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 The
sixth century St. Leonard of France is known as the "Patron Saint
of Prisoners". Legend has it that in gratitude for service, a
King gave St. Leonard land on which he built a monastery called Noblac,
which became known as the first halfway house for prisoners. The King
had such admiration for St. Leonard and such trust in his ability
to deal firmly but compassionately with offenders that he allowed
him to select prisoners, take them under his care at Noblac and then
release them when he thought the time was right.
St. Leonard's monastery was the model which inspired Reverend Neil
Libby to establish the first St. Leonard's House in Canada. This was
in Windsor, Ontario. Before that, St. Leonard's works and compassion
also prompted the naming of the first St. Leonard's House in Chicago
in 1954. The motto used in the monastery of Noblac is still used by
the St. Leonard's Society of Canada: "Let all guests be received
as Christ".
The aim of the St. Leonard’s Society of Hamilton is to free
individuals from the past and support them in facing the future with
dignity and new hope. This aim, it is believed, can be achieved through
nurturing and compassion, considered the primary ingredients to successful
transition during the major stages in life. This then establishes
the foundation upon which the Society's philosophy is built and the
steps taken to assist individuals during the crucial time in their
lives when they are breaking the chains of the past and establishing
the nature of their future.
 The
St. Leonard's Society of Hamilton was originally incorporated in 1972
under the name "The Astra Society of Hamilton and District".
An eight-bed residence on Strathcona Avenue was purchased and a residential
program for male offenders released to community parole began. In
1978 this property was sold and two "century homes" on Emerald
Street South were purchased to expand to a thirty bed program. In
1982 the society affiliated with the St. Leonard's Society of Canada
and officially changed its name to the St. Leonard's Society of Hamilton.
In 1985 the two houses on Emerald Street South were joined together,
creating more office and program space. In 1988 the property on Robert
Street was purchase and opened in 1989 to provide an additional 20
beds for adult male offenders on conditional releases. In 2001 the
Society began the GreenBYTE program to provide a self sustaining (with
a lot of help from our friends) employment services and computer technology
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