'Shedding the light': Sask. gov't highlights $42.6 million investment to combat interpersonal violence

The Sask. government announced $42.6 million in funding for community based organizations Monday to address interpersonal violence in the province.

“It’s going to shed the light on the work that needs to happen,” said Regina YWCA CEO Melissa Coomber-Bendtsen. “It also brings commitment to the fact this is an issue in our community.”

The funding is one part of the 2024 provincial budget and will go towards 34 organizations and 54 other programs that provide supports and services to individuals and families impacted by abuse.

The YWCA is getting ready to open its brand new “Kikaskihtânaw Centre” in fall 2024.

Coomber-Bendtsen says demand is not increasing, but it also is not decreasing. Making services even more important.

“The women and children we serve have experienced incredible amounts of trauma,” she explained. “That isn’t something [that’s] worked through or healed in a short period of time.”

“We have to really understand the root causes of violence, poverty and racism to be able to fully remove ourselves from a crisis response and move towards helping people before the crisis happens,” she added.

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The government’s funded programs include sexual violence services, residential transition homes, enhanced residential services and family intervention or advocate teams.

“This is important for those directly impacted,” Premier Scott Moe told reporters following the announcement. “This is some of the most important investments a government can truly make.”

The Kikaskihtânaw Centre is scheduled to open Sept. 1, 2024.

“We are incredibly excited,” Coomber-Bendtsen said. “But we still have funding to raise but we’re very much looking forward to moving here.”

Last week, the government also launched the third phase of a social media campaign aimed at curbing interpersonal violence and abuse called “Face the Issue.”

Nothing new

NDP MLA Nicole Sarauer commented on the province’s announcement – claiming it was simply a re-announcement of dollars already allocated within the budget.

“The YWCA had a request out to the provincial government to complete their building and that hadn’t been granted and that wasn’t an announcement that was made today,” she told reporters. “It’s disappointing to see simply a renouncement of dollars that already exist.”

Sarauer pointed to a 50 person waitlist at the Regina Sexual Assault Centre as proof of the lacking funding from the province.

“We’re hearing that the [Community Based Organizations] CBO’s are having difficulty being able to retain staff based on the limited amount of funds they are getting to pay for salaries,” she added.

“Staff are treading water, they want to see that their work is being valued, that’s where the dollars come in.”