YWCA ready to break ground at new centre
The YWCA is preparing to break ground at its new Centre for Women and Families.
The centre is the YWCA’s answer to a variety of pressures in the community over the past several years.
“It’s about keeping families together. It’s about deinstitutionalizing our responses to poverty and violence, and building a concept of what community looks like and how it can really be a factor in supporting marginalized and vulnerable women and families in our community,” said Melissa Coomber-Bendtsen, YWCA CEO.
Each year the YWCA turns away close to three thousand women and children from their shelter system, and this centre aims to cut down those numbers over time.
The centre is going to take a more innovative approach when it comes to serving women experiencing homelessness, domestic violence and sexual assault.
“If we can prevent the crisis then we prevent families from splitting up, we prevent children from going in to the system, we prevent women from having to access shelter services, so if we can do that then the end result would be that hopefully we can start shutting down some of our shelter beds,” she said.
The new facility will be located in the Cathedral area, on a piece of land gifted from the City of Regina.
Partner organizations Regina Mobile Crisis, the Regina Sexual Assault Centre and All Nations Hope Network will also operate out of the facility to help increase accessibility.
It will feature outdoor green space and an all-season sweat lodge and ceremony site.
“I think this is an incredible example of reconciliation and what reconciliation in action looks like,” said Coomber-Bendtsen.
Coomber-Bendtsen said the project is ready and awaiting confirmation for funding from the provincial and federal governments to start building on the plot of land donated by the city.
“This is the time now for us to build a healthy, sustainable and supportive community.”
The federal government is reviewing the application, while the province is working to gather information on its status.
“We’re very hopeful and looking forward to our partners coming to the table so that we can put the shovel in the ground,” said Coomber-Bendtsen.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Accused of burglary at stepmother's home, U.S. senator says she wanted her father's ashes: charges
A Minnesota state senator and former broadcast meteorologist told police that she broke into her stepmother's home because her stepmother refused to give her items of sentimental value from her late father, including his ashes, according to burglary charges filed Tuesday.
Australian police arrest 7 alleged teen extremists linked to stabbing of a bishop in a Sydney church
Australian police arrested seven teenagers accused of following a violent extremist ideology in raids across Sydney on Wednesday, as a judge extended a ban on social media platform X sharing video of a knife attack on a bishop that started the criminal investigation.