Pregnancy support teams in local churches are willing to help families, new dads, and newcomers to Canada.
If you or someone you know needs help call or text us at 416-229-2607 or write to us at info@pregnancycarecentre.org. For full information about our services and how to set up an appointment, visit IAmNotAlone.ca
The Pregnancy Care Centre volunteers and staff are ready to help and extend friendship support to women and their families with an unexpected pregnancy.
Jillian Bell is a Sr. Director in Retail Bank for one of the largest bank in Canada. As a long term supporter of the PCC, she uses her experience in governance, human resources, operations and programme management to serve as a board member. Jillian is a member at New City Baptist Church, where her husband, John, serves as a pastor.
Jillian Bell; Board Chair
Gretchen Van Riesen is a retired executive from CIBC in Human Resources after 40 years of industry experience. She is on a number of pension boards which oversee large public sector pension plans. She has been a longtime supporter of the PCC and active in a number of faith-based community organizations in downtown Toronto, including The Philip Aziz Centre and Emily's House and the community dinners at the Church of Regent Park. She attends Church in the City and the Church in Regent Park.
Gretchen Van Riesen
Bill Weiland & his wife Denise have 4 adult children & live in Toronto. He became a Christian in 1983 after the birth of his first son. Bill enjoys speaking on the subject of managing finances in God’s way. A long-time supporter of the PCC, he joined the Board in September 2013 in response to God’s calling to be active in supporting the sanctity of human life. Bill serves as Treasurer on the Pregnancy Care Centre Board of Directors.
William T. Weiland
Treasurer
Tarun George has been a PCC Board Director since 2017, and a dedicated volunteer and supporter since 2012. He uses his experience to assist the PCC's communications and fundraising initiatives. In his professional life, he is the Head of Partnerships for an important nonprofit organization in Ontario. He attends Grace Toronto Church, where he serves as a deacon.
Tarun George
Josh Mejia is a Sr. Corporate Counsel for one of the largest property and casualty insurers in Canada. He's had the privilege of supporting the PCC for several years and uses his legal background to serve as a board member. Josh is a member of Sovereign Grace Church in Bradford.
Josh Mejia
Pam Lau is a family physician in Markham, where she practises full-spectrum family medicine, seeing newborns to elderly. She earned her medical degree from the University of Toronto and completed her residency training with McMaster University. A PCC supporter since 2016, she has served on the Medical Advisory Committee, and she subsequently joined the Board in 2019. Pam and her family attend Grace Toronto Church - Downtown.
Pamela Lau
Reflecting on years of God’s Faithfulness
God has, in his faithfulness has raise up an amazing support community of donors, volunteers, churches, and past clients who together want to help families with unexpected pregnancies to thrive …. to the glory of God.
1981: Toronto chapter of the CAC Formed
In 1981, Howard and Betty McPhee attended a conference where Dr. Everett Koop, the next US Surgeon-General, was speaking. There, they found information on the Christian Action Council (CAC) in the US. Howard was pastor of the Grace & Peace PCA church, and with his and Betty’s encouragement, others in their congregation became concerned for affirming the value of human life in Toronto. Nora Henry, Barbara Challies, and Flora Compton, all from the Grace & Peace church, attended the first “Sanctity of Human Life Conference” in Atlanta, Georgia, in June 1981. On their return, they formed the Toronto chapter of the CAC. In this group were Barbara and John Challies, Bill and Renee Salomons, Wilma Klein, Flora and David Compton (pastor of Evangelical Presbyterian Church), Rod Finlayson, Catherine and Malcolm MacInnes (pastor of the Associate Presbyterian Church), Howard and Betty McPhee, Ven Evans, Jack Douglas, Nora Henry, and…
Read more1984: Crisis Pregnancy Centre Opened
As she built support, Betty felt that the missing element was direct contact with the women they wanted to help. They decided to open a Crisis Pregnancy Centre to reach women with the good news that Jesus loves them and their babies, and they do not need to abort. In October 1984, Malcolm MacInnes found a small office at 5584 Yonge Street (Suite 16), the North York Crisis Pregnancy Centre opened its doors. A CPC help line was started and Catherine, his wife, took on the task of answering the phone and counselling the first woman who made an appointment. She remembers being more nervous than the client. All this was very timely – it was the same year that Toronto’s first free standing abortion clinic also opened. Malcolm MacInnes became the first Chairman of the Board. The acting Centre directors were Flora Compton, Catherine MacInnes, and Betty McPhee,…
Read more1994 – 2001
Shortly after settling in to the Sheppard Avenue premises, Mary retired as Director and joined the Board. Jessie Beck, who had been the Assistant Director, became the Director. After four and a half years, Jessie was followed by Nancy Varga (who later joined the Board), Heidi Quayle, Cathy Dienesch and Aimee Chada, who served as director of the Scarborough office (opened in 2001, at the Morning Star Christian Fellowship at Sheppard and Morningside) for a number of years.
Read more2007 – 2008 : New Director Hired, Office Moves
In 2007, Sarah Martin served as interim director, until Linda Baartse, the current director of the PCC, was hired as Executive Director. During Cathy Dienesch’s tenure the PCC moved its North York office to the NW corner of Sheppard and Bayview. In 2008 the North York office was moved to Sheppard and Bathurst.
Read more2008 – Present: Continued Expansion
The PCC has continued to expand services since 2008 through the First Response Network. Through the use of evening office space provided by a number of churches including Grace Toronto, Westminster Chapel, Stone Church and Christian Centre Church PCC support was extended to serve families downtown, and north to reach serve those near Jane and Steeles. In 2014, a new office space was made available to provide services to the Hispanic community in the West End. In 2018 the PCC’s downtown locations were consolidated and the PCC opened it’s first permanent office at the University of Toronto in the…
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