Our History

The Walk to the Lighthouse was founded by a subcommittee of Joseph Brant Hospital’s Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC). The subcommittee originally became Equilibrium Burlington and focused on destigmatizing mental health issues, promoting mental health education, peer support, and fundraising for mental health initiatives in the community. In 2021, the committee organized the first Walk to the Lighthouse event. Its success led the group to focus primarily on the Walk, prompting a separation from Equilibrium Burlington, which continued to concentrate on peer support and mental health education. As the Walk to the Lighthouse continued to grow, it evolved from a PFAC subcommittee into an independent organization to allow for broader community involvement. This shift was intended to expand participation and encourage greater input from individuals with lived experience, caregivers, those working in the field, and anyone wanting to improve mental health support for their community. The organization’s ongoing goals are to raise awareness about the importance of mental health, reduce stigma, empower individuals to seek treatment, with all funds raised going to JBH’s For All Minds Campaign in support of the growth and redevelopment of the hospital’s Mental Health and Addictions Services.