Casey House Heritage in Toronto – GayOut Guide
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Casey House

Historic Venue 1988 Still active

Canada's first stand-alone HIV/AIDS hospital — opened 1988, purpose-built expansion 2017. Pioneer of the North American residential AIDS-care model.

Google (47) 4.0
80
/ 100
GayOut Score
G4.0
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Address
119 Isabella Street, Toronto, ON M4Y 1P2, Canada
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Website
caseyhouse.ca

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About this place Casey House

Casey House opened on 1 March 1988 as Canada's first stand-alone hospital and hospice for people with HIV/AIDS. Its founder, June Callwood — a Canadian journalist and civil-rights activist who was not herself queer — named it for her son Casey, killed in a road accident in 1982. Its opening came at the peak of AIDS-era discrimination in Canadian hospitals, when many acute-care hospitals were refusing to admit AIDS patients or would put them in isolation gowns and mask. Casey House's original premises were the Isabella Coulson mansion, a 1892 Queen Anne-style townhouse at 9 Huntley Street — a domestic-scale residential building deliberately chosen over an institutional hospital design. The original 13-bed hospice was a pioneering treatment model that was subsequently replicated across North America. In March 2017 Casey House opened a purpose-built 60,000-square-foot expanded facility at 119 Isabella Street. The new building — designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects and awarded the Ontario Association of Architects' 2020 Design Excellence Award — retains a red-brick Victorian façade (the restored Isabella Coulson mansion) as the entrance to a modern glass and cedar addition that holds 14 in-patient beds, plus outpatient clinics, mental-health services, and a 300-person community centre. Casey House serves visitors by appointment for tours and community programming; the main-lobby reception welcomes drop-in visitors during weekday business hours. Wellesley subway is a five-minute walk. On the Church-Wellesley heritage circuit this is one block east of The ArQuives — a natural continuation of the Isabella Street queer-institution walk.

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47 reviews

Based on 47 Google reviews.

Comet 6
Comet 6 Jul 2026

Very unsafe outside of this place. There's often 5 to 10 people outside shooting up drugs or laying around half clothed. The front lawn is often strewn with garbage. This should not be allowed in an area where there are numerous people walking with strollers. I've been harassed myself by some very scarey characters.

I. K.
I. K. Jun 2026

A refugee with disabilities wasted time to come and to wait in the long line to get meal without meat because of my religious dietary restrictions on some Wednesdays and most Fridays. Unfortunately, there were no meal available for me

Philip Ilumin
Philip Ilumin Jun 2026
L White
L White May 2026

Archaic and stereotype forward mentality is unexpected for an lgbtq community, it just goes to show how evolution can be utterly slow. I avoid to go there for those reasons and others.

Shine Guy
Shine Guy May 2026
D R
D R Apr 2026
Kenneth Wealthman
Kenneth Wealthman Mar 2026

To: Management of Casey House Subject: Formal Complaint Regarding Staff Conduct – Carline Sullivane To the Management Team, I am writing to formally document a series of deeply concerning incidents involving a staff member, Carline Sullivane, which occurred between Monday, March 16, and Wednesday, March 18. The behavior I experienced was not only unprofessional but was characterized by physical boundary violations, verbal harassment, and discriminatory targeting. Incident Overviews Monday, March 16: While I was seated and eating my meal, Ms. Sullivan approached me in a belligerent and passive-aggressive manner. In front of other patrons, she made public accusations regarding the amount of food I was consuming. During this interaction, she repeatedly poked me with her finger and placed her hands on me. Despite my polite request for her to stop touching me, she continued her aggressive behavior before approaching kitchen staff to further disparage me. Tuesday, March 17: Upon my arrival, Ms. Sullivan immediately began monitoring my movements and alerted the front desk staff to my presence, creating an environment of unnecessary surveillance and hostility. Wednesday, March 18: I approached Ms. Sullivan to ask for her name to facilitate this report. She was immediately dismissive and belligerent, denying the previous encounters ever took place and claiming she did not recognize me. Concerns Regarding Conduct and Discrimination The behavior displayed by Ms. Sullivan is a direct contradiction of the mission and core values of Casey House. I am particularly concerned by the following: Harassment and Physical Contact: The decision to physically touch a guest and use a provocative tone is unacceptable in any professional environment. Disparate Treatment: I observed other individuals at the table with similar portions, yet Ms. Sullivan chose to target only myself and another Black gentleman. This selective enforcement and public humiliation strongly suggest a bias that is inconsistent with a diverse and inclusive environment. Lack of Integrity: The denial of these events during our follow-up conversation indicates a lack of accountability and honesty. In contrast, I would like to note that my interactions with other staff members have been characterized by the respect and compassion I have come to expect from your organization. Requested Action I do not tolerate humiliation or disrespect, and I am requesting a formal meeting with a manager to discuss this matter further. I would like Ms. Sullivan to be present during this meeting so we can address these events directly and transparently. I look forward to your prompt response regarding the next steps in this process

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Last updated on 22 August 2026

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