History of YWAM Dunham
In 1976, just before the Montreal Summer Olympics, YWAM found an old school in Dunham to accommodate 1,600 young people from around the world, coming for a short-term summer outreach in the Olympic context.

Following that summer of 1976, several of the present people decided to pursue the work in Quebec and purchased the Dunham centre. Thus started the adventure of Youth With A Mission Dunham as:

• One of the first YWAM centres in Canada
• The second francophone YWAM centre after Lausanne
• Host of the first French-speaking DTS recorded in YWAM
• Host of the first School of Creativity recorded in YWAM

In the early 80’s, many members of the Dunham centre went westwards to pioneer a new YWAM location in Cambridge, Ontario, from which others then left to pioneer other Canadian locations.

From the 80’s to the late 90’s, the centre focused on training programs (discipleship training school, school of counselling) and on artistic ministries (large choreographic productions, Anima mime troupe, music distribution service).

From the late 90’s to the mid 2000’s, the centre decreased in its number of projects and staff, focusing mainly on the Discipleship Training Schools, only to take off again in 2006, with renewed vision, a fresh team, and a growing variety of ministries.

Youth With A Mission in Quebec is composed of Youth With A Mission Montreal, of Youth With A Mission Dunham and of Distribution ADP. René Laframboise is the coordinator for YWAM Quebec.

History of the House
What did this big old house “used to be”?
Dunham was chosen early in its history to be the site of an Anglican ladies residential "finishing school", for young ladies from various places. The Institute would offer them finishing touches in social graces and education to prepare them to become productive and gracious members of society. As a matter of fact, the mother of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau was one of the Institute's graduates.

During the Second World War, the school became a place of refuge as families from England sent their daughters here for their safety and protection from the hazards of war. The Institute became St. Helen's School, an Anglican residential girls' school noted for its basketball team and music program, until its eventually closure in the 1970's.

The historic school received a new lease on life with the arrival of Youth With a Mission in 1976 and remains a site of guided visits by horse-drawn carriages that show off the fascinating architectural legacy of the Town of Dunham.