Community residents, concerned about the lack of social/community services in the Southwest Scarborough area, formed the Phyllis Griffiths Neighbourhood Centre in 1981. The centre operated out of the Kalmar Housing Co-operative, followed by the Birchcliff Public School.

Programs focused on seniors and children with funding from Metro Community Services, City of Scarborough, and the province.

In 1994, under a partnership agreement with the City of Scarborough, the centre took residence in a new City facility and changed its name to Birchmount Bluffs Neighbourhood Centre. In 1995, BBNC suffered a 50% loss in core funding when the province pulled out of the CNSSP program which resulted in a loss of staff including the Executive Director. This loss of funding led to a partnership agreement with West Scarborough Neighbourhood Community Centre to run programming for children in an after school program, and a seniors social program with funding from Metro and United Way. As a means to continued survival, the agency decided to temporarily focus on revenue-producing programs, such as adult fitness, aqua-fitness, seniors fitness, etc.

In 1998, the agency, now stabilized and ready to re-build, hired a part-time Executive Director and developed a long-term strategic plan outlining areas for expansion and improved access for diverse communities to our programs and services. In 1999, the agency was successful in obtaining grants to develop and implement new programs and community services such as drug awareness programs (funded by the City of Toronto and the United Way), employment and pre-employment services through a new Surf „N‟ Search Job Lounge (funded by Human Resources Development Canada), classes for people with disabilities, (funded by the City of Toronto) and a new program for families and pre-school children, called Ready-Set-Grow (funded through the United Way Advance Funding). The agency also developed an integration policy for the nursery school and entered a partnership with the Toronto Association for Community Living (TACL) regarding children with special needs in the BBNC nursery school.

With new leadership and increased staffing (resulting from the new grants), BBNC worked actively to increase its profile in the community and to increase linkages with other community organizations. BBNC evaluated our partnership with West Scarborough Neighbourhood Community Centre and decided to retain our agreement in relation to the Boys and Girls Club after-school program, but to regain our autonomy over our seniors program to more effectively integrate it with the BBNC seniors‟ recreation programs. We also entered into new community relationships, for example, with Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute, Birchmount Residence (a satellite program of Seaton House, City of Toronto, Hostel Services), Community Social Planning Council, and Warden Woods Community Centre and became an active member of Toronto Neighbourhood Centres.
During this time of growth, BBNC also turned our attention internally to our human resources and administrative and financial systems. We established a new computerized accounting system and began to do our accounting in-house. We also set up systems for volunteer recruitment and co-ordination and we recruited a more diverse Board and re-vitalized Board committees.

The years 2000 – 2005 have seen continued expansion and consolidation of the growth already achieved. With funding from the City of Toronto, we launched a new social/recreational program for people with disabilities in our community, called the Active and Able Network. Due to the change in structure of HRSDC, the S Surf „N‟ Search Job Lounge program ended and a new program the Youth Employment Program (YEP) opened.

BBNC conducted a needs assessment of our community through funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and United Way. In addition, in 2004, BBNC in partnership with United Way went through a Strategic Planning exercise and put in place a 5 year strategic plan. As a result, of the Strategic plan and the needs assessment, the Board of Directors decided that although there will be a continued focus on the five groups we currently service, there was a special emphasis on youth programming. In 2005, staff and board got together to rewrite the Mission Statement. Then, in 2007 BBNC launched a satellite Youth Drop-in Centre, to increase services to racialized and marginalized youth, including youth with disabilities. Next, in 2009, the Strategic Planning Process was concluded, ending of hiring a new Executive Director, Enrique Robert.

Also, BBNC received two awards, the first one, “Ontario Trillium Foundation grant”, to address the financial needs and volunteer’s capacity of BBNC; and the second one, “The City of Toronto’s Access and Equity Award for Human Rights” for our Active and Able Program. In that same year, the First Community BBQ took place, with the participation of over 300 members.