On March 8th, we set aside time to recognize International Women’s Day, and we honour the women whose courage, determination, and advocacy helped build the BC Schizophrenia Society into the support network it is today.
Their stories begin long before BCSS existed; in living rooms, hospital waiting areas, and around kitchen tables where families struggled to understand schizophrenia during a time of profound misinformation and stigma.
A longstanding legacy built by women, families, and community
The BC Schizophrenia Society was founded in 1982 by families and friends of people living with schizophrenia. Since then, we have grown into a province-wide family network of support, education, and hope.
This growth over the past 44 years is the result of the persistent, resilient women who refuse to accept the status quo for the people they love. Their collective work represents a much larger movement that goes beyond any single name or award; it’s a shared legacy of advocacy that continues to shape our history.
This progress has been made possible by the countless people whose quiet, steady work built the organization we see today. From the first local support groups to where we are now, these milestones represent a community coming together to move forward.
A timeline of our progress
- 1982: Vancouver Friends of Schizophrenics was incorporated in BC.
- 1984: The first newsletter, educational kits, and family education courses are published.
- 1990: Vancouver hosts Schizophrenia ’90: Poised Discovery, the first international schizophrenia conference.
- 1993: The Dr. Norma Calder Schizophrenia Foundation (Calder) was founded to raise money to help alleviate the suffering caused by Schizophrenia. It was closely affiliated with the British Columbia Schizophrenia Society.
- 1994: BCSS helps raise $1 million to create the Jack Bell Chair in Schizophrenia Research at UBC.
- 1995–2009: Kids in Control and Teens in Control programs are developed —led by psychologist Dr. Robert (Rob) Lees expanding support for children and youth affected by mental illness in the family.
- 2004: The Dr. Norma Calder Schizophrenia Foundation (Calder) becomes the Mind Foundation of BC.
- 2013: The Mind Foundation of BC becomes the BC Schizophrenia Society Foundation (BCSS).
- 2017: BCSS partnered with provincial mental health programs to host a landmark Cognitive Remediation conference in Vancouver featuring Dr. Chris Bowie, Dr. Alice Medalia, and Dr. Mahesh Menon, drawing over 200 participants and supported by the UBC Institute of Mental Health and Vancouver Coastal Health.
- 2004–2021: BCSS strengthens provincial partnerships, develops and implements provincial programs to support families, and launches major public education tools, including youth psychosis tours, cannabis/mental health education, and the Look Again: Mental Illness Re-examined podcast.
- 2024: BCSS Youth brand and website launched.
- 2025: BCSS supports over 12,900 people through family programs, one‑on‑one support, youth sessions, and presentations.
Women leading BCSS today
Just as women shaped the early foundations of BCSS, they continue to play a vital role in the organization’s work today.
Across British Columbia, women serve as regional managers, educators, youth program leaders, support‑group facilitators, cultural‑safety champions, board members, administrative specialists, and senior leaders. From the provincial office to communities throughout the Interior, the North, the Coast, and Vancouver Island, women are at the forefront of supporting families, delivering education, and strengthening community connections.
This modern leadership follows in the steps of dedicated advocates like Jane Duval, who was the Society’s Executive Director for over 20 years paving the way for the women who lead our organization today.
Under the current leadership of CEO Faydra Aldridge, BCSS’s female staff contribute expertise in program delivery, youth support, development, finance, communications, and engagement. Regional managers like Bonnie Spence‑Vinge, Francis Racy, Steffi Thomas, Gail Rutledge, Katie Nickerson, Mary Beth Hall, and Hardeep Thind, along with our with dedicated team of educators are often the first point of contact for families seeking help – offering compassion, knowledge, and reassurance during some of the most challenging moments in their lives.
We also want to thank BCSS and BCSSF Board Members along with our Medical Advisory Committee who generously volunteer their time, leadership, and expertise.
On this International Women’s Day, we honour the women who founded and fueled this movement, the women who carry it forward today, and the next generation who will lead with the same courage and care.