In Loving Memory of Jim Moore

1941 – 2026

On August 23rd, 2026 the Calgary Dream Centre lost one of its own. Jim Moore, a founding member and true friend to this community, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loved ones.

As a founding member of the Calgary Dream Centre, Jim made a lasting impact on the lives of over 9000 Calgarians who came to the CDC during the 20 years he served as CEO.

Jim’s legacy began early in life, as a young boy growing up at the Old 8th Avenue Church, now known as First Assembly. His heart for people was shaped in part by his grandfather, who would take him down to the Lighthouse Mission in Calgary’s east end, where together they handed out peanut butter and jam sandwiches to those in need. He often spoke fondly of his Sunday School teacher, Eleanor Baker, and of his encounters with God from a very young age.

Those early years gave Jim a deep love for people, particularly those who were broken, hurting, or in despair. He understood the gift of growing up surrounded by a church family, and as he grew older, he found countless ways to give that same sense of belonging and joy to the next generation.

Jim was a dreamer. But more than that, he could see possibility where others saw problems, potential where others saw brokenness, and people where the world too often saw circumstances. He had an extraordinary ability to imagine what could be and then inspire others to help make it happen.

While his career eventually took Jim to other parts of the country, including Vancouver and Toronto, that spirit of generosity never left him. Even during the busiest seasons he remained attentive to the people around him. He was known to spend his work breaks offering lunches to people in need rather than filling his own stomach. Serving others was not simply something Jim did; it was woven into who he was.

In the summer of 2000, a phone call from Pastor Kenn Gill brought together so many of the threads God had been weaving throughout Jim’s life.

Pastor Ken called Jim with what must have sounded like another impossible idea: purchase the old Nite Inn on Macleod Trail and transform it into a place of hope for people struggling with addiction, homelessness and brokenness.

For Jim, it was exactly the kind of impossible idea worth pursuing.

What began with an old motel and an enormous dream grew into a place where thousands of men and women would find recovery, community, dignity, belonging, and hope. Under Jim’s leadership, the Calgary Dream Centre became far more than a building or an organization. It became an expression of the conviction that had followed him since those childhood trips to the Lighthouse Mission: no one is beyond hope.

In many ways, the Calgary Dream Centre was not the beginning of Jim’s calling. It was the continuation of a calling that had been forming since he was a little boy handing out peanut butter and jam sandwiches beside his grandfather.

Jim dreamed big, but his dreams were always about people. And that legacy lives on in every person who walks through the doors and discovers that someone still believes in them, that their life still has purpose, that hope is still possible, and that their story is not finished.

Give today in honour of Jim Moore, and help carry his legacy forward.