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NOVA West Island is a longstanding, community-based healthcare organization serving Montreal’s West Island. Its roots trace back to 1911, when it was established as a local branch of the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON), a national organization founded in 1897 by Lady Aberdeen to provide home nursing care across Canada. Over time, as VON's national presence diminished, the West Island branch evolved into an independent entity, becoming NOVA West Island. When Quebec established the CLSCs in the 1960s, the organization adapted its mission, focusing on palliative home care for those facing cancer, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease), and other life-limiting illnesses.
Over the years, NOVA has grown to offer a range of vital community services:
Senior activity programs that include:
In-home and virtual stimulation: Providing enriching and meaningful activities to assist in reducing our members' social isolation while maintaining or improving their quality of life and independence.
In-person activity centres (in Beaconsfield and Pierrefonds): Specifically focused on reminiscing, participating in physical activity, cognitive stimulation, utilizing fine and gross motor skills, and engaging in activities that adhere to minds and bodies. Activities range from baking, cooking, art, armchair travel, pet therapy, socialization, and music to ensure there is a wide range for the group as a whole to enjoy.
Bereavement Support:
For adults: Sessions are facilitated by a social worker who specializes in bereavement. They are offered three times per year.
For children: Individual grief support sessions for West Island children after losing a loved one or as a result of major loss and change. These sessions can be scheduled to take place at the child’s school or our NOVA office. They are intended to give the child a private and non-judgemental space for them to process their grief-related emotions through different activities.
Camp Carousel (bereavement camp): The camp takes place at Cap-Saint-Jacques over a weekend day. The camp involves fun outdoor, indoor, and grief-related activities, including a remembrance ceremony. It’s an excellent opportunity for peer-to-peer exchanges that are rewarding, empowering, and encouraging for children affected by the death of a loved one. Camp registration is open to bereaved children who have lost a loved one, irrespective of their living or school district.
Palliative Home Nursing Care:
Specialized nursing care (24/7 on-call service) and support to individuals living with cancer or ALS. Our mission in palliative care is to enable people to stay at home with their loved ones as long as desired.
Home Support:
Designed to improve the well-being of individuals and families by providing them with personal care assistance.
These services—offered free of charge or at a low cost thanks to generous community support—aim to bring comfort, dignity, and connection to both clients and caregivers across more than 16 West Island municipalities: Baie d'Urfé, Beaconsfield, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Dorval, Île Bizard, Île Perrot, Kirkland, Lachine, Pierrefonds, Pincourt, Pointe-Claire, Roxboro, Senneville, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Ste-Geneviève, and Terrasse-Vaudreuil.
Our team includes nearly 140 volunteers who give their time and compassion to senior programs, palliative home visits, and medical transportation for cancer patients. Our Board of Directors is also made up of dedicated community members.
Equally essential is Thrift Shops for NOVA, founded in 1998 by Liz Parker and a group of passionate volunteers. With five boutiques—two in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and one each in Beaurepaire Village (Beaconsfield), Kirkland, and Plaza Pointe-Claire—these shops are a treasure trove of donated furniture, clothing, artwork, and more. Their success is thanks to the incredible dedication of more than 300 volunteers, including board members, whose efforts directly sustain the services we offer.
Our annual fundraising events—such as the Lakeshore Artists’ Spring Expo, Yoga for NOVA, and our August Golf Tournament—further raise both funds and awareness. We’re deeply grateful for the continued support from community groups like the Oldtimers’ Hockey teams, Lakeshore Minor Hockey, Les Amis du Village, the Baie-D'Urfé Rescue Squad, local churches, foundations, and countless individuals.
Wherever people gather and speak of NOVA West Island, there’s almost always a story—of comfort offered, a life uplifted, or a heart touched. These stories remind us that, at its core, NOVA is not just about care—it’s about community, compassion, and connection.
Bozena Bortkiewicz is the Communication and Marketing Agent for NOVA West Island. To learn more about what NOVA does or how you can help, please visit their website at https://www.novawi.org.