The year was 1688. A major fire had destroyed the homes and belongings of scores of citizens in New France. The town of Quebec was swollen with the destitute, many of whom were forced to beg in the streets, having lost all they owned in the fire. The citizens of Quebec, concerned about the plight of their less fortunate compatriots, formed what was probably the first voluntary agency in Canada, the Bureau des Pauvres. This agency, managed and run by volunteers and supported by donations from the community, provided clothing, food, housing, and money to those in need. The Bureau des Pauvres continued to operate, providing relief to the poor, incapacitated, and elderly, until about 1700, at which time its functions were taken over by religious charities (Lautenschlager, 1992).

Volunteering in Canada: Some Historical Highlights

It was the churches that initiated most of the first organized social services in Canada. The Roman Catholic church founded the Hotel Dieu in Quebec in 1658, and La Maison de Providence in Montreal in 1688, to provide relief to the sick, incapacitated, and destitute, and education and training to those who could not afford to pay for them. Charitable organizations (called Societies) associated with the Roman Catholic church, such as the Society of Vincent de Paul, continued to provide support for the sick and indigent in Quebec through the eighteenth century and continuing into the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Lay volunteers working with the Societies visited the sick and disabled, helped the unemployed find work, and ran clothing depots. They also began to take on social justice issues, advocating on behalf of disadvantaged groups in the community.