The Canadian Association of Therapeutic Clowns

1986

Karen Ridd (Robo the Clown) approaches Ruth Kettner (manager) and Renee Ethans (CHTV director) of the Child Life Department at Winnipeg Children's Hospital, and the first Canadian therapeutic clown program is founded (May 1986). This is probably the first formal therapeutic clown program in the world, and has been under the direction of David Langdon since 1989.

1993

The Therapeutic Clown Program at SickKids Hospital in Toronto was launched in 1993 through Joan Barrington's fundraising initiatives. In the introductory year, Karen Ridd aka Robo of Winnipeg, mentored Joan in therapeutic clowning and Bunky was born.  Over the years this program has been a model for start-up programs across Canada. This program currently employs 11 therapeutic clown practitioners. 

1994

The "Doc Willikers" Therapeutic Clown Program is founded at B.C.'s Children's Hospital in Vancouver (March, 1994) under the direction of Paul Hooson, after being inspired by the clown doctors of the Big Apple Circus' "Clown Care Unit" in New York City (founded in Oct. 1986). This introduced the clown doctor approach to therapeutic clowning to this country for the first time, thereby becoming Canada's first professional Clown Doctor Program.

1997

The "Doc Willikers" Therapeutic Clown Program expands to include Sunnyhill Health Centre for Children (Vancouver).

"Nobody's Fool: but Everybody's Laughing (A Celebration of Canadian Clowning)", a conference on humour and health, brings together therapeutic clowns, Joan Barrington, Camilla Gryski, Paul Hooson and David Langdon for the first time. As Canada's only therapeutic clowns, they discuss the future of therapeutic clowning in Canada. Conference presented by Sue Proctor and Clownwise Inc.

1998

Mary Hirst facilitates a work session in Toronto bringing together Joan Barrington, Camilla Gryski, Paul Hooson and David Langdon to discuss the future of therapeutic clowning in Canada.

The second "Nobody's Fool: but Everybody's Laughing" conference in Winnipeg is presented by Sue Proctor and Clownwise Inc.

1999

Mary Hirst and Joan Barrington founded Therapeutic Clowns Canada (TCC), a non-profit foundation created to help bring therapeutic clowning to all major pediatric facilities across Canada through the provision of seed funding and the training of therapeutic clown practitioners.

The third "Nobody's Fool: but Everybody's Laughing" conference in Winnipeg, is presented by Sue Proctor and Clownwise Inc.

2000

The "Doc Willikers" Therapeutic Clown Program is established at Canuck Place Hospice for Children, Canada's first free-standing Pediatric Palliative Care facility.

2001

Fools For Health is founded in Windsor Ontario at Windsor Regional Hospital, under the direction of Prof. Bernie Warren (U. of Windsor). Working in both pediatric and elder care, this program currently includes 6 clown practitioners.

Therapeutic Clowns Canada founds program in Credit Valley (Mississauga) under the direction of Lucia Cino.

"Play It Again: a conference on humour, play, creativity, and the arts" again brings together therapeutic clowns from across Canada, as well as others interested in the therapeutic applications of humour and creativity. Conference is presented by Sue Proctor and Clownwise Inc.

2002

Dr Clown is founded in Montreal, under the direction of Melissa Holland, Olivier Hugues-Terreault, and Florence Vinit. Dr Clown currently operates in over 26 facilities in Ontario and Quebec, with an equal number of clown-practitioners delivering their services to pediatric and elder care facilities.

TCC founds a program at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, under the direction of Ruth Cull.

2003

TCC founds a program at Trillium (Toronto/Mississauga).

David Langdon (Hubert the Clown of Winnipeg Children's Hospital) adds a clown doctor persona to his repertoire and begins to use the two different clown personae to connect and work with different elements of the hospital's population.

2004

"Challenging Stereotypes: A Celebration of Arts in Community" is presented by the Canadian Centre on Disability Studies. The program featured therapeutic clowns from Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, and Montreal. An ad hoc meeting of the therapeutic clowns at this conference leads to the creation of The Canadian Association of Therapeutic Clowns/ L'Association Canadienne des Clowns Therapeutiques (CATC/ACCT).

TCC founds programs at:
St. Boniface General Hospital (Winnipeg), under the direction of Sue Proctor and Pat Holbrow,
Alberta Children's Hospital (Calgary), under the direction of Cheryl Oberg,
London Health Sciences Centre (London, ON), under the direction of Ken Sperling.
Bloorview Kids Rehab (Toronto), under the direction of Jamie Burnett.

2005

After nine years of experience as the therapeutic clown Posy at SickKids in Toronto (1995-2004), Camilla Gryski founds Therapeutic Clown Services, the first Canadian therapeutic clown private practice, in Toronto.

2005

The Canadian Association of Therapeutic Clowns/ L'Association Canadienne des Clowns Therapeutiques (CATC/ACCT) is founded with 27 charter members.

The first annual CATC/ACCT symposium is held in Montreal.

2006

The second annual CATC/ACCT symposium is held in Winnipeg, celebrating 20 years of therapeutic clowning in Winnipeg and Canada, and honouring Karen Ridd.

TCC founds a program at IWK (Halifax), under the direction of Cleve Sauer.

2007

The third annual CATC/ACCT symposium is held in Toronto. This year Mary Hirst was honoured for her work with Therapeutic Clowns Canada.

The Bloorview program expands to two therapeutic clowns.

TCC disbands, having met their mandate to found Therapeutic Clown Programs nationally, from coast to coast. All TCC resources are transferred to CATC/ACCT.

2008

The fourth annual CATC/ACCT symposium is held in Calgary.

The Bloorview program expands to three therapeutic clowns.